Special Foods for Special Kids: Practical Solutions & Great Recipes for Children with Food Allergies

Todd Adelman & Jodi Behrend
Robert D. Reed Publishers (2006)
ISBN 1885003382
Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (4/07)

The cover shouts that this will be a fun cookbook to use, as well as a practical one. Imagine the families who have children with allergies or special dietary needs. It must be frustrating to try to adapt recipes for every meal on a regular basis. The authors of this book have done all the work for those parents. At the same time, they’ve created a book that anyone with kids will enjoy cooking with.

The authors start with a little background about how many suffer from food allergies and the type of symptoms which can occur. For us lucky parents who don’t have to deal with this, it is eye-opening to consider how careful other parents have to be with every single thing that goes into their children’s mouths. The authors are experienced chefs and educators who are adept at sharing information without boring their readers. This book is not just about recipes, but nutrition as well, including appropriate substitutions for each possible culprit in the pantry.

Recipes are included for every meal as well as snacks, desserts and drinks. Through a combination of pictures, each recipe notes what substitutes can be made for potential allergens like dairy, gluten and eggs. A complete nutritional guide is also included. My son was eager to try the corn dogs, his favorite menu choice at the fine dining establishments we frequent. The recipes are printed in an easy-to-read format so children can use it as well as adults. This was my first attempt at making corn dogs however, and I found it difficult to wrap the hot dog pieces in the dough. It could be that my cornmeal was not ground fine enough. They tasted good even if they weren’t restaurant quality!

Our next attempt was the Sticky Cinnamon Buns which required the Biscuit Dough recipe too. While I wouldn’t attempt this on a weekday morning, I didn’t mind rolling out the dough on a lazy Saturday afternoon for my Sunday breakfast. Next we’d like to try Pizza Soup and Pancake Paint. You’ll have to buy the book if you want to know what to do with the paint!

Todd Adelman and Jodi Behrend also included an extensive resource list in the back for parents to look up more information for their children’s issues. I would recommend “Special Foods for Special Kids” to anyone with children or food allergies. You never know when you might have one of your children’s friends over who is allergic to gluten. Or you have to take cupcakes to school and you can’t include peanuts. Keep this cookbook handy and refer to it often. Remember there is always something cooking in the kitchen, but it doesn’t have to make your children sick.

Make comment on weblog