Since this is my first column on this platform, I think it would be only appropriate to start by addressing some fundamental issues surrounding gluten-free cooking and baking. I’ve struggled with them myself, and amidst all the noise surrounding this topic, I can only imagine the confusion others might face. Wheat is not your enemy. Humans have eaten wheat and similar grains for thousands of years. However, what is without doubt is that the occurrence of Celiac, as well as other gluten-based digestive disorders, which have increased dramatically over the last few decades.To be fair, the jury is still out to its reasons. It is true that our bodies do not have the proper enzymes to break down the complex proteins found in gluten. The immune system spots gluten as an invader and goes into battle mode to get rid of it. But in most people, the immune system is able to “clean up” the gluten invasion, and then it’s back to business as usual. Having said so, then how does one justify the rapid increase in Celiac disease over the years? Is it the manner in which the modern food industry grows grains? Is it environmental? Is it on account of processed foods? Or is it birth-related issues?I have not come across a single answer as of date. But as and when a scientific consensus takes shape, I’d wager that the answer will be simultaneously multi-faceted, and as most things in life are, but at its core, it would be simple and intuitively obvious. Wheat may not be your enemy, but, there is some truth to the fact that avoiding a gluten-focused diet (as opposed to a grain-focused diet; there are many grains that don’t have gluten) has conclusive health benefits. I remember when my elder son was diagnosed with Celiac a few years ago. Some well-wishers suggested that I may have been feeding him too many rotis (well, not really), too much processed food (not at all), or I could have avoided its onset by using only the so-called ‘Organic Atta’ available in the market. The truth is I didn’t think that the so called ‘Organic Atta’ I was buying was any good either, and it could have been just a clever marketing ploy.