What Is Your Favorite gluten-free Cookbook For Cooking For A Family With Young Kids?

[TrickyMama]

I am only a month into feeding my family gluten-free (we suspect celiac with my 7-year-old son, despite negative antibody screens, who also has Crohn's) and of course I know how to cook gluten-free with fresh meat, produce, beans and grains. However, young children like their bread and treats. And I don't know how to make those yet. So please help me by replying with your favorite gluten-free cookbook, series or author. Then I can go find it on amazon. Also, if there is one you have bought that has been terrible or useless, please let me know that, too. I'm a little bit of a health food nut, so recipes that contain a lot of bad fat or junk won't appeal much to me. There are mixed reviews online for the gluten-free bread machine cookbooks - do you have one you like? And do you know why the same model of bread machine is always recommended for gluten-free bread making? I have a different one and I'm worried it won't work as well with recipes. Please set me straight if you know otherwise.

[Juliet]

If all you're looking for is a baking book, "Gluten Free Baking Classics" by Annalise Roberts is a great place to start. I've personally adjusted her flour blends a bit (for the brown rice flour I do a mixture of sorghum and brown rice, and I often add extra flax seed for fiber for those things that aren't sweets), but all of her recipes have worked out well, and it's always based on the same flour blends. It's a good place to start. Also, if you use Pamela's Products Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix, there are a ton of recipes for things like quick breads, cookies, biscuits, and muffins that start with that mix in addition to pancakes and waffles, that are very easy that you can find on their website: www.pamelasproducts.com. It's easy to modify old recipes with that mix as well. That's often where I steer newbies first is with that mix. And if you're worried to start on bread (which I would be - not the easiest thing to do and it takes some practice to find out what you like best in terms of flour mixtures), try to find a store that will carry Udi's bread for you. It's almost always affordable (often less than $4 per loaf, and their pizza crusts are great, too), and it is very close to regular bread, just a little small in size.

[TrickyMama]

Thank you so much.  That advice is really helpful. I'll get that book and I'll try the PP Baking Mix and look up recipes. That will be easy. . No reason to make it harder than it has to be! Yes, I was mainly talking about baking but is there another gluten-free book you love?

[sa1937]

If all you're looking for is a baking book, "Gluten Free Baking Classics" by Annalise Roberts is a great place to start. I've personally adjusted her flour blends a bit (for the brown rice flour I do a mixture of sorghum and brown rice, and I often add extra flax seed for fiber for those things that aren't sweets), but all of her recipes have worked out well, and it's always based on the same flour blends. It's a good place to start. Also, if you use Pamela's Products Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix, there are a ton of recipes for things like quick breads, cookies, biscuits, and muffins that start with that mix in addition to pancakes and waffles, that are very easy that you can find on their website: www.pamelasproducts.com. It's easy to modify old recipes with that mix as well. That's often where I steer newbies first is with that mix. And if you're worried to start on bread (which I would be - not the easiest thing to do and it takes some practice to find out what you like best in terms of flour mixtures), try to find a store that will carry Udi's bread for you. It's almost always affordable (often less than $4 per loaf, and their pizza crusts are great, too), and it is very close to regular bread, just a little small in size.

I second Pamela's baking and pancake mix. I've made the banana-nut bread a few times and it's totally delicious!

Also, the new gluten free Bisquick makes great pancakes. I haven't yet tried Pamela's for pancakes but did use her mix for blueberry muffins (the recipe for the muffins is on the bag).

[bbuster]

I really just use a cookbook/recipes for baking.

My favorite is Bette Hagman's The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes bread.

Good collection that includes my son's favorite bread and pizza crust. Also a nice section in the beginning that explains different types of flours, etc.

I know lots of people like a bread machine - I actually prefer using a loaf pan and oven so I can keep tabs on the rising and baking; also, I usually pull off several small portions and freeze to bake later - making a fresh single-serve bun or roll.

[BrooklynFamily]

The "Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids" by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger is really great. Maybe not perfect for the entire family, but great for young kids. Healthy stuff and all the recipes are wheat-free, gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and low in sugar.

[ryebaby0]

We're 8 years gluten free and this is what we use (apart from mainstream cookbooks -- big Rachael Ray fans here!)

Gluten Free Kitchen by Roben Ryberg (basic stuff but without the endless lists of funky ingredients or yet another gluten free flour blend)

Incredible Edible Gluten Free Food for Kids Sheri Sanderson

Gluten-free, Sugar-free cooking by Susan O'Brien (has some really inventive and yummy ideas not found elsewhere)

Gluten-Free Quick and Easy by Carol Fenster (I wore out my first copy, and bought two more -- one to use, and one for when my son moves away)

I started photocopying frequently-used recipes for a 3-ring binder. This way, I don't have to sort through a bunch of books trying to find a certain recipe (can never remember who wrote it!) and ones from Food Network, Living Without, etc. are all a standard size and in one place.

[jerseyangel]

I gotta second "The Gluten Free Kitchen" by Roben Ryberg--very tasty recipes that are uncomplicated and made with easy to find ingredients.

[sa1937]

I'm glad to hear the good reviews of "The Gluten Free Kitchen" by Roben Ryberg. I just ordered this book from Amazon...had to add something to my order of a muffin top pan in order to get free shipping. I know her flours are pretty simple with easy to find ingredients.

[kitgordon]

Robyn Ryberg's "You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free" is also excellent.