Free for All Cooking Is Not as Wild as It Sounds
The first impression most people get when they see “Free-for-All” in the title of a cookbook, is “Oh, another night in the Etier kitchen.” But, honest folks, this book is not about my crazy culinary capers.
Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy is a cookbook for the hostess or family chef who finds cooking for the twelve million (not all at once!) Americans with allergies to be a challenge. Author Jules E. Dowler Shepard demonstrates how to eliminate some or all of the ingredients that are most problematic (they account for 90% of food allergies): milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soybeans, fish, and shellfish.
Considering my reputation as “The High Priestess of Pancakes,” one would assume that I would start reading Free for All Cooking at the beginning, “Breakfast Foods.” But, following ancient advice, I always start with desserts. What’s your pleasure? Cookies, pies, cakes, trifles, cobblers, crumbles, crisps, or fudge? They’re all in there, as well as helpful info about using gluten-free flour. A good (and that’s good as in “yummy”) one-third of the recipes are for desserts and sweets, making Free for All Cooking a nice hostess gift at Thanksgiving (for the cook who does lots of holiday baking).
Speaking of pancakes (we were, weren’t we?), Shepard includes pancakes, muffins (including English), granola, Danish, coffee cake, and cinnamon buns among the two dozen breakfast choices she offers. And here’s the big surprise: you can make your own gluten-free pop tarts (which are vegetarian and diet-friendly for a number of food exclusions). Shepard also gives directions for creating soy and dairy substitutes for things that aren’t always easy to find in grocery stores, like dairy-free evaporated milk.
Appetizers and side dishes, soups, breads and rolls (and soft pretzels), and main dishes comprise the rest of Free for All Cooking. Potato pancakes (latkes), challah, pizza dough, tempura vegetables or shrimp, Thai vegetable curry, ravioli, and tacos are a few of the international dishes for which Shepard provides recipes.
Quite a few of the recipes in Free for All Cooking are for dishes that people with restricted diets thought they might never try, or enjoy again. They are all relatively simple to prepare, and are healthful alternatives to many supermarket offerings. Free for All Cooking is a must-have for those who can’t eat everything, and those who cook for them.
Bottom Line: Would I buy Free for All Cooking? Yes, it’s a nice gift for those whose potential shopping list is limited by health concerns.
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