Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook: 150 Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free Recipes, Many with Egg-Free Variations

Donna Washburn & Heather Butt
Robert Rose Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9780778801580
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (11/10)

Thirty-five years ago when our son was diagnosed as being gluten intolerant, I had a hard time finding recipes, or even ingredients, that would work well as a substitute.  Having a hamburger between two rice cakes was about the only choice he had and he wasn’t happy with it. Since then grocery stores have full aisles containing gluten-free products and baked goods.  As well, recipe books such as “Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook” by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt are emerging. 

For the purpose of the review we are asked to test three recipes.  The first one I tested was “Banana Cream Pie.” I was specifically interested in this recipe because it is also lactose-free and egg-free. Using silken tofu as the base and a Coconut Crust, this refrigerator pie is a wonderful substitute for the traditional pudding pie.

The second recipe I tested was “Olive Ciabatta.”  I love traditional Ciabatta and wondered if using a combination of hazelnut, whole bean, and quinoa flours combined with tapioca starch would make a good substitute and it did.  The Ciabatta had pretty much the same texture as the traditional one and the flavor was delicious. Although this recipe is labor intensive I feel the time and effort was worth it. 

Because I have a bread machine I decided to test out “Brown Seed Dinner Rolls” as my third recipe.  Although there is a mixer method I decided that using a bread machine will save time for me.  The rolls use sorghum and whole bean flour, as well as potato starch and rice bran. The seeds were green pumpkin, sesame and sunflower.  Add a touch of honey and molasses and you've got a dinner roll that is a good substitute for wheat flour based rolls.  The rolls were soft and dense, and the taste was very good while warm.  I found that once the rolls cooled off they became hard and not as palatable as when fresh from the oven. For me, this was a good substitute and worth making again.

The various flours can be found in health food stores or grocery stores that contain a large variety of gluten-free products. People that are gluten-intolerant know where to shop for specialized ingredients and for those that are just breaking into this concept, a little research will lead you to stores that are very gluten-intolerance friendly. I’m pleased with “Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook” and encourage those that are seeking a good cookbook consider this one. I’m sure you wouldn’t be disappointed.

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