Easy Everyday Gluten Free Cooking review

Easy Everyday Gluten-Free Cooking is a new cookbook out on the market written by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt. Overall, the recipes I tried were tasty and different. Each recipe had it’s own unique flair of flavor that made it enjoyable to try. My personal favorite was the Crunchy Almond Chicken. The almond slices added a nice depth of flavor and texture to the classic breaded chicken cutlet.

For the most part the recipes were easy to prepare. At least for the entrees. There is a reason however, I never prepared any of the dessert or bread options. Many of them required up to three or four different flours as well as more than one starch. Most grocery stores do not carry these specialty flours. The only one by me that does is Whole Foods and my local Whole Foods isn’t exactly around the block. So any recipe that requires me to go there for specialty ingredients boxes it out of the “Easy or Everyday” category for me. Also almost the entire bread section requires either a bread machine (which I do not own) or freezing dough for up to six months. For me the terms easy and everyday are associated with using ingredients that will be stocked in most peoples’ pantries or kitchens already or that they can easily obtain from whatever local grocery store IS around the block from them in a pinch. The recipes should also be incorporating only the basic cooking machines that every person has in their kitchen.

As I said, I did like what I tasted from this cookbook. So for at least the main event portion of the cookbook I’d say two thumbs up and great job. I also really appreciated the tips in the front explaining the different flours and offering suggestions for easy gluten-free traveling and packing lunches. I feel better informed about the different kinds of baking flours and will be more tempted to use them in the future. Provided I’m planning ahead to do so and can either order them off the internet or take a planned trip to Whole Foods and scoop up a few at once.

However, in terms of title and expectations, I question their choice in labeling it with the terms easy and everyday. I feel these terms misrepresent what people are getting with this cookbook. Yes, once you’re in the kitchen these are recipes that will help you overcome your fear of gluten-free cooking and substituting different ingredients, but you need to be well-stocked and prepared to do so.

​Grade: B