76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Go Dairy Free is a FANTASTIC cookbook!, January 18, 2009
It is rare that within a 24 hour period I make four recipes from one cookbook, let alone a newly acquired one. But Go Dairy Free, by Alisa Marie Fleming, is so fantastic, that I needed to dig in immediately. And then I couldn't stop!
This is a must-have cookbook for anyone looking to expand their recipe repertoire, regardless of whether you want or need to go dairy-free. Besides fabulous sounding recipes, the book is a wealth of information. First of all, the recipe/allergy index at the back of the book is phenomenal. Listed according to categories (dairy alternatives, breakfast to brunch, baking bread, sips & smoothies among others), each section tells you whether the recipe is vegan, egg-free, soy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, nut-free and/or peanut-free. This feature alone is worth the very reasonable price of the book (I am not an affiiliate seller for this book - just very pleased!). But I can't stop there. One of the other great features of the book is the section that talks about calcium. How many of us, when friends and/or family realize we're not eating dairy ask us where we'll get our calcium from?! Right? You know what I'm talking about. The author of Go Dairy Free explores this in depth, helping the reader understand how much calcium one really needs and explaining how calcium needs can be met without eating dairy.
My first foray into the book started with a recipe for Creamy Pesto-Inspired Pasta. If I hadn't cooked the dish with my own two hands, I never would've known it wasn't a creamy dairy-filled parmesan sauce. And to boot, it was unbelievably easy. Only thing is, I should've doubled the recipe. We practically licked our plates!
It didn't need anything more to improve the taste, but I decided to try the author's Easy Parmesan Substitute. Three ingredients. Delicious. A great dairy-free alternative to parmesan cheese which we sprinkled over the pasta. Delish. I'm hooked!
This morning, I made one of the author's smoothie recipes. Again, dairy-free, delicious, full of omega 3's (flaxseeds) and anti-oxidants (blueberries), and spinach (iron). Yup, you read that right. Spinach. But you couldn't even tell, not by the color of the smoothie (blueish purple) or by the taste which was mostly dominated by the banana and blueberries.
This afternoon I decided to try my hand at Go Dairy Free's Five Minute Nachos. I happened to have some homemade corn tortillas, though it would've worked just as well with store-bought corn tortilla chips. The sauce literally took five minutes plus two minutes for assembling the ingredients. Still, that's amazing, don't you think? And the finished product was fed to four hungry musicians who had just finished a two hour intense rehearsal. I didn't tell them they were eating dairy-free nachos. I just waited for the reaction. They were wowed! We all loved it and none of us could believe that the sauce had no cheese in it.
I delicately plopped refried beans over the chips, then drizzled the cheesy sauce over the whole thing, then threw it in the oven to warm it for about two minutes. It was sensational.
Alisa - I hope you're reading this review. I am crazy about this cookbook. Thank you so much for all of your hard work in pulling together so many fantastic recipes and providing invaluble information that will help me explore dairy-free cooking. Not only that, I have Celiac Disease and am completely gluten-free - this cookbook has recipes that are totally easy to make gluten-free! What a find!
Ellen A.
www.Iamglutenfree.blogspot.com
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent resources, November 29, 2008
Whether you're avoiding dairy for health or ethical reasons, you will love this comprehensive book that is both a guide to dairy free living and a cookbook.
The book begins with an explanation of what dairy is, including information about pasteurization, homogenization, lactose-free milk, kefir and milk from other mammals besides cows. She goes on to explain why some people avoid dairy--because of allergies, lactose intolerance, a vegan diet, autism, general health and more. She even addresses infant allergies--how to prevent and recognize them.
Another section is devoted to the question that many people wonder about--how can you get enough calcium with drinking milk. Fleming dispels the myth that you need dairy in your diet, tells you how much calcium you really do need, and lists many calcium rich (nondairy) foods. Before heading on to recipes, the book addresses eating out, traveling, and shopping--giving the reader insight into avoiding dairy when not at home.
Then, my favorite part: the recipes! And what great recipes they are. Perfectly Pear Muffins, Grilled Vegetable Strudel, Better Than Ice Cream, Vanilla Pudding, Lemon Struesel Squares and lots, lots more. A really nice feature is the chart that lists all of the recipes and notes which common allergens they do or do not contain, as well as whether the recipes are vegan.
I highly recommend this cookbook.
This book is
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recipes, Resources and Really Useful Tips!, November 30, 2008
This book is a welcome addition to anyone w/milk allergy intolerance, multiple food allergies or vegan. There is a ton of useful information about where to go for additional recipes or resources. Alisa includes lots of safe substitutes. And this book is very different from many other dairy free books because it does not use a soy substitute in every recipe.
There are a lot of yummy and kid friendly recipes and tricks and handy lists for where dairy hides.
If you're new to living without dairy, or if you've been at it for awhile and need a bunch of new and delcious dairy free (and egg free) recipes, get "Go Dairy Free"
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