Did you know it’s National Library Week? To say I use the library frequently might be a bit of an understatement. Our local library is actually within walking distance of our house, and my oldest daughter is a volunteer there also. We LOVE the library!

I realize not everyone has access to a great library system, but if you do, you should really take advantage of all the resources for cooking. Most libraries will allow you to place items on hold, lend from other libraries within a system, or even throughout the region or country, making it possible to find some great books, videos, and magazines.

When I need some cooking inspiration I just head to my library. I especially love the library for cooking magazines; although I enjoy reading the articles, I really hate having magazines piling up all over my house, so reading them at the library and leaving them there works out nice.

So what am I currently reading from the library? Here’s the list (these aren’t gluten-free cookbooks, but there are plenty of dishes that are naturally gluten-free, and many are easily adapted).

I am trying to get lots of ideas for Meatless Monday meals, so I currently am reading:A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian, and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I am getting some really great ideas without spending the $100+ it would have cost me at the bookstore!

As part of The Kids Cook Monday campaign, I am setting aside one evening a week to cook especially with my kids. This means I need simple, family-friendly ideas, so I am reading Robin Rescues Dinner and Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast. I regularly check out books from Everyday Food as their recipes are typically easy to prepare and easy to adapt with our dietary restrictions.

If you are looking to get more vegetables and fruits in your kids’ diets, please, please, please don’t get one of those “puree the heck out of boiled veggies and sneak it in your food” cookbooks. Okay, so the quote here is actually from me, not the cookbooks, but you get the idea. I came across the The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time and I think it is packed full of great ideas and a much better alternative than deception!

If you have kids the two best “kid cookbooks” I have come across, and own actually, are Emeril’s Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My Family!: Recipes to Get Everybody Cooking
and Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My Soup! Recipes for the Kid in Everyone. Not only is Emeril a great chef, but he’s a dad. These cookbooks are fun with large font and silly doodles throughout. And the foods are actually things kids, and their entire families, will want to make and eat.

So visit your local library this week and get cooking!

Cookbook Reviews, Cooking With Kids

I really try to make my family well-rounded, nutritious meals. Of course we aren’t too restrictive, and we do enjoy our share of treats. But overall, I really am trying to make healthy choices.

Making healthy choices is not always easy. And just because food is gluten-free doesn’t mean it is necessarily good for you. High salt, high fat, and low fiber recipes are everywhere. Finding foods that are nutritious and taste great can be a bit of challenge, here are a few of my favorite books that make that job easier (They aren’t all “gluten-free” cookbooks per se, but there are lots of gf recipes and adapting most of the others isn’t too difficult, as very few are baking recipes).

Mark Bitterman, the New York Times columnist and one of my favorite cookbook authors, has two great books available Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes and The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Living. I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but I picked up one of his books while my husband was recovering from a major, unplanned surgery a couple years ago, and his books really inspired me to change our diet for the better. He is very realistic and not preachy at all. He writes very clear and simple directions, which I love.  It’s about small steps. And this guy LOVES food and writes about food for a living, so if he can eat healthier, I think anyone probably can if they have the desire.

Almost Meatless: Recipes That Are Better for Your Health and the Planet is another great cookbook, offering plenty of ideas that contain meat, but in a minimal capacity. The recipes include lots of veggies and other healthy grains, and the focus is really healthy eating. There are plenty of beautiful pictures to keep you drooling over the food, but some of the recipes call for a long list of ingredients, which might intimidate a new cook.

Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic is another cookbook that focuses on eating and living well. The photographs are gorgeous and the dishes are fresh and flavorful; I would say they are very West-Coast, California Cuisine. The cookbook includes a wide variety of recipes, including: Chunky Tuscan Bean Soup with Swiss Chard and Pancetta, Quinoa Croquettes with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce, and Maple-Orange Glazed Carrots. They are sophisticated, healthy, and  for people who enjoy cooking. The only part I don’t really enjoy, is her focus on “living green.” The entire first chapter is devoted to why we should eat organic, toxins in our food and kitchen wares, etc; I would have preferred she just gave us some recipes, but I am sure others would disagree.

This book I reviewed before, but I think it is worth mentioning again, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook . Although the recipes often suggest expensive and hard to find products, the overall cookbook is very nice and easy to use. The author is very helpful and offers lot of suggestions for substitutions and variations. She has a great intro that explains gluten free grains; this was the book that inspired me to try Teff Flour and I am so thankful. This is not a vegan cookbook, there are plenty of animal products used, but it is entirely meatless and gluten free. Again, no pictures, but a nice book if you are trying to reduce your meat consumption or incorporate healthier gluten free grains into your diet.

Cookbook Reviews healthy cookbooks list

I have been a bit surprised with all the gluten free cookbooks to hit the bookstores recently and if you are like me, you are probably wondering which ones are worth purchasing? Although I love cookbooks, I like to cook with local, seasonal foods, and I rarely follow recipes exactly. I guess I love cookbooks that can inspire and inform me, so that I can dream up my own exciting flavor combinations.

Well, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical. Before going gluten free, I milled my own wheat flour and I was very conscious of cooking with whole grains. However, since going gluten free, I have been focusing on merely making foods that taste good; I think it is time to get more nutrition into my gluten free foods.

I have to admit, I was initially skeptical about the recipes, they sound so earthy. I mean, sure they were healthier than my usual gluten free fare, but would they taste good? I can assure you that YES, every single recipe I made turned out wonderful. We were most surprised by how much we enjoyed the flavor of teff. Seriously, we have been gluten free a year and why haven’t we discovered this wonderful flour? Teff is a dark grain, so it does produce much darker baked goods, but the flavor is so wonderful, reminiscent of molasses….delicious.

The cookbook has a nice introduction and goes directly into a brief description of the gluten free grains and how to cook them. I found this area really informative, with enough information to be useful, but not so much that I got bored. The author uses lots of super healthy grains, like sorghum, teff, and amaranth, grains that are often omitted in gluten free cookbooks. So if you are looking for some healthy alternatives to the usual white rice flour and tapioca starch that dominates gluten free cooking, these recipes are a nice, healthy change of pace.

The remaining chapters are: Bountiful Breakfasts, Main Course Sensations, Sushi Party, Super sides, Savory Sauces and Tempting Toppings, and Sweet Indulgences. A glossary of ingredients (which I find extremely helpful, as I had no idea what a goji berry was) and a list of resources end the book. The Table of Contents and Glossary are also very well done.

Personally, I find this cookbook to be very user-friendly, with the instructions clear and easy to follow, the font very readable, and the ingredients listed neatly on the side. Variations and tips are often provided, making the recipes very flexible and adaptable for taste or, in many, cases a vegan diet.

So far, I have tried Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon (using Teff flour), Corn Muffins, Wild Rice and Cranberry Pilaf, Cranberry-Cherry Sauce, and Maple Sugar Cookies. The recipes were all very easy and the results were delicious. We are also very excited to try out the recipes in the Sushi chapter, as we have never attempted making Sushi at home. Unfortunately, my oldest daughter as a tree nut allergy or I would have already made many of the delicious nut-based recipes, like the Chocolate Pie in a Hazelnut Pie Crust. How good does that sound?

HITS:

• Healthy, from scratch, gluten free recipes, that use whole grains and no gums (I didn’t even know this was possible). And of course lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Clear directions, with plenty of tips and suggestions for substitutions, making the recipes very versatile.
• A wide variety of recipes, not just baking. I am especially fond of the breakfast chapter.
• All the recipes I tried produced flavorful, delicious results.
• Maple syrup, honey, and fruit juice are the sweeteners of choice, which was a nice change for me and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
• Basic cooking directions for grains and how to make your own almond milk (or other nut/seed milk)
• The author is very knowledgeable about grains, natural foods, and gluten free cooking and I find her recipe creative.

MISSES:

• The cover is the only photograph to be found. There are some drawings of grains and veggies scattered throughout the book, but no photos. I guess we are all really spoiled by the beautiful food photography in most cookbooks. (Due to the lack of photos, I decided to include a few of my own at the end of the post)
• No yeast breads. I am still searching for the perfect gluten free bread……
• I guess this is perspective, but I found a lot of the ingredients to be hard to find and expensive. For example, Teff flour. I had to go to three stores and it cost over $7 for a small bag. However, I am now a Teff fan, so it was money well spent.

In a nutshell: This is a very straight-forward, easy to follow cookbook with recipes inspired from many cuisines around the world. The recipes often require the use of “alternative grains” and ingredients that might require a trip to a health food store, and unfortunately are often on the expensive side. However this is true of almost all gluten free cooking. I think this cookbook would be great for anyone trying to incorporate healthy grains into their diet. And don’t let the word vegetarian scare you away, these are dishes everyone will enjoy. Personally, I love the author’s adventurous attitude towards cooking; eating healthy and eating gluten free does not have to be boring or bland!

Banana and Cinnamon Pancakes. So YUMMY!!!

Corn Muffins. Moist, sweet, and oh so good.

Cranberry-Cherry Sauce. Way more exciting than the canned variety.

Cookbook Reviews Healthy gluten free cookbook

First of all, I must admit I am going to have to stop bad-mouthing all the gluten free cookbooks because it seems like there are quite a few really good ones available now. This is really great news for those of us learning to adjust to a gluten free lifestyle.

However, before you rush out to the book store you should really do some research, not all gluten free cookbook are created equal.

One of  the great gluten free cookbooks available is Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking: More than 250 Great-tasting, From-scratch Recipes from Around the World, Perfect for Every Meal and for Anyone on a Gluten-free Diet–and Even Those Who Aren’t authored by the husband/wife team, Kelli and Peter Bronski. Although it appears rather small, it is packed with over 250 family friendly recipes.

Do make sure to get the second edition though, apparently there are some typos and things that needed corrected. If, however, you can only get the original, the authors offer the updated versions of the recipes at their website.

And don’t let the title intimidate you; they use the word Artisinal to simply describe that they cook from scratch, using good quality ingredients. Personally, I do not find their food philosophy nor recipes to be snobby or time consuming. These are just great, from scratch, gluten free recipes everyone is sure to love.

I like that this a true cookbook, not just a book about how to bake gluten free. Really, couldn’t we all just use one really good cookbook that contains all the basic gluten free recipes we need?

Unlike so many cookbooks, this book has a nice variety of recipes, everything from traditional breakfast items to exotic main dishes. There are even some mouth watering desserts and beverage recipes.

Like the majority of gluten free cookbooks, the authors’ have their own gluten free flour blend and it is used extensively throughout the book. The only ingredient I didn’t already have in my well stocked pantry was potato flour.

Hits:

• The recipes are from scratch and flavorful. Most are fairly simple and not time consuming.
• Lots of vegetables and fruits used in the dishes.
• Truly a wide variety of recipes; making it a great choice for those just learning how to cook.
• The food tastes “normal.”
• Ingredients are pretty basic for the gluten free kitchen, nothing I have had trouble finding.
• Traditional from scratch recipes that many cookbooks omit like crepes, tortillas, and pasta dough.
• Bread, cookies, pancakes, brownies, orange chicken, rice…. every recipe I tried tasted really good.

Miss:

• Although there are some photographs in the middle, they weren’t that impressive to me. The photo on the cover is gorgeous and the recipes work, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.

In a nutshell:

This is really nice gluten free cookbook containing family friendly recipes that everyone, even those not on a gluten free diet, will enjoy.  I appreciate the authors’ philosophy of cooking from scratch, using local, fresh ingredients. I think food actually tastes better when made with this approach and it is very reminiscent of how our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers used to cook, only everything is gluten free. Do try and get the revised, second edition as several errors and omissions were corrected.

Cookbook Reviews Artisinal Gluten-Free Cooking review

With Summer just around the corner, I am thinking about gardening and the return of the Farmer’s Market.

If you love gardening or just perusing the farms and markets in your area, you probably like to preserve. There are so many books and resources about preserving, however, so much of the information floating about is out of date; and when it comes to canning and preserving that can be a recipe for disaster and illness.

One book I really enjoy is The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Recipes to Use Year-Round. It was written by Ellie Topp, who as been a consultant for the government, and Margaret Howard, a registered dietitian.

The cookbook has over 300 recipes and is divided into four main sections; an introduction, which discusses the ins and outs of preserving food with heat, acid, sugar, or freezing, and chapters on sweet spreads, condiments and extras.

Although there may be better “canning” cookbooks out there, I love that this cookbook gives you safe and easy ways to preserve your harvest in small, practical batches that the average home cook can do easily.

I grew up with a mom that loved to can, I can tell you from experience, canning is a LOT of effort. I think this cookbook gives you the recipes to make preserving much less work and actually fun.

The small-batch approach is something I can appreciate. For example, I wanted to try my hand at pickles, but really, do I want dozens of jars of pickles that I am not even sure my family will love? No. So making a small batch was the perfect solution for me, and personally was a great introduction into the whole picking process.

This cookbooks contains all the traditional recipes for preserving, like raspberry jelly and orange marmalade and the some. There are over 25 recipes for pickling alone, everything from the traditional dills to pickled ginger.  The chapter on Extras contains recipes fro flavored oils and vinegars, which are fabulous gifts to make.

Hits:

• Recipes for small-batches that are actually fun and easy to do.
• With over 300 recipes there is something everyone will love to make and eat.
• The authors are very knowledgeable and the information is up to date; the second edition published in 2007.
• The canning recipes are for water-bath canning, so it doesn’t require a pressure cooker.
• The recipes are a combination of traditional and unique foods, most of which would make great gifts.

Misses:

• These aren’t true “canning” recipes in the pressure cooker sense, these are recipes for freezing, water bathing and creating sauces, oils, vinegars etc.
• These recipes are for small-batches, these recipes aren’t the traditional canning recipes that produce enough food for an army.

In a nutshell: This a great preserving cookbook for a beginner or someone who enjoys the farmer’s market or backyard gardening. The recipes make small quantities, making it the ideal for trying new recipes and techniques. However, if you have lots of experience preserving food or a large family to feed, this wouldn’t be the best book for you.

Cookbook Reviews small batch preserving