"Celebrations" by Danielle Walker

When I went gluten free 2-1/2 years ago, Danielle Walker's Against All Grain website was a huge asset to me. Then when I went grain free just over a year ago, her recipes became even more important to me. I use her website all the time, but she (rightfully) doesn't put all of her recipes up, so when I heard about Celebrations, I knew I wanted to get my hands on a copy.

"against the grain" by nancy cain

I adopted a gluten-free lifestyle almost a year ago in hopes that doing so would help some health problems I'd been having. It did, so I've settled in for the long haul. Honestly, being gluten free hasn't been too difficult from a cooking standpoint—in large part due to great recipes like the ones in this cookbook!

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Revolutionary all-natural recipes for gluten-free cooking—from the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet.

Nancy Cain came to gluten-free cooking simply enough: Her teenage son was diagnosed with celiac disease. After trying ready-made baking mixes and finding the results rubbery and tasteless, she pioneered gluten-free foods made entirely from natural ingredients—no xanthan or guar gums or other mystery chemical additives allowed. That led her to adapt many of her family's favorite recipes, including their beloved pizzas, pastas, and more, to this real food technique. In Against the Grain, Nancy finally shares 200 groundbreaking recipes for achieving airy, crisp breads, delicious baked goods, and gluten-free main dishes.

For any of these cookies, cakes, pies, sandwiches, and casseroles, you use only natural ingredients such as buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, and ripe fruits and vegetables. Whether you're making Potato Rosemary Bread, iced Red Velvet Cupcakes, Lemon-Thyme-Summer Squash Ravioli, or Rainbow Chard and Kalamata Olive Pizza, you'll be able to use ingredients already in your pantry or easily found at your local supermarket.

With ample information for gluten-free beginners and 100 colorful photographs, this book is a game changer for gluten-free households everywhere.

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Against the Grain is a gorgeous cookbook. The photos make the food look incredibly appealing, and as I first paged through the book, I couldn't wait to get cooking!

Fortunately, the recipes don't just look good, they taste good, too! So far, I've only made four of the recipes, but each has been fantastic ... and you'd never guess they're gluten free. My favorite so far is the Caramel Brownies (p. 237).  I did leave out the coconut caramel chips because the recipe for making them is rather involved, and I wanted brownies right away. Even without the caramel, these are easily the best gluten free brownies I've ever tasted. The photo below doesn't quite do them justice, but trust me: they're out of this world!

This little gem is making my Tuesday a bit brighter. Hands down the best #glutenfree brownie I've ever tasted. Recipe from #againstthegrain cookbook by Nancy Cain. Review to come soon!

A photo posted by Becky Ritta (@beckyritta) on Apr 14, 2015 at 12:47pm PDT

The recipes range from super simple to fairly complex, making this a cookbook everyone from beginning bakers to master chefs can enjoy. I did notice that the author is very fond of light buckwheat flour and tapioca starch; she explains why in the helpful "fundamentals" section at the beginning of the cookbook. I wasn't able to find light buckwheat flour at my local grocery stores, but I could find regular buckwheat flour, so I've used that instead—it wasn't too overpowering in the Yankee Ginger Snaps (p. 211), but I'm a little apprehensive about using it in more delicately-flavored recipes. Tapioca flour is relatively cheap, which is good considering probably 90% of the recipes in this cookbook call for it. (If you're wondering, my favorite place to order gluten free flours is Vitacost—almost everything I've looked for has been cheaper there than on Amazon.)

So all in all, I'm a huge fan of this cookbook, and I'm sure I'll be using it for years to come. It's a must-have for any gluten-free kitchen! 5 stars.

Buy the book.

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Nancy Cain is the owner of Against the Grain Gourmet, a line of gluten-free breads and pizzas available at supermarkets and natural food stores nationwide. She lives with her gluten-free family in Vermont.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links on this page are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase a product, I will receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"the chopped cookbook" by the food network

About the book (from Amazon): Never again let the question, “What's for dinner?” stump you. The Chopped Cookbook features secrets for combining pantry staples to make exciting meals. 
 
If you've ever looked into your fridge, hoping for inspiration to strike, let The Chopped Cookbook help you shake up weeknight dinners. Just as each basket on Chopped has many tasty possibilities, so, too, do the contents of your refrigerator. By showing you how to spin your favorite ingredients into 188 fun, doable, and delicious recipes—including go-to guides for making salad dressings and pan sauces, four-ingredient market baskets that can go in many tasty directions, and ideas for ways to reinvent pasta dinners—the culinary masterminds at Food Network set you up for mealtime victory every night.

My take: The Chopped Cookbook is a fabulous cookbook! However, don't go into it expecting to see recipes from the show. I honestly was a bit apprehensive when I requested this book because I've seen the show, and I know the crazy combos they come up with! But instead of weird combinations with obscure ingredients, The Chopped Cookbook focuses on using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry (or can easily obtain at any grocery store) to make easy, delicious meals.

In addition to the recipes, each chapter has a special bonus section—for example, "Play with your pasta" gives five easy pasta sauces to go with any cooked pasta. The book also includes flavor substitutions for several of the recipes, so you can mix and match oils, spices, etc. to create different combos.

Overall, this is a great book—and I will get so much more use out of it than I would have if it really featured Chopped recipes!

My rating: 5 stars

Buy the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.