Most Helpful Customer Reviews
89 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the best book out there, May 10, 2002
I'm not a celiac, but I am allergic to wheat, so for many years, I have sought out gluten-free recipes for the breads and pastries I've been deprived of. After trying countless recipes turning out crumbly cookies, hard, dry bread, and odd-tasting pastries, I found Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilly, the best book out there. The results of these recipes taste as good as (no kidding) the ones served at a high-end pastry shop. No wonder, since the author was trained not only at Le Cordon Bleu, but also at Le Notre Patissier, the leading pastry school. She has the experience of running her own restaurant, cafe, and catering businesses as well as teaching others how to cook. She'd been exploring gluten-free baking for her clientele even before her son and daughter were diagnosed as celiacs! All these credentials add up to a well-tested, easy-to-understand, and enlightening collection of recipes. But the highest recommendation comes from my wheat-eating friends, who really DON'T realize that anything is missing or "weird" about these treats, something they've never been able to say about my past efforts, despite claims by the authors of those recipes that they'd never tell the difference. Reilly's training allows her to explain how certain classic baking techniques can provide air and lightness to gluten-free recipes, which can otherwise suffer from the density of particular alternative ingredients. She reveals which ingredients can create elasticity and provide structure in lieu of gluten, so that readers can feel empowered knowing not only how to make these recipes, but also why they work. I gained so much confidence in baking that I even made the scrumptious Black Forest Cake, a labor I probably wouldn't have even attempted in my wheat-eating days. (By the way, it's totally worth the effort.) Amazingly, the recipes range from the simplest brownies to baklava, so there's something for all palates and skill levels. With all due respect to Bette Hagman, author of The Gluten-Free Gourmet books and an undisputed pioneer in the gluten-free quest, I would love to see Reilly's take on yeast breads as well as on gluten-free cooking. I think there's enough of the gluten-free pie to go around, and all of us in the wheat-free community (and our friends) would benefit.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Celiacs rejoice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, October 15, 2003
By A Customer
Yahoo!! FINALLY (and I mean finally), a book that makes eating a gluten-free diet a pleasure, instead of a chore. For those who have a real dietary threat due to wheat, and other gluten grains, this is a book that will give you some ability to have some control in what you eat, rather than be a slave to labels as well as remove fears from the unknown food. First of all, it looks like a regular cookbook instead of the usual anemic-looking, bland, thin-spined books that are out there; it looks like any other cookbook out on the store shelves. The colorful photography of the finished recipes make them look as good as they taste. With that in mind, the "Boston Creme Pie" should be your first recipe. For someone who has had to look at others enjoy "flour" desserts (cakes, pastries, cookies, etc.) while having yet another slice of fruit or an incredibly boring ricecake, this was a gift from heaven. And I believe that knowing that both the author, and her children, have this food intolerance, makes you believe in the cookbook even more. Add to the fact that she is a highly trained culinary chef, and you know that you have purchased the right book. I've only gotten to a couple of recipes, but this will become my bible for having some semblance of a normal diet. And Chef Reilly has made the effort and knowledge needed to create these dishes, incredibly easy and simple to follow. The information is all there. So, for all those celiacs who want to enjoy this part of life, open the book, pick a dish, and savor every bite!!
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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Treats for Special Occasions Only, February 28, 2008
This review is from: Gluten-Free Baking: More Than 125 Recipes for Delectable Sweet and Savory Baked Goods, Including Cakes, Pies, Quick Breads, Muffins, Cookies, and Other Delights (Paperback)
I bought this book because it was so highly recommended by others I met on a gluten-free trip - and there are breakfast treats I may try when the family comes to visit (muffins, scones, coffee cakes, etc.). Lots of elaborate desserts too, which I might try for a pot-luck if I ever get tried of baking cheesecakes or carrot cake. But that's all the cookbook gives you. The chapters cover breakfast treats, cookies, cakes, icings, pies and tarts, puddings and cobblers, and cream puffs and crepes, and that's it - none of the day-to-day, like biscuits and corn bread and pizza crusts and such. (OK, she does suggest using a scone dough for pizza, baked in a parchment-lined pizza pan. It's that kind of book.) Lots of butter and other ingredients (like heavy cream) I try to avoid too - the non-celiac in the house is on a low-fat diet and we both try to eat sensibly. I still haven't decided whether to hold on to it or give it to a newly diagnosed fellow celiac who is still trying to gain weight. Fortunately I also own Annalise Roberts' book - Gluten-Free Baking Classics - which has the basic day-to-day along with the breakfast and other sweet stuff (everything I've tried has been fabulous, from the carrot cake to the cornbread to the first really good bread - her French Italian bread - I've been able to make in 15 years of gluten-free cooking). If I ever get bored with that book, I might learn to appreciate this one. It does seem to have more recipes in each category - and if you already have the basics covered and are looking for a variety of more elaborate treats to try, it might be the book for you.
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