Customer Reviews

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I love reading Shauna's blog because it is real and genuine. Life is messy sometimes, but how we bounce back and keep going speaks to our character. These two individuals have lived and taken risks, have experienced pain on many levels, and have also experienced amazing amounts of joy. Watching the vimeo videos with the Chef and Shauna gives you a hint to their love and adoration for each other, for food, and for living.

My copy arrived yesterday and I could hardly put it down. This is a cookbook that is more intimate than your typical cookbook- you get another peek into the lives of these two incredible people, and it is a gift. Say YES to this cookbook and YES to life. The tips from The Chef are helpful, and it is written in a way that is easy to understand (and actually use!!)

I pre-ordered this book so that I could be one of the first to receive it. I just got it yesterday and I must say that it is not often that i can curl up and read an entire book, cover to cover, in just one sitting (especially with two young children running around). But that is exactly what happened with this book. The beautiful recipes have been intertwined with an amazing love story - i could not stop reading it. Shauna and Danny Ahern's love story reminds me very much of my own (and of my parents). The story was as addicting as the recipes and images themselves. And with Fall descending on us, many of these recipes look so enticing, especially the crusty bread recipe, the braising recipes, and a particularly fascinating cassoulet that I am really excited to try for a Sunday night dinner!

I have made many of the amazing recipes from The Gluten Free Girl's blog in the past, so I know each of the recipes in this cookbook have been perfected and tested with the same total love that the recipes on her blog recieve! Bottom Line: This one has earned the coveted #1 position in my cookbook holder on my counter...

I have read this book cover to cover, twice. Captivating story, stunning photos and a plethora of recipes for me to work my way though this fall. Well, maybe not all this fall, after all I am going to heed the advice about cooking in season. I am going to be a Julie and Julia copy cat and work my way though each of the recipes. O.K. maybe not the smoked salt carmel ice cream which seems really overwhelming and intimidating. I love how the book approaches the idea of cooking, connecting with people and providing joy to the belly. While I consider myself to be a very good cook I still found the tips and suggestions through out the book very helpful. For example, how to season food with salt and pepper to evenly distribute the seasoning, why you should use fresh herbs instead of dry, how to braise, and finally a recipe for veal stock that I think I can manage. Offering variations for each recipe is also a wonderful sidebar to each recipe. Most importantly I find the writing and the stories, especially the stories of each recipe compelling and satisfying. I love knowing the history behind the food, how the recipe evolved. I am drawn to long, slow days in the kitchen and this cookbook is going to carry me far in expanding my kitchen skills. At the expense of being critical of other gluten-free cookbooks it is finally time for classy, upscale approach with a hardback cookbook that earns distinction. Finally, here it is!

I usually don't bother to write reviews on Amazon. I am gluten free (I don't believe I have full blown celiac sprue, but I am definitely sensitive to it). I've been following Shauna's blog since she started it and I follow both the Ahearns on Twitter. I pre-ordered this book as soon as Shauna mentioned it on her blog. It came today and I've already read it (and dog eared most of the recipes). I fully expect it to be covered in sauce splotches and dustings of flour soon. It will not sit all pristine on my cookbook shelf pretty, but unused. The language is beautiful and evocative (what I would expect from Shauna), the pictures are gorgeous and the recipes are clear and seem easy to follow (I've been cooking for awhile, so I can't speak to how a beginner would fare). I especially like the way Danny broke the instructions down into steps, like forming the crumble, preheating the oven, preparing the filling, baking the crumble. It helps keeps things organized and since I'm prone to having 2 or 3 dishes going at once, it's really great. I also appreciate the sidebars with substitution suggestions, since I am lactose intolerant and keep kosher, which means beef tenderloin is out. I am excited to start cooking from this book.

As far as the language goes (and that's the main reason I'm bothering to write this review), yes, there's some swearing. Meh. It's in the dialogue and it isn't gratuitous. Some people swear and some people don't - to each his own. I am not bothered by it and would not recommend anyone pass up this book just because of words some find offensive.

Both my husband and I eat gluten free and we have for almost a decade. Frankly until Shauna's first book arrived (Gluten Free Girl), we were working very hard to bake and cook gluten free with little inspiration. I think I've gifted that first book to more than a dozen people by now because it is that good. This one is no different and even more inspiring. I've been able to have a ringside seat watching the two of them create this book by keeping up on their blog, and I've tried many of the recipes that are now in the book. I cannot thank them enough for helping bring gluten free baking and cooking into the mainstream. Sure, there are folks who also need gluten free-diary free- vegan, but many of us love butter, and dairy and do fine with it. I wanted to bake gluten free, not taste free. And if you are thinking that you want to do the same, then buy this book. And follow their blog. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone for making this book possible. And now since Lu is getting to the right age, how about a gluten free kids cookbook? Just saying....

Shauna James Ahern and her husband chef Danny Ahern have made an extraordinary contribution to the world of gluten-free cooking and to the wider world of food lovers as well. As someone who has cooked gluten-free for 30 years, with 3 Celiacs in the family, I am so grateful for the delicious food, the innovative recipes, and the loving voices of the authors. It is an insightful book about becoming a family and learning to live, love and cook together. Of course our family needed three copies for each gluten-free household, and we are thrilled that they have arrived!

This is an incredible haute cusine cookbook- even if you are not a celiac or have a gluten intolerance, it is a must for every kitchen!!! Fabulous details and pictures!!!

This is a good book if you enjoy a taste for the more expensive and fancier foods. I am a fan of Shauna's but I was eager for more of a family style cookbook. I'm sure many families will enjoy this book, but not mine. I was hoping for practical foods. I was hoping for more foods that were converted to gluten free, such as her peanut butter brownies (that I am eating as I write this - delicious!). Instead there were too many foods that already are gluten free such as watermelon gazpacho, salted caramel ice-cream and pickled vegetables. If you like "higher end" protein, you will enjoy the main dishes. My family eats ground beef and chicken - this book is for you if you like oxtail, seafood, lamb, venison, rabbit, quail and veal. I will eagerly wait for a future book to include more converted family friendly recipes.

My family and I are mostly gluten-free, loved Shauna's first book and love this one. I hope the previous review does not put anyone off because this is a wonderful book. Anyone who is offended is now fore-warned and is free to read many other lesser cookbooks which speak to the gluten-free life (and the bountiful life of the Northwest) - but you will be missing the best! Shauna is a beautiful, creative spirit who has enriched my life and countless others with her honest and sensitive writing about her own journey (check out her blog - [...]

I've read one of Shauna's books, and it was excellent! She is heart warming, captivating and inspiring! Anyone who has Celiac Disease will be able to relate to her experiences and her challenges. The cookbook will be a sure hit for anyone eating gluten free or cooking for someone who is. They will be thrilled! Sometimes her recipes are challenging; but she is awesome! She's constantly striving to feed us well! You can tell she has a heart of gold. She inspires me to be better in the kitchen! She's a blessing!