When we realized ten years ago that my eldest son had a major issue with both gluten and dairy there was very little in the way of resources. The Internet wasn’t the help that is it today, says Anya Brighouse…
The arrival of three great gluten-free cookbooks in the post is not a cause for celebration in most homes. Most people get to just stroll into a bookstore and pick up any cookbook, take it home and try the recipes.
For those of us who have family members who have food issues, this is not such a straightforward process. When we realized ten years ago that my eldest son had a major issue with both gluten and dairy there was very little in the way of resources. The Internet wasn’t the help that is it today and gluten free products were reasonably rare and exceptionally expensive. I used to get every cookbook I could from the library and occasionally get good ones when I was traveling overseas.
Now 10 years on, I have two in the family who don’t do gluten, dairy or soy. We are a lot of fun to have over for dinner I can tell you! I have over the years become very adept at changing recipes to suit, at knowing where we can eat here in Auckland, and exceptionally good at reading ingredient lists to make sure no-one eating something they shouldn’t. The family eats very little that can be bought, and a lot that can be made. The problem with this – as anyone dealing with a gluten-free diet will tell you – is that a lot of it tastes like sawdust mixed with sugar. The texture is strange as there is no gluten (obviously) that gives bread its elasticity and softness. There is often little or no moistness – it is all rather dry. So imagine how happy I was to find three new sources of inspiration, and three sets of willing hands (Madeleine 15, Riley 13, and Theodore 9) to test the recipes. I am particularly pleased that two of the books are written here in New Zealand and the other is especially written for the picky palates of children. If it can get past children, it can get past anyone!
The first book is The New Zealand Gluten-Free Cookbook by Jim Boswell. As with most people who end up researching a gluten-free diet, Jim is gluten intolerant. He also often found that he was cooking for friends who were gluten intolerant as well, so it just seemed logical for this Kiwi of Sicilian heritage to write a cookbook. As I have said, breads and pastas are notoriously hard to get right when cooking for yourself but Jim’s recipes are excellent. I can vouch for the sponge cake recipe as well as the great Beef and Bean Salad, as well as the Beef Bourguignon (which goes nicely in the slow cooker). As well as a great range of recipes, this book also has some great tips about substitutions, with soy often containing gluten. His tip is a combination of molasses and balsamic vinegar, which works very well. I can’t believe I have survived all these years without it! The New Zealand Gluten-Free Cookbook by Jim Boswell, with photographs by Sean Shadbolt is published by Penguin Books and retails for $44.
The Seriously Good Gluten-Free for Kids book by Phil Vickery is just that. It is seriously good – and especially for children. This book covers gluten-free food for all ages, from babies and toddlers though to school-age children. Vickery is a resident chef on ITV’s This Morning and regularly appears on Ready Steady Cook. He has a number of other books on gluten-free cooking and baking but has taken up the challenge of dealing with gluten-free for children. He has some great breakfast ideas with Berry Smoothies and some even better ideas for the school lunchbox. We can personally vouch for the Chocolatey Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats, which quite literally, did go down a treat. For those of us with particularly picky eaters, this book is an opportunity to try some new things and stretch our kids’ palates. This, in my opinion, can only be a good thing! This book is written in conjunction with the Coeliac Society in the UK, so you can bet all the recipes have been double checked to within an inch of their lives. For children (and adults) that have more severe (or life threatening) reaction to gluten – this is very important. Seriously Good Gluten Free Cooking For Kids by Phil Vickery is by New Holland Publishers and retails for $39.
Lastly we come to the splendid The Family Friendly Gluten-free Cookbook by Sarah King. This is a quiet looking book, just quietly masquerading as just an ordinary cookbook minus the gluten. This is definitely not the case! Firstly, as it is written in NZ, all the ingredients are readily available here. The instructions are clear and very easy to follow. I figure if my children can follow the instructions with very little help from me and produce something wonderful, then anyone can. In fact, Theo and Madeleine made Hokey Pokey biscuits. Anyone who knows about gluten-free will tell you that biscuits are the holy grail of baking. Especially if you have to have remove dairy as well. Today we made perfect, crunchy (not crumbly) Hokey Pokey Biscuits. When the kids tested them (there was lots of testing), Riley said "These aren’t just good Mum, they are good enough to be in a cafe!" This may have something to do with the fact that author Sarah King trialled all her recipes at a Farmers Market until her customers couldn’t tell if they were gluten-free or not. She found, just as I have over the years, that baking for the family was the hardest to get right. Lunch boxes are another difficult area with gluten-free bread expensive and not that fabulous. King has added some lunch ideas (savoury muffins) that we have trialled and loved. We are looking forward to trying the éclairs and custard square recipes. Also included are recipes for gluten-free flour mixes – which I have found inexpensive (compared to the pre-made store bought mixes) and even a wonderful fluffy icing made with chilled coconut cream. It looks like cream and the children loved it. With recipes for pastry and for bread (that can go in the breadmaker as well), I have to say this book has rekindled a love for baking that years of horrible gluten-free baking disasters had stripped away. Thank you Sarah King – I thank you, my children thank you and the guests to our house thank you! The Family Friendly Gluten Free Cookbook by Sarah King is published by New Holland and is $39.99.
By Anya Brighouse, June 2013
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