I get a little nervous when approaching cookbooks with ‘–free’ in the title, as it usually means there will be lots of substitutes, using strange and wonderful ingredients that I invariably buy once and then those same ingredients get shoved to the back of the cupboard, never to be used again.  Xanthan gum, Pomegranate Molasses, Barberries, Chickpea Flour… the list goes on and on.

I worried when I looked through this book that it would be another example of me gleefully spending excessive amounts of time and money searching for ‘unique’ ingredients.

Sure, it has it’s Labneh and Brown Rice Flours (there’s even a recipe using the aforementioned Chickpea Flour! p137 Italian Style Chickpea Soca) – but more than just substituting one ingredient for another, this book actually highlights recipes to use that DO NOT USE GLUTEN AT ALL. Sauteed Lemony Gnocchi (p131), Braised Vegetable Ragout (p76), savory crepes – recipes i’ve made before, but never put them in the same category as the Gluten Free foods I’ve been leaning towards.

huh.

This is eye opening.

It also happens to be clear-cut, easy to read, good recipes that my family has been enjoying. I prob won’t be making the red quinoa, but the pot of beans recipe is definitely being added to the standard lineup.

I received this book from BloggingForBooks for this review.

THANK YOU!