Dear readers, we are speaking today of things local and things foreign, in an attempt to make the foreign familiar. Our regular inquirer, Champ, is wanting a recipe for grapefruit cake, adding this general question, “Can grapefruit, orange and lemon be used interchangeably in cakes and pies?” Here, the experts must weigh in.
Is American flour inferior to its European counterparts? Pat Schock wrote about flour from Italy. “I recently researched pizza dough flour, trying to understand why pizza crust in Italy tastes better and is easier to digest than here. American flour is ground from hard wheat and Italian flour is ground from soft wheat, therefore easier to digest. It is available locally — a little more expensive, but makes great bread too. Just Google soft wheat flour.”
Joining our conversation, Lookout Mountain Regular reported seeing some huge bags of Italian flour at the recently reopened Lookout Mountain Pizza Co. in Rising Fawn, Georgia. Indeed, someone there was heard to reiterate that its gluten is easier to digest for gluten-sensitive diners. This does not, of course, include those with celiac disease. So let’s keep talking flour, where to find and what is best.