Need great gluten- and lactose-free cookbook

March 11, 2009 8:12 AM

Need great gluten- and lactose-free cookbook

My step mother-in-law who is in her early sixties has developed an intolerance to gluten and dairy about three years ago, and has also learnt she has pretty high cholesterol, so her food choices have suddenly become quite limited. I’d like to give her a great cookbook, any recs?

posted by Dragonness to food & drink (12 comments total)

Dairy-Free Cookbook, by Jane Zukin (Amazon)

It also has a couple of chapters explaining lactose intolerance and milk allergies, and i think some info on what ingredients to look for on labels.
posted by jma at 10:10 AM on March 11

I have recommended this cookbook many times. Vive Le Vegan by Dreena Burton. It's a vegan cookbook so there is no meat or dairy in it (which takes care of the cholesterol problem) and most recipes are wheat free or have side notes on how to make the recipe wheat free. I am not a vegan and this is by far my favourite cookbook because all the recipes are easy, filling and super flavourful. There are lots of yummy treats and desserts too! (Yes you can bake without eggs and milk and not know the difference!)
posted by sadtomato at 10:12 AM on March 11

The Gluten-Free Gourmet series was once considered the gold standard among celiacs and has been around a long time. Gluten Free Girl is a more modern take, and has a blog to go with it.
posted by chez shoes at 10:19 AM on March 11

Gluten-Free 101 is my absolute favorite book. I've used it so much the pages are starting to fall out. In addition to fabulous GF recipes, most of them are casein- and dairy-free, and nutrition information is listed for each recipe. Highly recommended.

Another favorite is Gluten-Free Kitchen. Most of the recipes in this one can be made with stuff you already have in the kitchen.

Regarding Gluten-Free Gourmet - I have to say every recipe I've tried from that series has been absolutely awful. Just terrible. I keep hoping the next one I try will redeem Ms. Hagman in my eyes (and my very sensitive tummy), but blech.
posted by geekchic at 10:35 AM on March 11

How about this book or this book?
posted by Hanuman1960 at 10:37 AM on March 11

The book Gluten Free Girl really doesn't have recipes in it. It's more a love story the author has with herself and her husband. The blog has recipes but they're usually not very accurate or readable.

Seconding Gluten-Free 101 and Vive Le Vegan.
posted by cooker girl at 10:41 AM on March 11

Lovely, thanks so much! I won't mark a best answer as I don't know the books but will seek out your recs at my local bookstore and see what I can find in stock.
posted by Dragonness at 11:01 AM on March 11

Having been highly intolerant to lactose for most of my life, I have found that most recipes can be made to work with the simple substitution of dairy alternatives. If you live in the states, "lactaid" is a great milk (the u.k. version is lactofree). Real milk with the lactose removed, it's a bit sweeter -- I can eat cereal again and make my own ice cream (almost nearly as good, really). And there are some high quality butter fakes made from soy and/or sunflower oils. While some recipes are right out, most work. Gluten wise, I sadly can't speak to that but I know from friends it can be much more difficult to negotiate.
posted by sundri at 1:17 PM on March 11

Donna Washburn & Heather Butt have written a bunch of great gluten-free cook books that come with dairy-free and egg-free adaptations for all the recipes (here, here). Their bread recipes are actually quite good, which is saying something. Actually, looking at it again, I can't guarantee that the first book I linked to is lactose-free. I only have the second one; my mom has the first but I can't remember all the details.

Also, nut milk is the tastiest milk substitute.
posted by carolr at 3:39 PM on March 11

More things I forgot: this isn't really what you asked but Karina's Kitchen is a great gluten,dairy-free blog. Actually, I just realised she does have a Tastebook which you could give your step mother-in-law.

While I'm talking, here is the last post I wrote about being gluten-free.
posted by carolr at 3:50 PM on March 11

My mum bought me a copy of 'Australian Women's Weekly Gluten-free & Allergy-free eating' when I was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant. I've got a few gluten-free cookbooks, but this one is the best for me due to easily-obtainable ingredients, simple straight-forward instructions, and usually spectacular results (like most AWW cookbooks, really).

I'm assuming you're not in Australia, but if you want to go to the trouble of sourcing what I reckon is the best I've found, check this out:

http://www.magshop.com.au/Glutenfree_Allergyfree_Eating.htm

All the recipes are gluten-free, and the majority are dairy-free too. A few less are egg-free, but the ones I make regularly have minimal egg content.

Unfortunately, the shipping cost to the US is the same as the cost of the book itself ($12.95 Australian), but I promise it's worthwhile.

After a year of eating boring old meat & vegetables while my family tucked into takeaway pizza & garlic bread at our extended family 'get-togethers', I'm revelling in being able to eat potato & oregano pizza which tastes even better than the greasy takeaway rubbish my family insist on. And then I get to have raspberry cheesecake slice for dessert (which only uses egg-whites, not yolks).

(And that's why this cookbook is possibly one of the best gifts my mum has ever given me, god bless her little cotton socks).
posted by malibustacey9999 at 3:52 PM on March 11

Thanks again, I really appreciate this!
posted by Dragonness at 6:56 AM on March 12