As many Americans look to cut back on gluten, alternatives like almond flour are really having a moment. Made with 100 percent sweet almonds, it’s the perfect alternative to traditional white flours but lends a unique flavor that can take desserts to the next level. On this episode of Fresh Pickings, we looking at one small nut’s journey through the mill, and how almond flour can transform everything you thought you knew about baking.

We start at the source: the almond. The almond is native to an area stretching from the northern Indian subcontinent westwards to Syria, Israel, and Turkey. It was spread by humans in ancient times along the shores of the Mediterranean into northern Africa and southern Europe and more recently transported to other parts of the world, notably California.

Host Kat Johnson is joined by Cynthia Malaran (also known as DJ Cherishtheluv), the host of Wedding Cake, who shares her childhood memories of discovering that the almond isn't actually a nut, but a fruit. She bit into what she thought was an apple, but discovered a sour taste and large seed.

Cynthia also shares some health info about the notoriously healthy almond: they provide a good amount of manganese and vitamin E, as well as a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats. Not only do they have a healthy boost of protein, they are also very low in carbohydrates and inherently gluten free. When they are ground into a flour they add moistness and a rich nutty taste to baked goods.

To wrap things up, Kat speaks to Eli Sussman, host of The Line. He shares his recipe for Almond Flourless Cake, which he serves at his Williamsburg restaurant, Samesa.

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If someone offered you a "bag of nooch," or a "sprinkle of hippie dust," would you take it? If you’re a pizza-loving vegan, you probably would! This episode of Fresh Pickings explores the world of nutritional yeast (and reveals its various street names).

Nutritional yeast is the deactivated (or dead) form of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae – the mother of all yeast strains. Dave Arnold of Cooking Issues joins Kat to teach her more about the science behind "brewer's yeast" – how it's grown, cultured (deactivated) to create nutritional yeast, and then packaged for our consumption.

If you've ever tried nutritional yeast before, you know that it packs a umami punch. For that reason, it's particularly popular among vegetarians and vegans as a way to add a savory seasoning to dishes. Kat welcomes back VLGL (Vegan Low Glycemic Load) blogger, Elizabeth Taylor, to share her recipe for a Chickpea Flour Omelette with Chipotle-Grilled Tomato.

Flax is an amazingly versatile food and fiber crop. In fact, it’s one of the oldest fiber crops in the world, known to have been cultivated in ancient Egypt and China. If it seems like flax is good for everything, that’s because it is. Its Latin name is usitatissimum, which means “most useful.”

On this episode, Kat talks to Harry Rosenblum, host of Feast Yr Ears here on Heritage Radio Network, about all things flaxseed. Did you know: Flaxseed sprouts are edible, with a slightly spicy flavor. In northern India, flaxseed, called tisi or alsi, is traditionally roasted, powdered, and eaten with boiled rice, a little water, and a little salt, and used in Savji curries. The seed of the plant is edible, but grinding it into meal unlocks its health benefits and makes it more readily digested. Flaxseed meal can be added to bread, pancakes, muffins, bars, cookies, and all sorts of other recipes to provide a nice nutty flavor and a nutritional punch.

To learn more about how we can incorporate flaxseed into recipes, Kat is joined by her friend and VLGL blogger, Elizabeth Taylor. Elizbeth's VLGL diet is a whole-foods, plant-based way of cooking and eating that emphasizes non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds, and certain whole grains.