The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook [Paperback]

Elana Amsterdam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2009

The prevalence of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity among millions of adults and children has created the need for gluten-free recipes that are as nutritious and tasty as their traditional counterparts. Popular food blogger Elana Amsterdam offers ninety-nine family-friendly classics--from Pancakes to Eggplant Parmesan to Chocolate Cake--that feature her gluten-free ingredient of choice, almond flour. Because these recipes are low glycemic, low in cholesterol and dairy, and high in protein and fiber, they are also ideal for people with diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.

So whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast treat, a comfort food entrée, or a showstopping dessert, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook proves that gluten-free cooking can mean healthy eating for everyone.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Outstanding gluten-free goodies... this lovely cookbook, full of enticing photos, has my mouth watering.”
—DeliciousLiving Magazine: Blog
 
“The need is huge for cookbooks for celiacs on limited diets. They will welcome The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook when it arrives.”
—Providence Journal
 
“Flour Girl: Gluten-Free Almond Joy”
—Washington Post

“Amsterdam’s recipes will carry you through the day, with pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and quiche for dinner. She takes classic recipes...and adapts them to almond flour, creating plenty of meal options.”
—Cookbook Digest

"We all need to pay attention to the food we eat, all of the time. For people with celiac disease, this is normally an even greater challenge--but not for Elana! Her healthful and flavorful recipes taste as good as they are good for you. Made with almond flour and high in protein and fiber, these dishes are sure to even please the gluten eaters in your family!" 
—Alice Bast, President and Founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)

“For many people, normal food becomes off-limits when they find they have an allergy or condition, such as celiac disease. To wrestle new limitations into foods that are every bit as delicious and appealing (if not more so) is a coup to be celebrated. Having tried the chocolate chip cookies, I speak from experience when I say there is nothing lacking in these recipes. They are truly wholesome and delicious!”
—DEBORAH MADISON, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

“Elana has a tremendous gift for creating classic recipes using healthy ingredients. Her high-protein, gluten-free treats are incredibly tasty! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for good food that is also good for you.”
—DR. ROBERT ROUNTREE, Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child

“Local hero Elana Amsterdam (straight out of Boulder) offers dozens of wheatless recipes from chicken parmesan to chocolate cake, all of which call for gluten-free almond flour. Enough of the recipes will appeal to gluten-eaters to make this collection a great go-to resource for blended families and/or hosts cooking for gluten-intolerant guests. Readers with a sweet tooth are especially well-served here, but savory recipes like salmon burgers round out the roster.”
—The Denver Post, “Causing a STIR: Best Cookbooks of 2009”

“In her Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, the ingenious celiac Elana Amsterdam offers another possible approach, a sandwich bread made from finely milled almond flour (do not use Bob's Red Mill brand) and almond butter that is nutty and versatile. Amsterdam's recipes are refreshingly simple, as the almond flour reduces the need for the expensive and obscure mix of flours other gluten-free recipes require.... But the ground nut has other virtues, including high amounts of protein and vitamins and low glycemic impact. Amsterdam employs it in a range of dishes, from shortbread cookies and carrot cake to a savory tart with kale. Her snappy herbed crackers, which are a welcome change from commercial nut-thins and dry rice crisps, are equally easy to make and delicious.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Gluten-Free But Still Tasty”

From the Publisher

* A full-color collection of 99 no-gluten, lightly sweetened, quick-and-healthy recipes made with almond flour.
* Almonds are today's superfood: high-protein, low-glycemic, low-cholesterol, and full of fiber and antioxidants.
* Author's website on gluten-free cooking receives 50,000 hits per month.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Celestial Arts; 1 Original edition (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158761345X
• ISBN-13: 978-1587613456
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (191 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Allergies
  • #28 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Nutrition
  • #42 in Books > Medical Books > Nursing

More About the Author

Wellness expert and gluten-free guru Elana Amsterdam is the founder of elanaspantry.com, a website (1 million page views per month) where she shares simple, healthy recipes and lifestyle advice with her readers.

She has written articles for Parents, Shape Magazine, The Denver Post, and Delicious Living and has been featured in a variety of media outlets including Crain's New York Business, Fortune Magazine, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on CNN and MSNBC.

Her book, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, published by Random House in July 2009, went into its 5th printing just a year after its release. The book was also named one of the "Best Cookbooks of 2009" by The Denver Post.

Her forthcoming book, Gluten Free Cupcakes, full of delightful, yet healthy and nutrient dense desserts will be released in April 2011.

Elana lives in the heart of Boulder, Colorado with her husband, 2 boys (chefs in training), 2 bunnies and 5 chickens.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

304 of 333 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Good Ideas, but Edit Out the Agave Nectar, October 26, 2009

By 

vintner "vintner" (Northern CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (Paperback)

This book has a number of good and SIMPLE recipes for gluten-free and low-carb dishes using almond flour. Well worth adding to the shelf; it simplifies and collects a lot of information about almond flour that is widely scattered.

The one big caution is that the author uncritically uses agave nectar for sweetening in almost all the recipes. She says this is because agave nectar is "lower on the glycemic index", but that's not an advantage, that's merely because agave nectar is largely fructose, the most dangerous of the sugars.

From Stephan Guyenet, Ph.D. in neurobiology (blog at [...]

"Agave syrup is made from the heart of the agave plant, which is pressed to release a juice rich in inulin. Inulin is a polymer made of fructose molecules. The inulin is then broken down either by heat or by enzymatic processing. The result is a sweet syrup that is rich in fructose. Agave syrup is marketed as a healthy, alternative sweetener. In fact, it's probably as bad or worse than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). They are both a refined and processed plant extract. Both are high in fructose, with agave syrup leading HFCS (estimates of agave syrup range up to 92% fructose by calories). Finally, agave syrup is expensive and inefficient to produce. The high fructose content gives agave syrup a low glycemic index, because fructose does not raise blood glucose. Unfortunately, as some diabetics learned the hard way, using fructose as a substitute for sucrose (cane sugar) has negative long-term effects on insulin sensitivity."

I find that these recipes can be adapted by omitting the ill-chosen agave nectar sweetner, in favor of either ordinary sugar (sucrose) or for low-carbs an equivalent combination of Emerald Forest Sugar Erythritol, 1-Pound (Pack of 6) and NuNaturals NuStevia Pure White Stevia Extract, 1 Ounce (Pack of 2), as recommended by Lauren at Healthy Indulgences blog [...]

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars recommended with reservations, February 25, 2010

By 

Tiffany (Nashville, TN, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (Paperback)

If you are simply looking for GF recipes, there are better books out there. I made a few of the sweet items along side other similar GF recipes using Pamela's mix (biscotti for example) and found I preferred the items made with Pamela's mix for flavor and texture. The almond flour items weren't bad, it's just that the things I made with Pamela's tasted more like traditional nonGF food. If carb consumption is your main concern, then this may be more suited to your tastes.

I also tried several savory recipes. I have been searching for a savory GF pie crust that won't impart that sweetish aftertaste to my favorite quiche recipes. While I am not completely satisfied with this recipe, it's the best GF savory pie crust to date. Also, the pizza crust, again not the best taste/texture but it is really handy to throw together in just a couple of minutes and it is way better than any frozen crust I've had. It's also very filling. Finally, I tried the eggplant parmesan and it is the best eggplant parmesan I've had since going GF. For me, that recipe was worth the cost of the book.

Finally, like others have said, the final verdict is still out on the agave nectar and grapeseed oil. I used them for the first time I made a recipe because I wanted to follow exactly. If I repeated the recipe, I replaced them with sweeteners and fats I am more comfortable with.

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My #1 go-to cookbook!, August 28, 2009

By 

Kimberly Dominguez (Pasadena, California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (Paperback)

Elana Amsterdam has created the cookbook of my dreams! No refined sugar, wheat and often no dairy in the recipes, but best of all is her use of Almond Flour! I have never used it before getting this book and I have to say it is a revelation. Packed with protein and so delicious that once my friends try "just a bite", they beg for more. I've had this book for all of a month and it's already dog-eared and covered in post-it bookmarks saying "Make this next " or "This was fantastic!" I have loved every single thing I've made from this book. I can't recommend it more highly. Your family and friends will thank you for the delicious food and treats - and you will be giving their body the nutrients it needs. I've done a LOT of alternative recipe cooking in my day and this is the only one I have ever found to be simple, quick, easy and just as delicious as traditional recipes. Did I mention quick? I'm amazed at how fast I can throw them together! It's a working persons DREAM! Quick and healthy!

I'm not celiac or diabetic, but I do like keeping things natural. This book is everything and more that I could have hoped for. I would have put 11 stars if I had the choice. Get this book and change your life. Rediscover what real food tastes like.

Kimberly