Gluten Free Cookbook Review: Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone

I’m so excited right now! This is the first cookbook I have reviewed for GFPR, and it is fantastic! I had to create a whole new criteria and format for this, so let me know what you think. Are there any categories I have left out?

Cooking for Isaiah was  inspired by pure love. This is the first thing I noticed when I opened the book. The second thing I noticed was that Silvana Nardone knows what she is talking about. I learned so many new tips just by reading the first few pages that the recipes became secondary (for about five minutes...)



Informational Content

This review was an adventure for me in more than just testing recipes. You may have noticed that I don’t do many gluten free flour reviews on GFPR. That is because I am afraid of gluten free flour. Most of it tastes horrible and yields bad results for me. I am no baking genius, so finding my own special blend has never been an option.

Well, Silvana Nardone apparently IS a baking genius. In the very front of her book she gives a recipe for her flour blend. She also goes into detail as to why she uses the brands she uses. Knowing my issues with flour, I chose not to substitute anything in the book and began gathering ingredients for this blend - Only to find that Shiloh Farms Tapioca Starch rates right up there with the Holy Grail in quest status. There are no stores near me that carry it (I’m working on this.)

I finally ordered it online, and I am so glad I did! Silvana’s gluten free flour blend is exactly what she promised it would be. It performs great and tastes even better! For the record, this WILL be the flour I use from now on.

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting

 Another discovery I made with this book is rice milk. (Very easy to find :) I had always used soy milk, but I’m not fond of the flavor it has when it is heated. Again, Silvana was right on when she recommended the flavor and usage of rice milk.

The third big Ah-Ha I got from this book is the fact that I have seriously neglected and underestimated my waffle iron. She uses it for everything from breakfast to sandwiches to dinner bread, and then back to breakfast with hash browns. Brilliant!

Recipes and Versatility

I suppose a review for a cookbook should focus on the recipes, so I will tell you about those too :) They are amazing! Every recipe is gluten free and dairy free, but you would never know it. The flavors that are used are so creative and tasty. The recipes themselves are easy to make, but have a great presentation that other people wow over.

The first recipe I made was Cinnamon-Toasted Belgian Waffles. They were wonderful. The waffles turned out light and fluffy with the most amazing crispy cinnamon and sugar topping. The recipe recommended topping them with syrup, but they really don’t need it. My whole family stood around in the kitchen munching with a waffle in each hand and saying, “Mmmm...” with every bite. My mother-in-law was here that morning and was so impressed that she was still talking about it days later. She couldn’t believe that something gluten free and dairy free would have that depth of flavor.

 Other great recipes to look for include:

• Meatloaf Sandwiches on Sun-Dried Tomato Waffle Bread
• Chicken Rice Tetrazzini with Mushroom Gravy and Mustard Crumbs
• S’Mores Pancakes with Marshmallow Sauce
• Sugar and Spiced Doughnuts
• Oven-Fried Frito Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (pictured)
• And so many more!

Overall Value

Cooking for Isaiah sells for around $25 and is well worth every penny.

Rating

As I made my way through other recipes in the book I grew more attached to it. Every recipe brought new flavors and happy mouths to my table. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough.