I would apologize for yelling in the title, but I’m not sorry…BECAUSE I AM SOOO EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!!
When I first started writing and publishing cookbooks, I hadn’t yet transitioned into a Gluten-Free Lifestyle. My health issues had been slowly but steadily growing, however I wasn’t at a point of desperation just yet…so I kept on writing and compiling recipes that I made for myself, but mostly for other people.
In late 2017, I was diagnosed with three different digestive disorders on top of an autoimmune disease that had progressively worsened over the course of ten years. The medication the doctors gave me provided no relief, and I was beyond desperate to stop feeling so sick all the time. As an experiment, I removed gluten from my diet and saw a HUGE shift. In less than one week, my Psoriasis completely cleared up. I was baffled. So, I decided to put gluten back in my diet just to see what happened…
…IT CAME BACK WITH A VENGEANCE OVERNIGHT.
A lightbulb appeared over my head, so I cut it out again and it cleared back up within 2 days. Although allergy and Celiac tests had been conducted, both came back negative. It was clear that my body reacted negatively to gluten, but wasn’t a serious case of Wheat Allergy or Celiac Disease. Either way, my body felt significantly better without it and I was forced to change. Let’s just say that working in the restaurant industry as a pastry chef removing gluten proved to be difficult to say the least.
When I first removed gluten, it was very challenging to find gluten-free substitutes that didn’t taste wonky. When I did find things that tasted good, it ended up being a lot of junk food. Well, that didn’t agree with my body either.
Since I am the only person in my family who eats gluten-free food, dinner time could get a little rough. As I started to improvise, things became easier and my recipe library started to grow like a family of rabbits.
MOVING ON TO THE NEW BOOK
A lot of people knew that I was eating more foods that were gluten-free, and they started asking for more gluten-free recipes. Although I had put a lot of time, effort, and tears into the previous books, I felt guilty that I didn’t have a book for people who were looking for healthier options. Since my recipe library had grown so much with transitioning recipes and coming across so many new ones, it was necessary to just throw a HUGE book with a ridiculous number of recipes at them.
THIS BOOK HAS OVER 500 RECIPES!!! I took recipes from my previous books that were already gluten-free, de-glutened the ones that could be adjusted, created new recipes, and did a MASSIVE search of many more recipes to throw in as well.
Not only does it have a lot to choose from, but there is also a Specialty Diet Recipe Index in the back of the book that groups everything into different diets:
-Traditional Comfort Food
-Mediterranean
-Dairy-Free
-Low-Carb
-Plant-Based
-Vegan
-Vegetarian
The index was quite daunting to put together, but 100000% worth it in the end. If someone is coming over for dinner who has specific dietary requirements, I can flip to this section to narrow down different items that can be safe for them to eat too. EVERYBODY WINS!!
My dorky, sarcastic humor is sprinkled throughout the book, so be prepared. The introduction chapter gives information, tips, tricks, and advice when it comes to gluten-free and overall cooking to hopefully help prevent people from getting overwhelmed.
Chapters Included:
-Introduction
-Hot & Cold Appetizers
-Breakfast & Brunch
-Soups, Sauces & Salads
-Poultry
-Beef, Pork & Seafood
-Vegetarian & Side Dishes
-Bakeshop
-Specialty Diet Recipe Index
I sincerely hope this book can help anyone and everyone enjoy food in an obsessive manner without having to sacrifice their health in the process. Cheers!!
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