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

I don’t review or recommend a lot of gluten free cookbooks. It’s not that there aren’t any to review, I just don’t think most are worth buying.

In general, cooking gluten free isn’t so difficult, it’s the baking that gets complicated. Let’s face it, baking is a science.

Not only does baking require the right ingredients in the right ratios, but the right temperature, humidity, pan size, technique, etc.

It can all be overwhelming to the home cook, who will most likely grab a mix.

Add gluten free to the equation and it becomes a complicated science at best.

What we really need as gluten free bakers is a cookbook that can guide us through the process.

I think the closest thing we have is Easy Gluten-Free Baking by Elizabeth Barbone.

Barbone is a pastry chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She doesn’t have Celiac; but lucky for us she has a fascination with gluten free baking.

She gives great advice and tips, even explaining hot to turn her recipes into dry mixes to keep on hand.

Her recipes produce wonderful baked goods. I was completely shocked. I just kept baking my way through this book. And every single recipe I tried made amazing food.

The appearance, taste, texture, even smell was so normal.

Barbone doesn’t use one magic flour blend, which has it’s pros and cons, but honestly what she is doing works.

She said in the book that she tests every recipe 30-40 times and I believe it. And although I might be able to figure out what flours will work eventually, I don’t really want to be making banana bread 30-40 times in the process. It is so nice to have a professional pastry chef figuring out the recipes for us.

I think Barbone’s cookbook is really a collection of classic American desserts. There is a section about ingredients and necessary equipment. The other chapters are: Breakfast, Muffins and quick breads, Yeast Breads, Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Brownies and Bar Cookies, Cakes, Pies and my personal favorite “Tastes Like.”

Yep, she throws in a chapter for recipes to recreate those store bought goodies we miss and love. Oreos, twinkies, girl scout cookies, nilla wafers, ritz crackers anyone?

Hits:

• I love the layout of the book. I think it was divided into chapters really well, and it is spiral-bound in a hardcover. So smart! This is one cookbook that actually lays flat while you are cooking or reading a recipe. Why can’t they all do this?
• The photography is nice, clean and classic.
• The recipes are clear and she even divides the wet and dry ingredients.
• She explains how to turn her recipes into make ahead mixes….gotta love that.
• She eats gluten, so she really knows what flavor and texture she is trying to reproduce, unlike someone telling us how to make something they haven’t actually eaten in 20 years.
• This book didn’t try to reinvent food; just take traditional recipes and convert the flours to gluten-free.
• Love the pancakes, chocolate waffles, banana bread, sandwich bread, pie crust, hummingbird cake….think that is all I have tried.
• She uses ingredients found at a well-stocked grocery store. With the exception of dairy whey, I had all the necessary dry ingredients. As far as gluten free goes, her ingredients aren’t odd.

Misses:

• Not sure if it was just me, but the buttermilk biscuits (tasted great by the way) had strange directions for “dropping” the dough, but the texture was that of a regular biscuit so I was confused.
• Easy in the title. I think easy is a relative term; and while I am sure this is easy baking for a professional pastry chef, probably not so easy for the inexperienced baker, much less the inexperienced gluten free baker. While these recipes aren’t super complicated, they require multiple bowls, multiple steps and lots of ingredients.
• Her recipes are pretty basic, I think she could have done the new baker a favor by making suggestions on how to make variations. For example banana bread; this a great, classic recipe. I think she could have offered up that stirring in nuts or chocolate chips would be fine additions. However, more experienced or creative bakers will just make these assumptions.
• Barbone uses traditional ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, and lots of dairy. If you have a problem with any of these ingredients her recipes might be hard to adapt.

In a nutshell:

Easy Gluten-Free Baking is a wonderful cookbook for those of us fumbling our way through gluten free baking. Definitely written and edited by baking professionals, this is one cookbook that appears to be well thought out and well researched. Everything from the font to the page layout is easy to read and follow.

The recipes are for the classic baked goods we all crave and want to make gluten free, we just don’t know how. With familiar ingredients, like butter, sugar and eggs, the results are amazing. Easy Gluten-Free Baking is one cookbook any gluten free baker is sure to use and enjoy.

Cookbook Reviews Easy gluten-free baking cookbook review

I recently took a gluten free cooking class and I noticed that the majority of the attendees were not familiar with cooking. They were forced to learn to cook because of their new dietary restrictions.

I, on the other hand, have been cooking since I was a kid because my mom worked nights. I was “chief cook and bottle washer” as my grandma would say.

I have over 75 cookbooks and at any given time I have two or three checked out from the library as well. I tend to read them cover to cover, devouring all the information.

Out of all the cookbooks I have read or owned, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook would be top on my list as a must have for a home cook.

As with all things Martha, it is well designed and organized, with beautiful illustrations and recipes that will exceed your expectations.

I must confess I own more Martha books than any one person should. I just love what Martha has done for homemaking. She has elevated it to an art form and all of her books reflect this. And although they are beautiful, they aren’t coffee table books, these are manuals to use.

She has a knack for taking tasks and breaking them down step-by-step, so that even the beginner is not overwhelmed. This goes for everything she teaches: gardening, crafts, decorating, and yes, even cooking.

This book perfectly illustrates this ability. The directions are very clear, the photos beautiful, and the book well-organized.

The chapters will guide you through an entire course on cooking; everything you really need to know and possibly even more.

Whereas most cookbook give you just recipes, this book give you 200+ recipes while simultaneously teaching you the skills and techniques required to cook them.

Everything from necessary equipment to how to butterfly a leg of lamb is included. How to choose produce or cook dried beans, it’s in here.

These tips, recipes, and techniques will most likely save you time, energy, and money in the long run. And hopefully save you the frustration that comes trying to learn cooking from trial and error.

This seriously has the answers to almost any cooking question I think you could ever have, and chances are, with over 500 photographs, there will be a photo too.

For those of us cooking gluten free, there are some adaptations that will be needed and few recipes that obviously won’t work at all. Like the section on making pasta and many of the desserts.

But don’t despair. The pasta sauces and fillings are still classic, and many of the desserts, such as custards and creme brulee are naturally gluten free.

Hits:

• Beautiful full-color photography
• Step by step instructions
• Fabulous recipes for classic dishes
• Definitions for all those cooking terms no one can remember

Misses:

• Some might complain the recipes are a bit complicated for a true beginner; but I think the book does a great job of walking you through the steps
• This is a big cookbook, and it doesn’t necessarily lay flat when you are trying to use it

In a nutshell:

I purchased this book to teach my teenage daughter kitchen skills. However, even after all my years of cooking, I find I am constantly pulling this book off the shelf and referring to it.

If you need a really good reference cookbook or a great gift for Mom or a new bride, I think there could be no better choice then Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook.

Cookbook Reviews Martha Stewart Cooking School Review

In my quest for gluten free recipes I have been pretty disappointed. I love cookbooks, so going gluten free was a great excuse to buy a bunch of new cookbooks. Let’s just say I have  been underwhelmed with the results.

The first gluten free cookbook I have actually been pleased with is Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise Roberts. Wow! This cookbook is fabulous. I have the revised and expanded second edition, which has over forty new recipes.

Things I love about this cookbook:

1. These gluten free baked goods taste wonderful; no weird textures and flavors here
2. The recipe instructions are clear.
3. Roberts provides a lot of information about gluten free baking, in fact each chapter begins with a page or two explaining the baking methods, pan sizes, oven temperatures etc that are needed in that section. I find her tips very helpful.
4. Roberts give a nice paragraph introducing each recipe. Personally, I like this touch. I think it gives a little story or background on that particular recipe.
5. Each recipe also clearly states how to store the food and if freezing is an option-gotta love that!
6. The flour blends she uses are pretty healthy compared to the ones I have been using. They contain things like sorghum, millet, and brown rice, which I haven’t had a lot of luck baking with before.
7. She includes three, YES THREE, doughnut recipes. I haven’t tried them yet, but if her other recipes are any indication, these are going to be good.

I have baked a lot of the recipes in the cookbook. Here are some of my thoughts.

HITS

• Hamburger and Hotdog Buns -I didn’t use the fancy pans she suggest, I just made the hamburger buns in individual tart pans I already had (you could also use large ramekins).
• Buttermilk Pancakes and Waffles-Very thin, but cooked and tasted like regular pancakes. This recipe calls for buttermilk powder + water; I also made them with regular 1% milk with no problem. Make sure and double the recipe if making waffles, or you’ll only end up with enough waffles for one person.
• Rustic Flat Bread “Focaccia” -Although not crusty like focaccia, this bread was very easy and very good.
• Pizza- The best pizza crust recipe I have made from scratch; reminds me of Whole Foods 365 mix.
• Brownies- This makes a very good brownie that everyone will love.
• Chocolate Chip Cookies- These are very good, but also very thin and small. We think these taste best warm from the oven. The dough freezes really well, which I love.
• Yellow Layer Cake- This recipe is worth the price of the cookbook in my opinion. It is moist and high like traditional cakes. Truly the perfect birthday cake. We topped it with chocolate ganache, but any buttercream or chocolate frosting would be great. Seriously, no one will ever guess that it is gluten free.

Ok, so there are a few things I didn’t really love about this cookbook.

MISSES

• Other than the cover, this book contains no color photos. There are a few black and white ones, but nothing special. With all the beautifully photographed cookbooks on the market, this was was a disappointment visually.
• There are notes to the reader all over the margins of the cookbook. I find this distracting and somewhat annoying. Although these tips were extremely helpful, I felt like the editor or author must have ADD.
• The introduction to each chapter lists the recipes, but doesn’t give page numbers. Why?
• Banana Muffins. These got mixed reviews, half my family liked them, half didn’t. But honestly, these were the most disappointing recipe, and not even “throw in the garbage” bad.
• I am not sure this is so much a miss, but more a warning, she uses three flour mixes in this cookbook, one requiring a special flour. Her brown rice flour blend calls for Authentic Foods Brown Rice Flour Superfine and it can be hard to find locally. I tried her recipes with my regular old Bob’s Redmill brown rice flour, and with the exclusion of pizza, her recipes did not turn out. When I finally broke down and got some of the Authentic Foods Superfine, all the recipes worked beautifully. She only uses the brown rice blend for the non-yeasted breads, so you could still enjoy quite a few of her recipes if you don’t want to buy the special flour, but the brownies, cakes, cookies, etc all require the superfine flour, and YES it does really matter. So, although I really recommend the cookbook, it is probably only worth buying if you are going to also buy the special flour.

In a nutshell: This cookbook is amazing. If you buy her suggested flour and read her tips, I think even a novice baker will produce great gluten free baked goods. Although, there are few things about the cookbook that weren’t perfect, the recipes make up for any shortcomings. Honestly, the best gluten free cookbook I have used in the last six months. If you are going to buy just one gluten free baking book, this is truly is the one to buy.

Cookbook Reviews Gluten-Free Baking Classics Review, Gluten-Free cookbook review

Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast claims to give you recipes for quick, fresh dishes.  I think it lives up to its claim. With almost 160 simple, practical recipes, there is more than enough ideas for what to make for dinner, or lunch or dessert for that matter. The book itself is over 250 pages, with the beautiful photography we’ve come to expect in cookbooks. The book is divided in three section, recipes that take 20 minutes or less, recipes that take 40 minutes or less, and a  small chapter for recipes requiring more time or special ingredients. Each chapter begins with a table of contents, divided into the typical categories: soups, starters, salads, etc. The recipes are fairly diverse, having quite a few fish and poultry recipes, which is good for those of us trying to cut back red meat.

And while this cookbook is definitely not gluten free, there are plenty of gluten free recipes and simple modifications that could be made (using corn tortillas, gf pastas, etc). Most of the recipes have simple ingredients that can be found in a well-stocked pantry, but as always with Emeril, you’ll need quite a variety of herbs and spices, including plenty of Creole or Cajun seasoning.

For years it has seemed like cookbook authors and professional chefs have been out of touch with the amount of time at-home-cooks have to spend on meals, especially the weeknight dinner. Sure there have always been quick cooking recipes available, but they typically call for packaged and unhealthy ingredients. I am grateful that a superstar chef like Emeril Lagasse has come to our rescue. The majority of Emeril’s other cookbooks are very complicated and just too time consuming for the average home cook, however, I think Emeril 20-40-60 is a refreshing change. Whether a serious Emeril fan or a novice cook,  I think 20-40-60 would be a great addition to any busy cook’s cookbook collection.

HITS:

• Fish Tacos With Black Bean Salsa
• Peanut-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (flourless)
• all the great photos
• expected prep time and cooking time given for each recipe
• easy to understand instructions

MISSES:

• Kicked-Up Snickerdoodles (In all fairness, I didn’t try these, but cayenne in a snickerdoodle, no thanks)

*I have no affiliation with this author or publisher, I just enjoy the cookbook.

Cookbook Reviews Emeri Cookbook review, Emeril 20-40-60 cookbook review, Gluten Free