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!