Attention Cooking TLC Cookbook Owners

After almost ten years of (patting myself on the back for) specifying only a few specialty ingredients in my cookbooks, ingredients which have all remained available, the run has sadly ended…

I have recently learned that Expert Foods’ ThickenThin NotStarch, the thickener specified in all my recipes, has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is already unavailable for purchase.

I have located an excellent substitute product, Dixie Diner’s “Carb Counters Thick It Up Low Carb Thickener”. You need only use half the amount specified, and it costs less, too! The carbs in this product are 100% fiber, making it a “free” food if you count only the net carbs, like most of us, and meaning that the carb counts in the original recipes do not need revision due to the substitution.

I will be revising the manuscripts for both cookbooks accordingly, but meanwhile, and for those of you who already own the books, you will need to make the necessary adjustment when measuring – either use just HALF the amount of Thick It Up, or use one quarter the amount of guar gum.

Another solution, and an addition I will be making to the books while revising them: Mix your own thickening agent using 1 part guar gum to three parts dried whole milk. (Make sure it is mixed evenly – I use my food processor.) Then you can just measure as specified in the original recipes. (The milk powder is added simply to lessen the clumping effect of pure guar gum, making it easier to work with.)

Thanks for your ongoing support! Watch for my Tenth Anniversary edition “Complete TLC” cookbook to be released this November. It will be a combination of both cookbooks, will include all of my newer online recipe club recipes, and also will feature color recipe photos throughout and be encased in a deluxe 3-ring binder, making it easy to add your own recipe pages to each section.

Warm Regards,
Karen Rysavy