Gluten-Free Girl takes us through Shauna’s journey in life, moving forward, yet repeatedly looking back, until she found peace with herself and her diet.  This unique autobiography is part journal, part cookbook, and part romance documented in Shauna’s very passionate and poetic writing style.  At times, she dwelled on points; at times she went a bit a bit overboard on the descriptive writing; but all in all, it was a very well written book that truly worked to relate to the reader.

This wasn’t a book that I picked up and couldn’t put down, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  I found myself savoring it in the evenings, reading a chapter or less, until I felt quite fulfilled from the extensive imagery Shauna’s writing evoked.  It wasn’t until the last few chapters, when the romance set in, that I was a bit too captivated to put the book down.

The way that Shauna incorporated recipes throughout the book was fascinating and ingenious.  It wasn’t consistent, nor was there enough for me to label this as a cookbook specifically, but whenever it suited, a particular memory would be closed with a recipe like a precious gift to the reader.  I loved this element of surprise and did my best to refrain from sneaking a peak at recipes in the chapters ahead.  Plus, for this novice cook, each of Shauna’s recipes seemed to hold a surprise ingredient or process that added both intrigue and a gourmet touch.  In fact, a cauliflower recipe (of all things) easily captured my attention (I won’t ruin the secret), and is one I plan to make as soon as the florets at my market are looking a bit more cheerful. 

It should be mentioned that I do not have Celiac Disease myself, at least not to the best of my knowledge (it is said that most Celiacs are undiagnosed).  However, that didn’t seem to matter.  Living in this fast food nation, bombarded with autoimmune diseases, so many of us can relate first hand to Shauna’s struggles, whether or not gluten is our particular enemy.  While there is no doubt that gluten-free foodies would get the absolute most out of Gluten-Free Girl, anyone who has found themselves thrust into a special diet will surely feel inspiration from Shauna’s writings.  Plus, who doesn’t like a happy ending?

Special Note: This is not a dairy-free book, Shauna loves her cheese. However, the premise of this special diet story is well suited to anyone who would be reading this website.  Plus, many of the recipes are in fact gluten-free/casein-free (or very easily adaptable), I plan to make several myself.

Doing the work for you, I have sifted through dozens of the year’s newest and hottest cookbooks to select a few that easily reach gift-worthy status for friends, family, or that gracious hostess:

My Sweet Vegan – Gifts are intended to indulge the senses, and nothing could possibly indulge us more than a gorgeous cookbook filled with only desserts and sweets.  Whether your recipient is a prolific baker or an amateur cook with a voracious sweet tooth, the new young author, Hannah Kaminsky, has several recipes to delight them.  Full color throughout, an enticing photo taken by the author herself accompanies every single recipe, almost unprecedented in these days of mass production. 

Lidia’s Italy – When we think of comfort food, entertaining, and flavor, Italian food is one of the first things to come to mind.  Thus it is no surprise that this holiday season is filled with several beautiful Italian cookbooks.  Yet, of those we viewed, the ultimate appeal was in this hefty title. As the subtitle “140 Simple and Delicious Recipes from the Ten Places in Italy Lidia Loves Most” implies, this substantial cookbook is filled with superb photography of not only the dishes she creates, but also the Italian countryside. 

Nigella Express – As one of the newest cookbooks from the Food Network team, there is still a good chance that the receiver won’t yet have it in his or her collection.  Any hostess will appreciate this package of quick, easy, and impressive dishes to add to her pool of go-to recipes.  Plus, Nigella delivers her “fast” food with dozens of pleasing food photos for a quick “how it should look” shot. 

The above cookbooks can be found, or ordered, from most major booksellers, or you can easily find them online from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

Additional Tips to Selecting Cookbook Gifts:

Unless the recipient has specifically requested it, avoid anything with the words “diet” or “nutrition” in the title.

Take a quick flip through the book to ensure it has good eye appeal. Food photos and a well-designed layout will invite the home chef into the kitchen, and are a must for gift giving.  But be warned, a cookbook that is overly stuffed with cameo shots of the author rather than pictures of the actual food, may be more fluff than substance.

Check both the title and subtitle when thinking of your recipient.  While we love Jamie Oliver and his gorgeous cookbook series, his latest creation subtitled, “My Guide to Making you a Better Cook,” may send the wrong message. 

Last but not least, does the food look appealing to you?  A cardinal rule of gift giving is to always give presents that you would enjoy receiving yourself.

Sure, some grocers feature their free in-store magazines front and center, but others, like my local Wild Oats, hide a rack of two great magazines practically behind a seldom-used customer service counter.  These magazines are filled with advertisements, but really, what magazines aren’t?  Lurking within I always discover some great little stories, recipe ideas, and since it is the store I shop in, they often have coupons in these magazines that I may actually use. 

While there are a few of these free publications that make their way into our kitchen, my current favorite is the Wild Oats Marketplace magazine, which, hopefully, will not vanish from existence with the Whole Foods buyout.  Their October edition explained sweeteners (from stevia to sucralose), tips for fending off the flu, and displayed an array of beautiful photography for delicious sounding recipes.  A recipe that I found particularly intriguing was the Asian Pear Salad with Fennel & Pistachios:

To slice an Asian pear into matchsticks, stand it on a cutting board and cut it into thin slices on each side of the core. Lay the slices flat on top of one another and cut into thin strips.

Ingredients

4 Asian pears, cut into matchsticks (3 cups)
1 bunch watercress, trimmed (2 cups)
1 medium-size fennel bulb, thinly sliced (2 cups)
1 small red bell bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
4 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
3 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1. Combine pears, watercress, fennel, bell pepper, green onions and pistachios in large salad bowl.
2. Whisk together lime juice and vegetable oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to salad, and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings if necessary, and serve.  

The first few recipes I selected to trial evidenced my cravings for the warm flavors of fall:

Pasta with Vegan Butternut Squash Sauce

 

I became a bit frustrated right from the start with the butternut squash sauce.  The recipe called for an ungodly amount of crushed red pepper.  Luckily, I spotted the faux pas and used just half, but it was still too spicy and just barely within the edible range for my household.  The recipe also called for “water or vegetable stock, as needed.”  You would think that when an entire cup or more is required just to distinguish the sauce from baby food, they might note it as an actual ingredient.  As a genuine fan of squash, I ate mine up, but my husband barely ate half of his plate, still referring to it as baby food. (Prep note: I served it over wide rice noodles)

Orange-Spiced Whole Wheat Couscous

Since even the best cookbooks have a marginal recipe or two, I didn’t hesitate to move onto the next creation.  But alas, this couscous was somewhat underwhelming in flavor with only the raisins taking a firm stance.  I should have known that it wouldn’t yield stellar results when they noted that it is excellent when served with a spicy vegetable stew. Why on earth would I go to the trouble of making a delicately fragrant couscous (rather than a nice neutral one) just to serve it up with a spicy and potentially overpowering stew?  Overall it was okay, not bad, but not worth making again. (Prep Note: I added some garbanzos to make it a mini-meal)

Curry Spiced Sweet Potatoes

The third time is a charm, right?  My husband ate his entire sweet potato serving, so we were moving in the right direction.  Let it be told that I am a big fan of sweet potatoes, especially when prepared simply or with contrasting flavors.  I could pass on the candied yams, but roasted sweet potatoes with herbs and spices?  Yum!  However, something just didn’t quite “go” in this curry/sweet potato blend.  This dish was pleasant, but both my husband and I agreed that the spices failed to meld with the wonderfully natural sweet potato taste.  One flavor just seemed to follow the other.  I did like the stovetop-cooking concept, it was one I had not yet tried with tubers, but I will probably use a different blend of seasonings next time.  (Prep Note: I served the potatoes with some sliced bratwurst and freshly cooked brown rice)

Alas, while not tragic, the recipes trialed thus far have fallen flat on our taste buds.  They were all okay, but neither my husband nor I were dazzled enough to consider any repeat performances.  I haven’t given up on the Hippy Gourmet just yet, as I do feel his creative collection is bound to hold a gem or two.  I am determined to trial the Banana Fruit Mania Muffins (with no added sugars or oils), but I can’t seem to find the 5 or 6 types of dried fruits it calls for.  The Brazilian Style Black Beans, Sesame-Style Broccoli, and Tuscan Bean Soup are also calling my name.  While his cookbook is still far from making my shelf of go-to cookbooks, I must give kudos to the Hippy Gourmet for his adventurous spirit and his promotion of healthy and sustainable eating. 

A Few Extra Notes:

• For some reason, the title led me to believe that this would be a vegetarian book.  Since I am not a vegetarian, I wasn’t hugely disappointed, but it should be noted that the Hippy Gourmet shows no discrimination in the ingredients he uses.  Meat, fish, cheese, while all in moderation, he does not shy away from these ingredients.
• Some recipes are actually titled with the word vegan, such as the one above, but this really isn’t a vegan cookbook.  I do recommend it for someone who has vegan friends and needs some quick ideas of what to make if they are coming over.
• This is a whole foods cookbook, and the author focuses on buying local.

In September, one of the feature articles was “I can’t drink milk. How can I replace the nutrition it provides?” As an obvious follow-up to the milk article, this month’s issue (October) featured the article “I can’t eat wheat. How can I replace the nutrition it provides?“  Okay, so they don’t get any points for title creativity, but I did find the articles quite interesting.  Both are filled with very brief stories about different people and why they cannot consume those foods (amazing how many different problems these foods can cause). These are followed by some dietary advice with respect to nutrients and options.

Of course, both issues contain some excellent “free-from” recipes, including a Tomato-Free Bolognese (rich with carrots, zucchini, and red peppers) and Plum Clafoutis (made with coconut milk!).  With the cooler weather setting in, I am actually eager to trial the Yellow Split Pea Soup.  The recipe is seasoned with cumin and coriander for a unique twist. 

Photo, Foods Matter Magazine ]]> http://paperpalate.net/2007/10/17/no-wheat-no-milk-no-problem/feed/ http://paperpalate.net/2007/09/24/finding-the-perfect-new-mom-gift/ http://paperpalate.net/2007/09/24/finding-the-perfect-new-mom-gift/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:00:58 +0000 Alisa Fleming Off The Shelf Country Cuisines Uncategorized Books For Cooks In Print Tried and Tested http://paperpalate.net/2007/09/24/finding-the-perfect-new-mom-gift/ If I didn’t know better, I would swear that we are in the midst of another baby boom.  It seems like all of the ladies I know from the age of 20 to 40 are “creating a family.”  Still childless, I find myself hunting for useful baby shower items, not really knowing what the best gifts might be.  A bit too shy to be the breast-pump giver, my prior gifts have remained with the ever-safe “onesies” and teething rings.  But lately, I have wanted to give something a bit more personal.  Something that I think my friends will enjoy and use, but that expresses a little bit more of the giver…

As a lover of food (with an addiction to clipping recipes), I was elated to discover Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathe Olson.  Filled with tons of easy baby food recipes, it seemed the perfect gift to help my cash-strapped friends (building families and buying their first homes!). 

The book is petite, as it should be; yet the writing is large and easily legible.  Cathe’s format emphasizes the simplicity of the recipes (that moms can literally whip up in minutes and freeze in batches for later use).  Nonetheless, while the recipes contain just a few ingredients, Cathe emphasizes the importance of nutrition, and ensures that her recipes are well-rounded from a nutrient perspective for each stage of an infant’s development.  In fact, there are numerous healthy tips and the chapters are broken down by age:

Starting Solids: 4 to 7 months
Intermediate Foods: 7 to 10 months
Older Baby Foods: 10 to 14 months
Toddler Foods: 14 months and up

Actually, I found several of the older baby recipes (apple oat pancakes and pineapple carrot cake) and toddler recipes (whole grain waffles and minestrone soup) enticing myself!  Really, the recipes cover breakfast to dinner tastes, and everything in between.  This book even offers recipes for homemade animal cookies and graham crackers!

Worth noting, no diets are excluded from this handy guide.  While there are a few omnivorous recipes, most of the recipes are vegan/vegetarian or offer easy alternatives.  Along those lines, there is a plethora of dairy-free, wheat/gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, and nut-free recipes for any child born with allergies or other diet-related autoimmune condition. The only thing that I think would benefit this book futher is a food allergy index. 

Cathe does use some unique ingredients on occasion, which are popular among the macrobiotic diet, but I did find that most could be easily omitted (i.e., sea vegetables), or have already hit the mainstream (quinoa and millet).  But, if you are seeking a recipe guide on how to use Cheerios, Jell-O, or cake mixes, look elsewhere, this is a from-scratch cookbook. 

It was hard for me to believe that over 150 recipes were packaged into this easily manageable cookbook, but after perusing the contents I was sold.  Each of my expecting friends will be getting a copy!

If you are or aren’t expecting, check out Cathe’s other cookbook, The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook.  I had planned to pass this onto one of my expecting friends, but have become a fan of the recipes myself, and have not yet been able to part with my copy.

I don’t know about you, but apparently my brain is not quite as logical late at night.  The next day I carefully read through my selected recipes, to see if there may be any last minute ingredients I might need to pick up for the day’s first experiment.  Oops, that one calls for an ice cream maker.  Shoot, you really do need a food processor on that one, the blender won’t fly.  They need how long to germinate?  Three cups of pine nuts, what do I look like, a bank?  Even with a well-stocked pantry and fridge, my hopes of just “whipping up” a new raw food recipe for our dinner that evening were quickly dashed, and I was left muttering the words, “what was I thinking?”

Don’t get me wrong, I think this raw concept has some merit.  Granted, once you get a food dehydrator involved, sucking all of the water out, I am a bit more skeptical, but still I can see how consuming food in its purist possible form is beneficial.  However, the recipes in this book that I felt I could ease myself into were for foods I already eat daily.  Every day I have an all fruit and greens smoothie.  At lunch, I try to have a massive salad of veggies.  I munch on carrots, apples, and peaches during the day, and my favorite snack spread is raw almond butter.  Yet, if I have to plan preparation hours in advance, and make extra shopping trips to track down the rather expensive ingredients, then somehow the very things that appealed to me most about the raw food already in my diet  disappear: ease and convenience. 

As someone who was born with food allergies and autoimmunity, dietary experimentation has always appealed, and I am certainly not writing off the raw food diet at this point.  However, I do feel that some more warming up to the diet, including a few more unique but simplistic recipes and a bit of research on my end into the science, will be required.  Apparently Carol goes more into the science in her first book, Eating in the Raw, something I may have to check out.

If you are someone who is looking to dive into the raw food way of life, who could use some introductory smoothie and salad/dressng recipes, or who may need some inspirations for your already raw repertoire, then this book does offer some great recipes and information.  Plus the desserts sound interesting and fairly easy, even for beginners.  If you are a raw rookie, just don’t expect that you will be whipping up three raw meals on your very first day!  Yet, with some forthought, for soaking, germinating, sprouting, etc., and the right equipment there are many interesting sounding meals to be had. 

I wish I could share some photos of trialed recipes, but I just haven’t worked in the time to plan and prep any of the specific recipes.  As mentioned, the easiest ones, I am pretty much already making, just with my own preferences.  Nonetheless, I still remain ambitious that this cookbook will see some use.  When avocados look a bit better, I will jump on those Lettuce Shell Tacos, and with a little extra ambition, I may just have to give the Broccoli “Cheddar” Canneloni a try.  Luckily, I can share one sample recipe with you from the book, that was conveniently published in a recent Raw 50 interview, the Beet Ravioli with “Goat Cheese.”

Ah yes, one last important thing to note.  While the above recipes are dairy-free, and roughly 95% of the book is vegan, Carol does throw in some raw dairy and fish ingredients on the rare occasion.  Okay, one more thing.  I had assumed that the “Raw 50” meant 50 recipes.  To my pleasant surprise, there were many more.  In many cases, a lunch or dinner (counting for only 1 of the 50) included multiple recipes for sides, the main entree, and even dessert!

Of course, I went straight for their good helping of food allergy-friendly recipes.  Awesome recipes for California Remake Sushi and Moussaka (photos too) from the Allergy-Free Cookbook were included.  Another interesting summertime twist, Ham Kebabs made the recipe list.  Some others that peaked my curiosity included Sun-dried Tomato Soup, Chicken with Pomegranate, and Quinoa & Cashew Salad.

Foods Matter is available in print in the UK, and online for both UK and US residents.  Mine shows up in my e-mail inbox (I’m in the US) right at the beginning of each month.   If you would like to give it a trial run, Foods Matter offers three free trial issues for new subscribers.

Ham Kebabs Photo, Foods Matter Magazine

Like others, I like to keep my kitchen simple.  The many extra appliances required for a raw food diet, such as a food dehydrator, are more than I am willing to squeeze in.  But, I do admit to having some interest myself, and even sneaking some extra raw fruits and vegetables into my diet just upon hearing about this “revolution.”

Of course, to get beyond salad and a basket full of fruit, I would probably need some help.  That is where the many cookbooks come in.  I was recently alerted to three new raw food books on the market: Enlightened Eating, Living in the Raw Desserts, and The Raw 50.  With my curiosity peaked, The Raw 50 has found its way into my kitchen.  I am still perusing the recipes to see which look the “safest” to tackle, but I will report back with my findings, whether delicious or inedible.

This month’s article on migraine and food allergy caught my attention the most.  While I have never suffered a migraine myself, my sister has always lived with them.  The article actually goes in detail on the various potential causes of migraines including food sensitivities, high fat diets, and quite simply, lack of food and sufficient water.  They also suggest possible ways to find the trigger, definitely some ideas I will be passing onto my sister!

Some other features from the July 2007 issue include: Wheatgrass - nature’s finest medicine, Egg allergy, Homeopathy for asthma and allergies, Offers and giveaways, Monthly product tastings / comparisons (this month – nut and seed butters), really I could go on … but I think I mentioned recipes too?  Yes, about ten or so recipes grace the pages of Foods Matter each month.  They have graciously allowed me to reprint my favorite from the July issue: Coffee & Coconut Ice Cream (vegan and free of dairy, eggs, soy, corn, gluten, and nuts*)

As long as I am playing catch-up, here are some sample articles, from prior Foods Matter issues:

• Dining Allergen-Free in New York City
• Milky Matters – Insight on Alternate Dairy Milks
• Infant Formulae for Allergic Babies

So check back, each month I will offer an update on the news features and a sample recipe from Foods Matter.

Foods Matter is available in print in the U.K. and via email in both the U.S. and U.K.  While subscriptions are a bit higher in price than your average “style” magazine, it is a very focused publication.  Plus they offer three free trial issues for a great “try before you buy” offer.  At the very least, check out the Foods Matter website, which is loaded with information and offers several unique books and cookbooks on a range of special diet topics.