Posts in category: Book Reviews

Recently here at the Gluten Free RN, we purchased Annalise G. Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics. We have quite a collection of gluten free cookbooks so it remained on a shelf until a special occasion gave me cause to pull it down and take it home. The assignment- make a gluten free birthday cake for my younger sister that is so good, no one will be able to tell it apart from “normal” cake.

I settled on a yellow cake that would make a nice double round recipe and set to work. A nice brown flour mix Ms. Roberts uses yielded cake batter unlike any other gluten free batter I had yet tasted. Sweet, no aftertaste, delectable. Upon baking, it rose to a normal cake height and sprung back when pressed. Topped with a simple chocolate frosting, it was the hit of the party. Not a person at our birthday celebration could tell it was gluten free, and most were excited when they found out it was.

The next morning, inspired by the yellow cake, I set to work. The same brown rice blend was used for breakfast crepes. A person would be hard pressed to tell the difference from normal crepes. They folded easily without the least bit of crumply texture found in some gluten free products. I stuffed them with left over potatoes, cheese and salsa and wolfed them down before heading back to the kitchen.

Next was a bread recipe. I tried the simple white bread, putting it in my bread machine where I am sure it did not rise to its full potential. The taste however, was again marvelous with an actual crust surrounding the outside crispy and brown. I tried it one more time in the oven as the recipe actually suggests. The top was just beginning to peak the top of the bread pan when I pulled it out. It was to my horror that I discovered it was not yet done and watched it quickly delapitate before my very eyes. The bread can most certainly be done, unfortunately, someone much more experienced at bread making than myself is going to need to try it.

Without losing hope, I switched to a brownie recipe. An avid chocolate lover I could not resist adding in an extra cup of chocolate chips. The brownies were chewy, dense and a chocolate lovers heaven. Similar, if not better than my pre-celiac diagnosis brownie recipe. The brownies lasted a day in my household before being devoured.

Entrigued by the “captivating chocolate chip” comment on the front of the book, I set out to prove it. Opening the oven half way through baking showed what appeared to be a melted mess. However, five minutes later the goo had turned into real cookies. The result left me delighted as my previous chocolate chip cookie recipe had always been flat and chewy as well.

Last but not least was a cornbread recipe. My father, who does not eat gluten free, proclaimed it was the best cornbread he had ever eaten.

I have yet to find a recipe that does not work from this book. If you are new to gluten free, or even if you are just looking to perfect a gf baking recipe, I suggest you check out Annalise G. Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics.

Tammy Credicott of Bend, Oregon recently released the cookbook The Healthy Gluten Free Life  – By far this is the best, biggest cookbook we have ever had in the office. It is chalk full of delicious recipes that are free of gluten, soy, dairy, and eggs. After hearing Nadine rave about Tammy’s cooking, I could not wait to get this cookbook home! The hardest decision was deciding what I wanted to make first… everything looked so good!

Flipping through the cookbook there were a few things that stood out to me…

1. The photos! I love that every recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photo, really who wants to look at a bunch of words?!
2. All of the recipes use nutrient dense flours! Tammy’s motto is to “make every bite count” and she does a wonderful job of using flours like; sorghum, millet, teff, and amaranth to make every recipe packed full of nutrients. This can unfortunately be rare with gluten free recipes, so I really appreciate the time and work Tammy put into making sure every recipe was not only delicious but also healthy.
3. The index, oh the index! I think that every cookbook should be as well organized and accessible as this one. First everything is color coordinated which rocks… Then the index is organized by pictures, categories, and there is another index to find recipes by name. Instead of spending ten minutes finding a recipe I can spend more time deciding what to make!
4. The recipes! There are over 200 recipes in this cookbook and to be honest I have yet to find one that doesn’t look amazing!

Last night I decided to give the blueberry muffin recipe a shot – To be honest I am not the best baker, and I often just hope that my baked goods will turn out. If I do crave gluten free baked goods I usually head over to Eats and Treats Cafe and buy some of their already made gluten free deliciousness. But…. I had faith in myself and gave this recipe a shot!

The recipe called for several different flours, I got the sorghum and millet from Big River Grains which is an awesome local gluten free grain company here in Corvallis, Oregon. If you haven’t tried them yet, I suggest you do. They are one of the very few grain companies that I trust and I have never been disappointed in their products.

The first thing I noticed about this recipe is how it was organized. The wet and dry ingredients were already separated for me, and all of the instructions were short concise and clear… maybe this was a muffin recipe I could accomplish! First I mixed all of my dry ingredients, then whisked my wet ingredients…

Next I whisked everything together and folded in my blueberries, which I got from the lovely Sunset Valley Organics Company. I popped them in the oven for about 25 minutes and out came these beautiful muffins! And… They were AMAZING! Not to mention my picky hubby absolutely loved them!

Thank you Tammy for all the hard work and time you put into this book – We can’t wait until your next cookbook!

– Sam

Tammy Credicott has done it again!

After months of eating our way through The Healthy Gluten Free Life, Tammy Credicott has come out with yet another extraordinary cookbook. Paleo Indulgences is filled with both savory and sweet Paleo recipes that are sure to satisfy the entire family.

Tammy and her husband Cain were actually the first ones to educate the Gluten Free RN office about the benefits of a Paleo diet. Over 18 months ago their words of wisdom helped us get started on our Paleo journey. We have not only had huge strides in our health, we have gone on to help others discover the benefits of eating whole real food. So, we were extremely delighted to receive our copy of Paleo Indulgences at the office.

We usually eat about 80-90% Paleo, eating as much grass fed beef and farmer’s market produce as we can. However, every once in awhile we do still enjoy our gluten free, dairy free baked goods. When we do decide to indulge it is always a bonus if those treats are not only dairy and gluten free but also grain, soy, and sugar free. This is where Paleo Indulgences comes in. It is chalked full with tons of Paleo friendly treats along with an abundance of savory recipes.

Paleo Indulgences is just as beautiful and remarkable as The Healthy GF Life:

• The introduction gives a fantastic brief but thorough overview of what a Paleo diet entails and a run down on protein, fats, sweeteners, grains, etc.

• The organization is amazing, from a picture table of contents to an ingredient index. Every recipe book needs to take note of Tammy’s genius organization techniques.

• The photos are striking. I personally cannot stand when cookbooks do not have pictures. Paleo Indulgences includes a stunning photograph to go with every recipe… I have spent a good amount of time drooling over them.

• This is not just another meat and broccoli Paleo cookbook. All of the recipes are unique and creative.

The recipes I have tried so far are the Slow-Cooker BBQ Beef, the Mandarin Chicken, and the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Everything has turned out incredible and I can’t wait to enjoy the rest of the book.

If you are new to Paleo, a Paleo connoisseur, or even if you haven’t crossed the Paleo path, get this cookbook. You will NOT be disappointed.

Thanks Tammy once again, for keeping us happy, healthy, and full!