100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes

Carol Fenster
John Wiley & Sons (2010)
ISBN 9780470475836
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (09/10)

 

Oh my goodness, how to express my excitement for this cookbook?  I’ve been searching for a “good” gluten-free cookbook for quite some time and couldn’t find anything that resonated with me.  I can tell you this is a god-send for me – it’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for.

For the purpose of a review we are asked to try three recipes.  This was very difficult for me because I found so many I wanted to try.  The first one was “Focaccia with Herbs.” In the past when I’ve attempted to make breads without using gluten they ended up being hard, dense, and not palatable.  To my delight this Focaccia was wonderful and was much like the real thing.  I suspect it was the sorghum blend that was the catalyst.  Definitely a recipe that I will be making again.

The second recipe I tried was “Penne Pasta Primavera.” The combination of green vegetables, Parmesan cheese and a dressing of white wine, rice wine vinegar and olive oil made the end result very tasty. Adding the cherry tomatoes made this dish very festive.

The third recipe I made was “Chocolate Chip Muffins with White Chocolate Drizzle.”  Again, I believe it’s “Carol’s Sorghum Blend” that is the secret to making the baked product light.  The muffins very chocolaty, with a brownie-like flavor.  I found the muffins are best eaten warm as they have a tendency to become hard if left to cool off.  Putting them in the microwave worked okay, but the result wasn’t the same as when eaten right out of the oven.  A definite yes to this one too.

I commend Carol Fenster for creating “100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes” for those that want to enjoy baked goods as well as other dishes that contain no gluten.  I can’t say enough about “Carol’s Sorghum Blend” because I know that is the secret to the baked goods.  Besides bread and pasta recipes, Fenster provides recipes for soups, salads, snacks, main dishes and desserts. As well she provides a sources section on organizations and associations that she has worked with.

By the way, the next recipe I'm going to try from “100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes” is “Tiramisu.”  For all those the thought they could never eat Tiramisu because of gluten-indolence, my answer to you is “yes you can.”

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