Against the Grain by Nancy Cain (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Revolutionary all-natural recipes for gluten-free cooking--from the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet.

Nancy Cain came to gluten-free cooking simply enough: Her teenage son was diagnosed with celiac disease. After trying ready-made baking mixes and finding the results rubbery and tasteless, she pioneered gluten-free foods made entirely from natural ingredients--no xanthan or guar gums or other mystery chemical additives allowed. That led her to adapt many of her family's favorite recipes, including their beloved pizzas, pastas, and more, to this real food technique. In Against the Grain,Nancy finally shares 200 groundbreaking recipes for achieving airy, crisp breads, delicious baked goods, and gluten-free main dishes. For any of these cookies, cakes, pies, sandwiches, and casseroles, you use only natural ingredients such as buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and ripe fruits and vegetables. Whether you're making Potato Rosemary Bread, iced Red Velvet Cupcakes, Lemon-Thyme-Summer Squash Ravioli, or Rainbow Chard and Kalamata Olive Pizza, you'll be able to use ingredients already in your pantry or easily found at your local supermarket.
With ample information for gluten-free beginners and 100 colorful photographs, this book is a game changer for gluten-free households everywhere.

My thoughts-

We are really trying our best to go gluten free at our house (it causes issues for my daughter, but if one of us has to do away with something it is only fair we all try to support that person) and I agree that most boxed mixes or pre-made gluten free flours are not all that great. I have found a few I do like, but I liked the idea that in this cookbook all recipes were made with all natural ingredients. I am definitely on board with the idea that eating clean is the healthiest thing we can do, so the less processed food in our lives the better. Prior to finding this cookbook, I have mostly cut bread out of our lives. I am so happy to have found Against the Grain. There are bread recipes, muffin recipes, pizza dough recipes, baked good recipes, pretty much all of the things that you would think you might have to miss out on being on a gluten free diet. Most of the recipes call for similar types of flour (you will see tapioca starch, buckwheat and coconut flour called for in the majority of the recipes) making it easier to stock your pantry. Pretty much all of the recipes sound fantastic! I can not wait to try them out! Another really cool thing about Against the Grain is that it is a wonderful learning tool for people new to the gluten free world. There are several sections at the beginning of the book dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of gluten free cooking. I think most people would find this to be a very helpful section! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to learn more about gluten free cooking or who likes to cook with all natural ingredients!

Gluten-Free Family Favorites by Kelli Bronski and Peter Bronski (Cookbook Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts I was not required to right a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

I am constantly on the look out for recipe books with a focus on gluten free dishes. We have been experimenting with a gluten free diet this year because my daughter seems to have a sensitivity to it linked with some behavioral issues. She is a totally different kid when she has not had anything containing gluten and when she accidentally gets a hold of something, man, I remember why we started down this road. Some gluten free cookbooks are full of specialty ingredients and while I have some on hand and don't mind getting a few here and there, I do not want to have to totally overhaul everything. One of the nice things about this book is that it doesn't call for many specialty ingredients, making it a more doable cookbook for most people to work with what. The main thing I liked about this book is that even those these are kid friendly recipes, they all sound pretty fantastic. We have tried several and have not been disappointed yet. This is not all chicken nuggets and hamburgers, but there is a good mix of lots of different types of recipes, which is great for my family, we love to experiment with new dishes, but for those who like to stick to the same rotation of meals, there are some in here that you could definitely add to your meal plan (chicken fried rice or turkey burgers anyone?) There are great recipes for every meal of the day as well as some awesome recipes for snacks that I can not wait to try out, especially since the summer months are upon us and my kids will be home and hungry in the middle of the day.

Besides tasty, easy to make recipes, I really like this cookbook because each recipe also suggests things that children can do to help prepare the meal. My kids all like to be in the kitchen and help prepare dinner and I think it is a great way to get them involved and more excited about what we are going to eat.

Even if you don't eat gluten free, I would still suggest checking out this book for some fantastic, healthy recipes!

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free, Second Edition by Marlisa Brown, MS, RD, CDE, CDN (Cookbook Review)

*Disclosure-I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.
About the book:

Gluten-Free, Hassle Free is a simple, friendly, easy-to-follow guide packed with everything you need to know to live gluten-free, including delicious recipes, and practical solutions, strategies, and shortcuts.

A registered dietician and chef, Marlisa Brown makes going gluten-free a snap. Completely revised and updated throughout and filled with new material, this edition includes:

• Over 150 quick and easy recipes, with nutritional information, including gluten-free holiday classics

• How to stock a gluten-free kitchenIf your child is gluten-free: practical advice, nutritious meals and tasty treats

• Quick and easy substitutions to make your favorite foods gluten-free

• How to read and translate current labels-and how to find the hidden gluten in food

• Tips for eating out and on the go, including fast food options

• Gluten-free products and where to find them

• How to eat a balanced gluten-free diet

• Advice for dining out at home and abroad

 Plus more meal plans, shopping lists, safe food lists, tips for creating your own gluten-free meals and much more!!

My thoughts:

I have mentioned before on another post about a cookbook, this year my daughter started Kindergarten and seems to have some attention problems. I did some research because I didn't want medicating her to be the first resolution we tried and I found out that people with gluten sensitivities can have attention and behavior problems. So, we set out to remove gluten fro her diet. Problem is, gluten is in so much stuff it is impossible to know where to begin ad what to remove. Gluten-Free, Hassle Free is a great place to start for anyone looking to remove gluten from their diet. This is an amazing resources for avoiding gluten. It covers every subject you cold possibly think of- everything from what foods do have gluten and what foods are safe to eat, how to avoid gluten restaurants, how to entertain gluten free and so much more. There are extensive charts that you could bring with you to the grocery store that list all of the safe foods to eat and all of the foods to avoid. Throughout all of this wonderful information contained in this informative book, there are tons of gluten-free recipes for you to try. There are so many tasty recipes to try. Some standouts include: artichoke cheese dip, cornmeal crusted chicken tenders, portabella mushroom burgers, chicken in vodka sauce with mushrooms, and chocolate dream tarts, There are even menu ideas for what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would recommend this book to anyone that has someone with a gluten sensitivity or anyone that is just interested in eating more gluten free meals. 

You can purchase a copy of Gluten -Free, Hassle Free on Amazon.com.