Check It Out: No gluten? Not a problem, with help

Whether you are looking for a healthier lifestyle or have celiac disease, following a gluten-free diet can be a challenge. Using some of the newer cookbooks at the Newport Beach Public Library will help you find a gluten-free lifestyle that can open up a whole new way of eating.

“The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes” by Vanessa Maltin is full of no-nonsense advice and lots of flavor.

Divided into four sections, the book covers an array of recipes in the Italian, Asian and Mexican genres, plus desserts. It’s not for food snobs and has a lot of tasty accessible options.

Kelli Bronski’s “Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking” contains dishes such as breads, entrees, drinks and desserts (including brownies made with the authors’ special flour mix and gluten-free vanilla extract).

Kelli and her husband, Peter, began eating gluten-free in 2007 when Peter was diagnosed with celiac disease. Online resources for locating products, support groups and information on gluten-free living are listed as well as information about their blog, No Gluten No Problem.

With almost 500 pages of recipes and information, Roben Ryberg’s, “You Won’t Believe It’s Gluten Free: 500 Delicious Foolproof Recipes for Healthy Living” recreates favorite dishes from lemon pound cake to fried chicken using alternative ingredients.

She offers recipes for every meal with different variations for many.

Baking gluten-free recipes has always been challenging and the library has specialized cookbooks which address this particular aspect of cooking as well. “Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book” by Jennifer Katzinger is written by the owner of the Seattle bakery of the same name. This book proves that bakers can create fabulous scones, muffins, cookies, pies and more without gluten, dairy, egg and soy.

Each of the some 80 recipes includes an introduction regarding its origin and Katzinger’s personal history with the dish. She also includes a list of staple ingredients to have on hand, identifies trusty brands and lists online resources that will be helpful for the new gluten-free baker.

Erin McKenna’s “BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York’s Most Talked-About Bakery” shows readers how to create vegan and gluten-free versions of favorites like apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread and BabyCakes’ infamous cupcakes (named best in the city by New York magazine in 2006). Her like-for-like recipes (including Healthy Hostess cupcakes and ingenious methods for dyeing frostings without artificial food coloring) are sure to satisfy discerning palates, and her emphasis on the traditional (blondies, biscuits, red velvet cupcakes, etc.) make her recipes easy to incorporate into the regular rotation.

For those whose children may need a gluten-free diet, Susan Lord’s “Getting Your Kid on a Gluten-Free Casein Free Diet” may be just the cookbook for you. This book provide sound advice about getting children started on the diet, shopping lists, recipes and dealing with picky eaters, and as a guide, offers simple ways to implement the diet, complete with easy-to-follow meal plans, delicious recipes and ingredient lists.

Living gluten-free may be a new lifestyle for many but with the wide range of cookbooks to choose from, Newport Beach Public Library’s collection will help you on your way to healthy eating.