Fabulous reads – No gluten was used when reviewing this book

The South African Gluten-free Cookbook, Penguin Random House, ISBN: 9781432306519

ANYONE suffering coeliac disease will know that following a gluten-free diet is the best possible remedy.

This means cutting out all foods containing wheat, rye, spelt and barley – in essence, an end to eating as we know it!

But this doesn’t mean one is doomed to a life of eating dull, tasteless food.

The South African Gluten-free Cookbook is a real saviour with more than 100 tried and tested family meals and has some great recipes for entertaining.

Cooking with gluten free flours is a lot simpler than I thought.

The recipes use gluten free flours and flour substitutes which are locally available, for a veritable smorgasbord of cakes, breads, biscuits and desserts as well as pastas quiches, oven bakes and pizzas.

Before the book, I’d always made use of the premixes which worked out fairly pricey.

With the book to guide me, I made a batch of the gluten-free flour mix, and although the initial outlay for all the flours and ingredients required hit my pocket, in the long run it has been a saving.

Once mixed, the flour can be stored in an airtight container and used when necessary.

With the flour at hand, I tackled the recipes in the book with a sense of adventure.

From breakfasts of Ricotta hotcakes – served with crispy bacon and oodles of maple syrup – to lemon poppy-seed muffins, which are now a firm favourite and easy to whip up on Sunday afternoon to be added as a treat to lunch boxes during the week.

I even ventured to make my own breakfast bars, packed with yummy ingredients like almonds, nuts, berries, coconut and honey for that perfect breakfast-on-the-run alternative.

The recipes make use of ingredients that feature prominently in current food trends like cauliflower, kale, polenta, quinoa, blueberries, salmon and seeds, but this is neatly balanced against those traditional cooking favourites of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, pumpkin fitters, waffles and malva pudding.

Lunches and dinners are a delight and range from crustless quiches to vegeburgers, salads, a cheesy polenta corn bread that works perfectly at a braai and gluten free pizza that is a Friday night winner in my home.

The recipe books offers a handy conversion table and is beautifully illustrated making each page a mouthwatering delight.

For a family of gluten intolerant individuals, this recipe book is a welcome, and necessary addition to my recipe book collection.

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