In this class, Rachel Portnoy will discuss the challenges of gluten-free baking, as well as introduce participants to the different grains that are available to gluten-free bakers. Learn new techniques and recipes using flavorful, gluten-free ingredients on Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Rachel Portnoy started out as a vegetarian cook during her time as a graduate student in the 1990s, and then moved on to specialize in pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in London. She worked at French fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, Washington, D.C., and London, as well as at fine restaurants and bakeries in France. In 2002, Rachel and her husband, French chef Franck Tessier, opened Cakewalk Bakery and Chez Nous Restaurant in Lee, Mass. Rachel now works as a culinary and baking instructor/demonstration chef at Canyon Ranch.