cookbook club

Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook

by Kathleen Reale, a reader in Hopkinton, MA.

“A gluten-free diet does not have to be bland or boring, nor does this diet mean you have to deprive yourself of the foods you love,” says Elizabeth A. FitzGerald, a registered dietician, who wrote the Foreword for the newly released Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook, by Robert Landolphi. This gluten-free cookbook features all-time favorites such as Macaroni & Cheese, Onion Rings, Buttermilk Biscuits, Almond Fudge Bars and a couple of stuffing recipes that can make “any day” Thanksgiving Day for the gluten-free everywhere.
   With over 2 million Americans diagnosed with celiac disease, and that number being on the rise, the term gluten-free seems to be popping up everywhere nowadays - from products on supermarket shelves, celebrity endorsements, and children in playgroups being on a restricted gluten-free diet.
   Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, and the only “cure” is a lifelong adherence to a diet free of gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and most oats - a task that many newly diagnosed celiacs find both overwhelming and frightening.
   What I liked the best about the Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook is the straightforward, useable, family-friendly recipes for basics such as soups, entrees, side dishes and desserts, which are delicious enough to please even those without a gluten intolerance.
   Some gluten-free cookbook recipes require the skills of a master chef or patisserie - but not the Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook. The simplicity in shopping for the ingredients and the ease in preparing these recipes, enthusiastically demonstrates that cooking gluten-free can not only be effortless, but also exciting and tasty.
   The no-fuss recipes are fantastic for families with schedules full of weekday activities, college students or busy career-driven folks. To keep things simple, many of the recipes are made with 10 or less ingredients, and use ingredients that are found in mainstream supermarkets, which eliminates that extra trip to a specialty food store. Many even use commercially bought gluten-free cookies, crackers, and broths for quick and easy pie crusts, breading and stocks for soup, chowders and gravies.
   Being gluten free, either because of a diagnosis of celiac disease or for a gluten intolerance, changes the way families everywhere are required to undertake mealtime. Shopping list staples like commercial breads, pastas, pastries, cereals; and most soups, flavorings and coatings are off-limits on a gluten free diet. But even more challenging is the need to start preparing more meals at home, and the elimination of fast-food drive-thrus, and Friday night pizzas delivered from the local pizzeria.
   Celiacs not only need to start preparing their own meals more often, but also need to “relearn” how to cook and bake with gluten-free ingredients. Therefore, another bonus this cookbook provides is tips (how to substitute and use gluten-free flours), tricks (such as how to thicken soups and sauces) and advice (pointers on tackling college dining and eating at restaurants).
   The author's wife, Angela, was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1996. He reflects upon his passion to write this cookbook by saying, “With a life long love of cooking, a culinary arts degree from Johnson and Wales University, and the desire to create good gluten-free meals and desserts to keep my wife healthy”, he dove into experimenting with recipes using gluten-free flours and products.
   The result? A cookbook packed with a repertoire of useable recipes that allows celiacs everywhere to be healthy and happy – and yes, gluten-free every day.