The Eat Well Cookbook: Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Recipes for Food Lovers

A follow-up of sorts to their Detox Cookbook, nutritionist Purser and food writer Snowball offer an assortment of gluten- and dairy-free dishes for restricted diets. Dairy-free dishes are fairly straightforward, substituting rice or soy milk in recipes for smoothies, souffles and pudding. Dishes such as Swordfish Kebabs, Goan Fish Stew and Greek-Style Roast Chicken are rounded out with flavorful, vegetable-based accents rather than gluten-heavy sides. As those unable to eat gluten can attest, recreating wheat-based favorites can pose a challenge; in some cases the authors opt for pre-made gluten-free bread, as in French Toast with Fruit Compote, while in others (like Banana, Carrot and Walnut Cake) they advocate a from-scratch approach. The dishes' success likely depends as much on a cook's ability to source the ingredients as their preparation; happily, the authors provide a source for gluten-free products in the United States and their native Australia, and substitutions are suggested throughout. The book has a decidedly Aussie feel, from the use of ""kilojoules"" for ""calories"" to the use of native ingredients like Moreton Bay bugs, snake beans and barramundi. Given the relative paucity of books with flavorful takes on the limited-ingredient approach, credit is due for variety alone, though bread-starved dieters might be disappointed that more baked goods aren't offered.