Clean Food by Terry Walters

3 out of 5 stars

There are numerous unusual ingredients used in this cookbook but the author doesn't tell you where to get them or what they look like and I don't see how using imported specialty items is eating close to the source. Also there are no photographs of either ingredients or finished dishes. I was happy with how many of the recipes were gluten-free and most dishes do sound yummy, like Tofu Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust which we added to our very small list of dairy- and gluten-free Thanksgiving pie options (our local grocers carries gluten-free gingersnaps).

Sticky Fingers' Sweets by Doron Peterson

3 out of 5 stars

It was fun to read about her Cupcake Wars win, but I didn't see a single gluten-free recipe in this collection - something plenty of vegan baker offer.

Good Housekeeping Christmas Joys by Good Housekeeping

3 out of 5 stars

Mostly recipes (with lots of meat, dairy, and gluten) - I was hoping for more decorating ideas. The few ideas that are in here are pretty good but instructions on their creation are minimal.

Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley

4 out of 5 stars

All but a few of these recipes are gluten-free. Four stars so far just on presentation and how good the recipes sound. Will re-rate when recipes are tested.

Allergy-Friendly Food for Families by Kiwi Magazine

5 out of 5 stars

Lots of vegetarian & vegan recipes - we especially like the "Polenta Mini Pizzas", "Greener Sloppy Joes", and "Coconut No-Cream Pie". I also appreciate the sections for "Party" (with finger foods and cake & ice-cream substitutes) & "Snack" recipes. My favorite feature of this cookbook is the "Cooking with Kids" pages sprinkled throughout the book on how to get your smaller children involved in the cooking process.

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes by Mollie Katzen

This is one of those books I wish I could give two ratings. The clarity of recipe instructions is wonderful and they could easily be followed by a preschooler if read aloud. However there were may be 3 recipes in the entire book that my family could use due to our lactose- and gluten-free requirements. So while I would recommend this book to friends with budding young chefs, it's not a cookbook we'll be using.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna James Ahern

I'd actually give this book two different ratings. The (true) love story is five stars all the way - engaging, funny, touching, and well-written. The recipes on the other hand I'd give between three & four stars for their difficulty, long ingredient lists, and the frequent use of lactose (something plenty of people who have Celiac are unable to eat in addition to gluten). As a working mother, these recipes were fun to read and dream about, but impractical to add to our repertoire.

Allergy Free Cooking For Kids by Antoinette Savill

If I lived in England I might like this book more and have actually attempted some of the recipes. Clearly written for a UK audience, measurements are in kilograms, grams, and mls and used ingredients I'm unfamiliar with. I figure soya milk is soy milk, but I've never seen soya cream (maybe if I lived near a Whole Foods?) nor can I buy quail eggs anywhere around here. Still, I appreciate the kid-friendliness of the recipes, especially all the allergy-free desserts with holiday themes.

Moosewood Restaurant New Classics by Moosewood Collective

This cookbook has more vegan & gluten-free recipes than the other cookbooks I've read. My husband and I were both impressed with their diatribe on the worthlessness of quick oats and instant oatmeal, so we finally cooked that free sample of steel cut oats we had. Moosewood is right - steel cut oats are complete worth the 20 min. cooking time and not remotely mushy. We did not share our oatmeal with the kids. :-)

I'm cautious about trying anything too unusual from this cookbook though after making the Savory Congee recipe - I followed it exactly and the result was only just okay, and the next day much too salty to be edible.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

4 out of 5 stars

A comprehensive how-to cookbook – this is the perfect alternative to your non-vegetarian Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook or Betty Crocker Cookbook. Similar to the aforementioned classics, the most helpful parts of the cookbook are not the recipes themselves (which are relatively basic), but the cooking time charts, illustrated techniques, in-depth ingredient descriptions, serve-with lists, and many, many tips, tricks, and how-to’s between the recipes. Randomly opening the book a few times, I get: a 2-page chart on “Types of Vinegar” with columns for acidity, best uses, and substitutes; a half-page blurb on “Tips for Making Asian-Style Noodle Bowls”; and a list of “6 Simple Additions to Cooked Beans”.

My personal favorite feature of this cookbook is the Menus appendix, especially the Summer Southern-Style BBQ Dinner & Superbowl Buffet Dinner menus – two party styles that aren’t so vegetarian friendly.

One disappointment – there are no allergy-free ingredient finders or markers. If you do have food allergies, you’ll have to read through every recipe’s list of ingredients.

Recipes we tried:

Espresso Black Bean Chili – ***** - a new family favorite this makes a huge pot, perfect for make-ahead lunches. Very good the first day, fantastic the second.

Spicy Autumn Vegetable Burger - *** ½ - the first home-made veggie burger we’ve tried, this is a pretty good base recipe but it could use some adjustments. We thought it needed more flavor and some way to make it less mushy – next time we’ll try baking them first then grilling or broiling. High fiber ingredients include sweet potato, kale, and white beans –the next day we joked they should be re-named “The Easy Flow Burger”.