November is Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month

The good folks from Rockridge Press sent me this cookbook a while back to read, test out, and review. So in honor of Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month I will finally share the results of my using Sara McGlothlin's Gluten-Free Vegan Baking for Every Occasion. With 75 recipes, there should be something chocolate inside, don't you think? We're all about to find out. I was sent a free copy of this book  by Callisto Media in the hopes that I would review it; no other form of compensation was received in exchange for my sharing my honest experiences.


Disclaimer: I am not nor is anyone in my household practicing gluten-free eating. In fact, unless you have celiac disease, I don't find it too beneficial to follow this type of diet 100% though it won't harm you in any way to eat gluten-free from time to time. However, baking gluten-free and vegan is a challenge which I have tried before and just honestly don't want to spend my money or time tackling once more. Plus since nut flours are a common part of gluten-free baking and my hubby is allergic, it really is a strain for household harmony for me to buy and use such ingredients. So for this review, I'm giving only the basics of the book and not specific looks at individual recipes.

There are a lot of misconceptions that chocolate has gluten (it never should) and that it isn't vegan (dark chocolate had better be). While I'm not surprised that only 17 of the 75 recipes are listed under "Chocolate" in the index, I am disappointed.

I love that the introductory chapter clarifies that if you bake gluten-free there will be texture differences. Texture, the feel of a food or drink in our mouth, has an impact on our enjoyment of it. The recipes themselves are fairly easy to follow if you have some baking experience and the right equipment. Most of the equipment is likely to be in a middle or higher economic class of kitchen. However, finding the gluten-free substitutes can be a pricey challenge for people even in the middle class so be aware of that issue. Tree nut flours are common in this and other gluten-free cookbooks so if you have tree nut allergies, a lot of these recipes will not be feasible for you (this is the case in my household).

I wish the book had more photos, what there are is minimal in the introduction and at the beginning of chapters; at least they are in color. I know that would increase the cost of the book but honestly cookbooks need images. The five categories of baked goods is good but how the recipes were organized inside each chapter wasn't clear to me -- it wasn't alphabetical, it wasn't serving size, I just didn't get it.

The recipe category chapters are:

Breakfast Bakes

Breads

Cookies, Brownies, and Bars

Cakes and Cupcakes

Pies and Tarts

If you are vegan and practicing gluten-free baking, you should check this book out. Just be wary of any tree nut allergies you or loved ones may have because tree nut flours are very common in gluten-free baking.