Living Gluten-Free | Book Review

livingglutenfreeGluten-Free is the new food trend. And while living gluten-free used to be extremely difficult it has gradually gotten better. The need has met the demand. Gluten-free is now widely available and common in the mainstream media. Living Gluten-free is getting easier but it still has it’s challenges. Can these book help? Let’s find out.

Living gluten-free for dummies is a comprehensive guide to eating gluten-free. It talks you through the medical benefits of eating gluten-free, has almost 100 great recipes, and give you guidance on reading food labels.

The book also has great advice on coeliac disease, tells you about tests and lets you know what misdiagnoses you should look out for. Chapter 3 even has an entire chapter on coeliac disease. I don’t have coeliac disease but it would be a great resource for those who do. In fact 10p from every sale of the book goes to Coeliac UK.

The lists of food with and without gluten is also handy. As is the chapter on making sure food is gluten-free. There is also a table on shopping on a budget. This book is a really good resource on buying, eating and cooking gluten-free food. It certainly makes a daunting task much easier and tastier. The recipes are good. There is something there for everyone and not a horrible, cardboard-tasting meal in sight. For those who miss pasta or bread, there are even recipes to make your own. There is also a good amount of dessert recipes. Yum.

If you love eating out or are away from home a lot there is also a chapter to make sure you don’t fall off the wagon. For those with kids, there is a chapter on raising children gluten-free too.

Living Gluten-Free For Dummies

Getting Baked {Ceri's Column}

When we celebrate, we eat cakes. It’s pretty damn universal. Almost every culture on the planet stakes its claim for having the best cakey offerings. It can be quite competitive. I’m shocked there hasn’t been a war over it yet. The Great Fruitcake Wars. The Eccles cake incident. The Cupcake Rebellion of 2010. That’d be awesome. I’d fight.

Of course, being more Welsh than a wool hat full of leeks makes me thoroughly defensive of our baked, boiled and griddled offerings. Our goodies are far tastier, heartier and far worse for you than anyone else’s. The jewel in our crumbly crown is the amazingly addictive Welshcake, or Pice ar y man (Pick Arr Er Marn) as I call them. Stick your scones where the sun doesn’t shine, pics rule.

But other countries have good stuff too! Here are my personal faves…

1. Punschkrapfen (Austria) – This beauty is a concoction of chocolate nougat, apricot jam, crumbly cake and rum (yes RUM!) My lord it’s good.

2. Churos (Spain/Mexico) – Hispanicy/Americany Doughnuty heavenly thing…y. I had my first Churo in California about 10 years ago. If I ever go to live in the States, I’d write “Churos” as my “Primary reason for applying for your Green Card”

3. Puff Puff (Nigeria) – A rip off of the superior Churo. I just included it for the name really.

4. Twinkies (USA) – Guilty pleasures are always the best.

5. Opera Cake (France) – Oh France you opulent fucker. Layers of almond sponge soaked in coffee layered with ganache and butter cream and glazed in dark chocolate. Hasn’t really got much to do with Opera in my book, but who gives a crap when you’re eating ganache in such large quantities?

6. Mochi with red bean paste (Japan) – Nippon, you rule.

7. Jaffa Cakes (UK…well Scotland really) – Is it a cake? Is it a biscuit? It’s a fucking cake you idiot.

So there we have it. My list. What’d be on yours? Give me your faves and why below. I don’t get many comments. Do it. Now. Ta

by Ceri Phillips