Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Gluten-Free Vegan Cookbook

My most recent cookbook acquisition is a beautiful paperback with a colorful cover by Susan O'Brien. Recently published by Marlowe and Company, The Gluten-Free Vegan is in a genre of few such books. Those with gluten sensitivity, a wheat allergy, or celiac disease frequently express that they have given up so much that they must have animal products to give them 'something' to eat. Susan O'Brien proves otherwise and does an excellent job of providing recipes and ideas that contain no gluten-grains (wheat, barley, and rye) or animal products without depriving anyone of great flavors, textures, colors, and variety. Her recipes are well-developed and her cookbook offers a broad range of mealtime choices. Sweets are wholesome and prepared without refined sugars, using agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or dates instead. Instead of substitutions and fake foods, Susan shares real food with her reader in the 150 recipes within the cookbook covers. The table of contents reads like a delicious menu at a fine restaurant! How about some: Black Bean Salsa, Maple Candied Nuts, Curried Apple and Cauliflower Soup, Mexican Quinoa Salad, Dippity Do Da Coleslaw, Kale with Peanut Sauce, Roasted Potatoes with Herbs, Salt and Pepper Edamame, Spinach Tofu with Peanut Sauce, Eggplant Roll-Ups, Spring Rolls, Vegetable Paella, Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate Sauce, Coconut Pancakes, Pear Torte, and Ginger Rice Pudding. Are you hungry yet? Chock-filled with delicious food choices, this cookbook is a definite asset to my cookbook library and one I look forward to using (as soon as I have a kitchen again!*).

*Dear husband is busy with remodeling tasks and this week removed our entire kitchen. The family has since decided that the kitchen really IS the heart of a home! We are feeling somewhat lost without it!

5 comments:

  1. Mmmm, you are making my mouth water! I feel so inspired, I may have to spend the day in the kitchen.

    I love these kinds of cookbooks. Being allergic to milk, I've spent many years trying to adapt recipes or find cookbooks that could accommodate my issue. Though I'm not strictly vegetarian (I eat fish and eggs at home), I don't eat a lot of animal products and vegan cookbooks provide some awesome flavour-filled alternatives. Thanks for the new recommendation.

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  2. I will have to look up this new cookbook. Gluten free and vegan is hard to find.

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  3. I understand the feeling when you're without your kitchen. We've been there, too. Can't wait to see the finished new room. ~Adrienne~

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  4. My condolences on the loss of your kitchen. Hope that your dear husband is actually Superman and that you'll have the kitchen back sooner than you think.

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  5. The books sound like a real find. I have allergy to wheat and dairy. Dash is allergic to dairy. I'll keep an eye out and perhaps try to locate them. Thanks

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Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.