CookNote: ingredients of a less common nature

I realize that if you live in a remote area, there are a few ingredients I use (in addition to the coconut flour) that might also be a bit difficult for you to come by.  Ingredients are becoming more and more available in general stores, but this hasn't happened everywhere yet.  For your ease and understanding, here is a list of what I have around that's a bit uncommon and why I bother with it.

I store these all in the freezer so they last forever once purchased, for years and years.

Items that follow:
Xanthan Gum
Rice Flour
How to find it

Xanthan Gum

Keep things from crumbling and falling apart.  It's a binding agent.  I have made each of my recipes without this ingredient and it can be frustrating.  My recipes note any adjustments needed if you're not using it, but usually the basic result is just that things will do that messy crumbly thing.

Rice Flour

I prefer brown rice flour.  Rice produces a non-scorching flour perfectly suited for adding to greased pans because it doesn't burn or smoke, it is used for baking to prevent dough sticking to pan.  Rice flour is great because it has minimal taste so it doesn't detract from what you're baking.  Coconut flour sprinkling isn't good because it tends to burn in the grease lining, and corn has a distinctive taste so it isn't always a good idea depending on what you're making.  This is the best thing ever for lining bread, pie and cake pans so you can more easily remove them.  I also used it with my crustless quiche technique as shown in this picture with oil and rice flour.


Where can you get stuff like this?

--I'm able to find these things at most grocers.  They are usually organized in a less than logical location - in the organics section, or on a small shelf that is just for gluten free, or in a specialty item section.  Currently the most available brand is called "Bob's Red Mill" and sometimes there's just a section where that brand name is all kept together on a shelf.  Before you give up on your store, ask someone on staff to help you.
--I can do you a little favor if you think you might need to do mail order.  Prices at this site are fantastic: http://www.iherb.com/.  For your first order I can get you free shipping and a small discount, which you may as well use because after you make your first order you'll get your own code.  Sharing my code gets me referral discounts, so hey, win-win.  Here's my code for you: BEP390