Customer Reviews

The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen: Delicious and Nutritious Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Dishes

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In people with celiac disease, gluten (the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye) triggers an autoimmune reaction that causes repeated damage to the villi in the small intestines, resulting in malabsorption of nutrients and painful gastrointestinal side effects. As someone with multiple autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's disease and suspected celiac disease), I have followed a vegetarian (and occasionally vegan) diet for the past four years in an attempt to try and improve my health. As soon as I heard that Donna Klein was writing a vegetarian gluten-free cookbook, I rushed out to buy a copy.

I am the happy owner of three of Donna Klein's other veg cookbooks, The PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) Vegetarian Cookbook: 240 Healthy and Easy No-Prep Recipes for Busy Cooks, The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen and Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy, and have long relied on Ms. Klein's simple and authentically delicious vegetarian cuisine that's (mostly) free of soy (I'm allergic to soy as well). She also includes detailed nutritional info, cultural background, tasty variations, and sample menus.

The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen begins with a thorough introduction on gluten, where it is found, and what products to avoid, including "hidden" sources of gluten such as dressings, baking powder, spices, low-fat dairy, flavored coffees, and more. If you've recently been diagnosed, this is a very handy guide to lesser-known gluten traps. Thankfully, my town has several excellent supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Central Market that clearly label their gluten-free products and contain a large variety of gluten-free baking products, mixes, and flours. More and more restaurants also provide special gluten-free menus, as one recent estimate places celiac disease at 1 in 133 Americans.

Another wonderful feature of The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen is that it clearly labels recipes as Lacto-Ovo, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, and Vegan. As many with celiac disease are also lactose intolerant, this made planning around wheat-free AND dairy-free a breeze. Klein also offers practical vegan substitutions whenever practical, in most cases by omitting the cheese or sour cream called for in the original recipe.

One of the biggest challenges in gluten-free cuisine is the absence of wheat products in baking. Instead of wheat flours (including bread flour, cake flour, whole wheat, semolina, barley, and spelt), expensive gluten-free alternatives (tapioca, quinoa, soy, potato, chickpea, cornmeal, buckwheat, sorghum, rice flours, nut flours and stabilizer gums such as xanthan) are used. Klein does include a chapter on baked goods including quick breads, muffins, and biscuits, but due to my personal tastes, I've steered away from GF breads altogether as they are more labor-intensive, more expensive, and more calorically dense than their wheat counterparts.

Similar to her other vegan cookbooks, The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen is a breeze to follow; if you can read, you can cook. Ms. Klein's instructions are logical and walk you through each step of the recipe. The included nutritional analysis is much appreciated as I watch my fat and sodium intake very carefully.

And the recipes themselves? Divided into the standard appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts, Ms. Klein rounds out her selections with breads, pizzas, tacos and sandwiches, side dishes, brunch and egg dishes. What really makes The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen shine is the inclusion of numerous world cuisines including Asian (Thai, Japanese, Indian), Mexican, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Italian. The touches of international flair elevate gluten-free vegetarian cuisine from ordinary to extraordinary, and are a pleasant departure from Ms. Klein's normally Mediterranean vegan cuisine.

I was instantly torn between several recipes, but ultimately decided on Caribbean-Style Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans over Brown Rice (p. 125), a saucy blend of orange juice, jerk seasoning, cinnamon, cumin, black beans and cubed sweet potatoes, as my first entr'e. Other personal favorites include Kasha Pilaf with Eggplant, Tomatoes, Basil, and Olives (p. 105), Feta and Ricotta Stuffed Bell Peppers (p. 104), Arborio Rice with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella (p. 119), Chili-Brown Rice Casseroles (p. 100), and Mexican Cornmeal Pie (p. 100).

There is something here to appeal to everyone, from Tex-Mex appetizers such as the zesty Mexican Deviled Eggs (p. 15) and Salsa Cheesecake (p. 24) to filling Indian curries. Sweet tooths (teeth?) rejoice: there are numerous satisfying gluten-free desserts including the delightful No-Cook Apple Pie (p. 176), which features a walnut-and-date crust and a fresh combination of raw apples, raisins, and cinnamon and nutmeg, the delightfully exotic (and easy!) Indonesian-Style Warm Bananas in Cinnamon-Coconut Milk (p. 177), Cardamom Sponge Cake with Strawberry Coulis (p. 182), Hawaiian Coconut Cake (p. 188), and Polenta Chocolate-Currant Cake (p. 193) that will have your non-celiac friends oohing and ahhing over the amazing versatility of gluten-free cuisine.

Overall, the Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen is an empowering tool; it showcases the versatility and creativity of gluten-free vegetarian cuisine rather than emphasizing an already restrictive diet. This is a statement of pride and originality - your gluten-eating carnivorous friends will be amazed at these full-flavored, simple international dishes that make the most of beans, legumes, gluten-free grains, and fresh produce. Who knows? You may even convert a few of your friends after cooking them the delightful recipes found within.

I have only recently discovered Donna Klein's books, and was very excited when I found that after writing Vegan Italiano and Mediterranean Vegan cookbooks that she wrote a book called "The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen." After browsing my new copy of this book, I was pleased, but found that my expectations or hopes for what this book could be had not entirely been met. First, the good stuff. Donna Klein's recipes are simple, but seem flavorful. They call for seasonal, fresh, delicious ingredients that are readily available to almost anyone and will not break the bank. Donna Klein cooks the way many of us who are gluten free and vegetarian live, which is refreshing, and I would say of all the gluten free cookbooks in print today, she has the best collection of savory recipes that actually sound both tasty and delicious. Most gluten free cookbooks have a wide and sophisticated range of gluten free baked goods and then considerably more basic meal type recipes. I've long been impressed with Bette Hagman's innovative use of various gluten free flours to create the absolute best gluten free bread textures and flavors, but am not so impressed with her savory dishes, which are often basic and not very appetizing. In contrast, Donna Klein really does have an excellent collection of (naturally) gluten free main dishes, but her selection of bread and pizza recipes, as well as sweets, is surprisingly limited. I was also disappointed by her rather elementary usage of gluten free flours- many recipes simply rely on rice flour, while others incorporate potato starch or tapioca starch- but gluten free cookbook authors like Bette Hagman and Carol Fenster have moved on from these somewhat nutritionally deficient flours to experiment with sorghum, bean flours, montina flours, and all kinds of nutritious flours. I would expect a nutritious gluten free vegetarian cookbook to be up on all the latest and healthiest flours. Many of Donna's recipes contain the caveat: best slightly warm, or must be served immediately, because they are made from the rice flours which dry out more quickly than the newer flour blends. While some may appreciate the simple ingredients, there are far better flour alternatives out there which are only barely touched on in this book. (The exception is one chickpea flour bread.) This cookbook clearly reflects Donna Klein's rich expertise in Mediterranean food, with some forays into other international cuisines familiar to most Americans today. It does not comprehensively cover gluten free Asian foods of China, Japan, or India. As one reader mentioned, she was surprised at the heavy reliance on dairy products for an audience which is often, at least in the early stages of diagnosis, lactose intolerant. I do think that vegan techniques could be applied to gluten free cooking much more frequently than they are applied here. I also found it a little surprising that in the entire cookbook of over 225 recipes, there are only three recipes for tofu. This is great for the gluten free vegetarian who is soy intolerant- but many of us gluten free vegetarians can tolerate soy, so this was a minor disappointment to me. I'm pleased to have this cookbook in my collection and I do think I will use it. It is probably the closest to my personal cooking style offered on the market today, and an excellent resource for the new gluten free vegetarian. I would definitely recommend this cookbook for the soy intolerant, dairy tolerant vegetarian Gluten free reader who would like a large collection of simple gluten free, vegetarian recipes.

*I would note that a few of the ingredients listed as "may containing gluten" such as low fat dairy products, dry roasted (unseasoned) nuts, modified food starch and maltodextrin are not, in my experience, that likely to contain gluten. In particular recent US law requires that wheat be labeled, so if your modified food starch or maltodextrin contains wheat, it absolutely must be noted on the label. Also, unlike most gluten free cookbooks, Danna Klein doesn't give us any personal anecdotes or explanation for her publication of a gluten free cookbook. It would be nice to get a feel for the author's personal experience with and perspective on the gluten free lifestyle.

I really wanted a good gluten-free vegetarian cookbook, but this one isn't it. Bummer. Recipes are largely dairy dependent. People with Celiac disease are so often lactose-intolerant, especially in the year right after diagnosis. This is also the period in which we desperately need a good cookbook to help in the transition to gluten-free cooking. I appreciate the effort, but will look forward to a good gluten-free VEGAN cookbook, I guess!

Many of these recipes contain dairy and eggs, so be warned. But still - the ones that don't contain dairy and eggs look very good. If you are a gluten-free vegetarian, this would be ideal. Unfortunately for this book review, I am a Gluten-Free Vegan.

The reason I gave 3 stars is there are no pictures. Only the picture on the front cover. The recipes are listed as vegan under the title of the recipe.

Just received the book and can see that there is a large variety of tasty recipes that are clearly marked: vegan/egg-free/low-carb/dairy-free/lacto-ovo, where appropriate.
In contrary to a previous review, it looks as if there are quite a few recipes for some one whose diet is dairy-free. There are many dairy-free and vegan recipes.
Looks like a grate book! Better get cooking!!

The main thing I love about this amazing book is the focus it places on fresh ingredients. Part of the joy of cooking is seeing it evolve from the ingredient to the meal and working with your ingredients rather than pouring them out of a can. This method of cooking is immensely more satisfying even if you just throw everything in the crock pot to come home to a great smelling house later.
The book has each recipe marked as lacto-ovo, vegan or something similar to help you find a recipe that's right for the foods you can tolerate. This would be great for a family with just one gluten and casein free member so you can adjust the ingredients to your needs. That's the way we end up working things out! Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

This book opens with a clear, concise explanation in layman's terms of gluten intolerance and celiac disease and anticipates your next question by providing reference lists of foods that contain gluten followed by possible substitutes. Particularly handy for shoppers is the "labeling terms" list; a useful tool that identifies other terms in an ingredient list that translate to gluten content. As for the recipes themselves, you'll find a decent variety including Tex-Mex, Asian, Mediterranean and even a few East Indian dishes, in appetizers, entrees and desserts. The recipes are clearly written, simple to follow and the results are tasty. I particularly appreciate the bread section. In a home where sandwiches were popular and baguettes were expected to accompany salads and soups, a good tasting bread that does not come crumbling from a frozen food section is important. Keep an eye out too, for the "Cook's Tip" notations - they provide useful info that applies beyond a specific recipe. One final note - while this is a great book for the gluten-challenged vegetarian, if you also have egg, nut or lactose allergies, there are other books that use less of those ingredients and so require less adaptation to the recipes.

It is hard to cook for a child that has a gluten/dairy and meat free diet but this book gave me some ideas. Although some of the recipes call for dairy, I substitute dairy free items. I would recommend this book to anyone on this special diet.

As a recently diagnosed celiac and a vegetarian, my options suddenly came to a screeching halt. This book helped me through a very rough transition with its delicious and easy recipes, and with ingredients you can actually find at the store! This is the best gluten-free vegetarian cookbook I have found. I wish there were 10 more cookbooks just like it!

I can't say enough good things about this book. The recipes are healthy, delicious, and easy to make with familiar easy to find ingredients. My son was diagnosed with celiac disease and didn't want to give up his vegetarian diet. This book made it possible. It has added dozens of recipes to our dinner time rotation - all of them easy enough to prepare with three young kids underfoot. I'd recommend this book to any vegetarian and anyone avoiding gluten.