Customer Reviews

The Sensitive Gourmet: Imaginative Cooking Without Dairy, Wheat or Gluten

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3 star:		(1)
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Originally published in the UK, the terms have not been Americanized. I found it confusing, and I would not recommend it for the average cook.

Antoinette Savill has the perfect background for someone setting out to write a book providing delicious recipes for the growing number of people suffering from food intolerances -- she is a veteran cook and cooking writer who, herself, suffers from multiple food allergies.
The book is chock full of recipes for familiar and not-so-familiar dishes designed for people with food intolerances, starting with "Soups and Starters" and finishing with "Scones, Muffins, and Breads."
Nice touches include a page devoted to her list of kitchen staples; a suggested selection of menus for special occasions; and a concise 2-page "Index of Recipes" broken down by category -- for example, "Pizza, Pasta, and Risotto," "Fish and Seafood," and so on.
Each recipe is also labeled with a symbol clearly indicating whether it is gluten-, wheat-, and/or dairy-free. Savill also provides a detailed list of ingredients indicating which foods you should avoid, depending on which particular allergies you have. Review from Better Nutrition, August 1999.

This is a very attractively presented book, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Most of the recipes are for things which don't usually contain gluten or dairy anyway, like roasts, fish, salads and soups. So it's not much of a reference for those times when you think "hmm, how can I make [name of dish] without [forbidden ingredient]"?

The ingredients are a bit *too* gourmet for busy families or single people, so it's not likely to see much use as a "what to make for dinner?" cookbook, either.

If you're planning a fancy dinner party and don't own any cookbooks, this might be worth buying. But I'd happily trade my copy for a good Italian or Thai cookbook, or Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" (most of his recipes are already wheat- and dairy-free).

This is an inspired and original book It's easy to use and the recipes are quick and tasty - the dairy-free and wheat-free bread sauce is wonderful!- a real pleasure

"I have found a cookbook with such mouthwatering wheat-, dairy- and gluten-free recipes that your dinner guests will never know the difference... The Sensitive Gourmet is positive proof that food intolerances do not mean you have to miss out on delicious treats" Susan Clark reviewing The Sensitive Gourmet in The Sunday Times color magazine (London)

"The good thing about giving up wheat and dairy products is that you will definitely lose weight. The bad thing is that you will also spend most of your time watching other people tucking into delicious dishes and wonder how much longer your willpower will hold out.

If you have been advised by a health practitioner to avoid any of these food groups, or if you suffer from coeliac disease you can stop feeling sorry for yourself because I have a cookbook with such mouthwatering wheat-,dairy & gluten-free recipes that your dinner guests will never know the difference..."

Review of The Sensitive Gourmet in The Sunday Times style magazine (London) - 24 January 1999