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Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus, by Carol Fenster
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Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus

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Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus
Delicious, Healthful Eating for People with Food Sensitivities
Revised and Expanded
By Carol Fenster, Ph.D.
Avery: A Member of the Penguin Group (USA) Inc., (2004)
ISBN: 1-58333-191-3
Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness

Living a wheat-free and gluten-free lifestyle may not be the easiest diet to follow, but when you have celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, it is essential that you forgo wheat and gluten. In 1995, Dr. Carol Fenster, who is herself gluten-sensitive, wrote a ground breaking cookbook for those suffering with this rare condition. Since it publication, Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus has been a staple within the gluten-free community. This new edition of Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus has been expanded and extensively revised to account for the scientific and public advocacy advances that have been made, in regard to Celiac disease, since the book's initial release.

Although this book contains more than 250 mouth watering, and gluten and wheat free recipes, this is more than just a cookbook. Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus includes an overview on what Celiac Disease is, and its implications, both in terms of general health and the impact on your diet. Fenster also details other conditions that may necessitate a gluten-free diet. She also explains what items you should have in your pantry and how to create flour mixes that can be used as a substitute for wheat flour. Throughout, she offers tips on cooking successfully, without gluten. In addition, nutritional information is included with each recipe, detailing the number of calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, cholesterol, and fiber contained in each serving.

The recipes and cooking information is organized into thematic chapters covering: Fenster has also included a wealth of gluten-free menus, including some reduced-fat and low calorie menus. A substitution guide for wheat flour is included, along with a detailed list of gluten-free flours and their uses. A list of dairy substitutes is also included as many people who are gluten sensitive also have a sensitivity or allergy to dairy. For many gluten-sensitive individuals, one of the most important sections in this book is a list of sources of hidden gluten, such as coffee! Fenster points out that while pure coffee is gluten-free, flavored coffees may contain some wheat. Another useful section is the inclusion of a resource guide pointing you toward additional sources of information on gluten-free diets and celiac disease.

All the recipes contained in Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus are, as expected, gluten-free. They are also tasty, easy to prepare, and they provide a broad pallette from which you can construct 'normal' meals that will delight your entire family. Learning to cook gluten-free does require some getting-use-to as you learn how to make substitutions for wheat-flour and gluten. However, once you get the hang of it, you will find that you can easily make almost any recipe gluten-free. Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus is an excellent resource for anyone following, or interested in, living a gluten-free lifestyle.

For a tantalizing taste of what you can expect to find in this cookbook, here is a list of some of recipes you will find in Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus:
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