Gluten-Free Vegan Comfort Food

February 20, 2012
Whether readers are following a gluten-free vegan lifestyle due to medical, health, or ethical reasons, they're likely to find O'Brien's follow-up to The Gluten-Free Vegan to be a helpful resource when the craving for comfort food hits. Organized by course and ilk (e.g. "Ethnic Favorites," "Family Classics"), O'Brien offers up recipes that range from the familiar (guacamole, hummus, falafel, etc.) to the inspired, such as a roasted beet risotto, toffee bars, and spinach and lentil enchiladas. The majority of her recipes are approachable enoughâmoderately skilled and patient cooks will be able to complete most dishesâbut sourcing, particularly for dessert items, may be problematic for those without access to a well-stocked health food store. Though once they've stocked the larder, they'll be whipping up chocolate-dried cherry biscotti, mac and cheese, and apple pie in no time. While her recipes are indeed flavor-packed, O'Brien has a tendency to go overboard at timesâ"My Favorite Lasagna" calls for a whopping 25 ingredients, and a spinach pie calls for 15 ingredients, not counting the six needed to create her nutty piecrustâwhich may lead to frustration in either the grocery aisle or at home. Still, folks in search of inventive riffs (she's even included a kid-friendly chapter with "chicken" nuggets that uses tempeh instead of poultry) are sure to find a few new favorites here. Color photos.

March 1, 2012

This sequel to The Gluten-Free Vegan provides recipes for American-style comfort food classics minus the gluten and animal products. It's not all grilled cheese sandwiches and baked beans, however; the "Ethnic Favorites" section features such dishes as banana and macadamia nut curry, falafel, nori rolls, and enchiladas to reflect the diverse American palate. O'Brien, also the author of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cooking, has embraced her sweet tooth this time around. The "Delightful Desserts" section uses a variety of sweeteners, including organic maple syrup for Chocolate-Dried Cherry Biscotti, agave nectar for Banana Cream Pie, and coconut palm sugar for Peach Ice Cream. Ground chia seeds are used frequently as an egg replacer in recipes such as Meatless Meatballs. At the beginning of the book, O'Brien includes a handy list of gluten-free pantry staples along with the pros and cons of various gluten-free ingredients. Appendixes include cooking equivalents, English-to-metric conversions, and a list of gluten-free food suppliers, magazines, and support groups for people suffering from celiac disease. VERDICT Recommended to readers looking for gluten-free, vegan versions of their favorite homemade dishes.--Mary Schons, Hammond P.L., IN

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