Review By Katie Kapusnik

Many people are realizing that wheat and gluten are reeking havoc on their health, and they need quality information and recipes to help them avoid these ingredients.  This little book manages to give readers a primer on how to identify their food allergies and how to begin living gluten-free.

Cooking Well: Wheat Allergies, The Complete Guide for Gluten-Free Nutrition (Hatherleigh Press/ 2009) by Marie Annick Courtier would benefit those just starting out on a gluten-free diet--who find themselves suddenly needing to prepare most of their own foods.  Many of the recipes have only a few ingredients.  There are time saving tips, healthy cooking methods, and lessons on using herbs and spices.  The author also lists ingredients and products in which gluten often hides.  This would be a great book to carry around as a reference guide while you are learning the ropes of this lifestyle.  Courtier will help get you ready, from your kitchen tools to your shopping list. 

I would also recommend Cooking Well: Wheat Allergies to those  seasoned gluten-free cooks out there.  Chef Marie will surely expand your repertoire, not only of recipes but also cooking techniques. 

The recipes are easy and imaginative.  There are many seafood, meat, and poultry recipes, and a few vegetarian entree recipes.  For veggie lovers, she also shares some delicious vegetarian recipes in the Side Dishes chapter that could definitely be served as an entree.  As far as baking goes, recipes using flour call for pre-made gluten-free flour mixes, specified with a tried and true brand.  I was happily surprised by the various dessert recipes that don't require flour at all.  These fruit based dishes are brilliant, like the Papaya Brulee or Grilled Mango and Almonds.  

The author does interject her own nutritional beliefs that aren't necessarily relevant for all people with a wheat intolerance.  In particular, she stresses the importance of a low-fat diet.  If you are following a low-fat diet, this just might be the right gluten-free cookbook for you. 

Chef Marie-Annick Courtier is a native of Paris, France, where she learned about gourmet foods and wines in the French tradition. Chef Marie holds a Culinary Arts Degree, has worked with many world-renowned chefs, and runs her own personal chef service. A Certified Fitness Nutritionist and Professional Food Manager, she also teaches cooking and created the new Certified Personal Fitness Chef Program. You'll find the author online at www.marieannickcourtier.com

Katie Kapusnik is a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.) by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. She is a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM) as certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

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