Welcome to Better Chews by me, Zak Cannon.
I’m a pastry chef, baker and recipe developer living in The Netherlands. I trained as a baker in Texas, USA, then in London, then spent many months living with my partner’s family in Brazil, and finally moved to The Netherlands in summer 2026. This is why I have such a blend of down-home sweets, elevated desserts, tropical flavours, and cosy bakes in this newsletter.
I was diagnosed with coeliac disease after a 10-year career in commercial kitchens/bakeries. At first I was devastated and confused and bitter. But since then, I’ve been working my ass off to create foods that are as good or better than their glutinous versions, not only to share with others but primarily because I stubbornly refuse to go without all the delicious foods I’d enjoyed before.
Many of my recipes are developed to fill voids I have identified: glutinous sweets and desserts that don’t yet have delicious GF versions. However, I also share recipes that are ‘accidently’ gluten-free (ie. frozen desserts, fruit-forward dishes, puddings, confectionary, etc), because this newsletter is meant to be more than simply converted recipes. I like to think beyond what my food is ‘free’ from, and follow my intuition to whatever sounds most delightful.
This is my place to share these recipes with you. Each recipe has been meticulously tested and tinkered until I am certain it is about as good as could possibly be. They are formatted for home chefs/bakers but notes are included for professionals with access to specialty tools or who want to prepare products on a larger scale.
Many recipes are free to start and become paywalled after a few months — joining the Chew Crew means indefinite access to the full archive, plus double the recipes, one-on-one advice and guidance from me, and the chance to join in the conversation. More advanced recipes, and those that build on the basics to create something more refined, are exclusive to Chew Crew members. These recipes take many hours to develop, so subscriptions are genuinely appreciated — and I hope you always feel the price is right for what you get. It costs €5 per month or €50 per year, and that support is what allows me to keep developing recipes and showing up consistently for you all. If you ever want a recipe but can't afford to subscribe, just reach out and I'll do my best to help.
Don’t be a stranger! Use the comments to ask questions, DM me on Instagram, or email me at zak@hausofgf.com. Being gluten-free can feel isolating and confusing, so let me lend an ear and a little clarity.
Welcome to Better Chews. Let’s get baking!
