The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook: Revolutionary Techniques. Groundbreaking Recipes. by Americas Test Kitchen

The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook: Revolutionary Techniques. Groundbreaking Recipes. Reviews

• 
  Chris

  What I liked the most about this cookbook is its approach to gluten-free cooking. Instead of just providing recipes, America's Test Kitchen explains what they tried that didn't work as they developed each recipe. Maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal, but gluten-free cooking (especially baking) requires a completely different sort of cooking chemistry than what most people are familiar with. Because they explained what the challenges of each recipes were, what they tried, why they tried it, and how successful the results were, I learned more about gluten-free cooking from this cookbook than I'd learned in my previous 18 years of being gluten-free. While the baking recipes use a flour blend developed by America's Test Kitchen (which can be made in bulk for less than buying flour blends), each recipe also includes adaptations for using two different commercially available flour blends.
• 
  Ellen

  Have been experiencing mild depression after adopting a gluten-free diet for an auto-immune thyroid disorder. This book SAVED me. Goodbye wheat, and good riddance--there really is something to this wheat belly business--but I honestly can't live on quinoa alone, and America's Test Kitchen says, yes, even though you shouldn't (for reasons having nothing to do with wheat), you can still eat pancakes! and cookies! and a piece of bread once in a while! And it's good!
  
• 
  Punk

  America's Test Kitchen does this thing where they introduce each recipe by explaining the process they used to develop it, and thus share with you their toil and heartache. It goes something like this: "We wanted to maximize the flavor so we doubled the thing, but our first attempt came out too flat, so we added more stuff, but then it rose too much and collapsed, so we added an extra round thing for protein and lift and it turned out perfectly," and at first I'm like, Oh, what a happy ending! But after half a book of that I shifted straight into Thank god it's you spending five weeks in the kitchen trying to perfect a gluten-free layer cake and not me because after the third time it didn't come out I would straight up murder the next person to set foot in my kitchen.
  
  So, thank god for ATK, is all I'm saying. I love them in all their forms, so I was very excited to see that they'd turned their formidable attention towards cooking without gluten. This book has an emphasis on baking and things that normally depend on wheat flours, but there are also chapters on savory dishes that use rice and grains, sauces and pastas (including homemade), and meatloaf and breaded items like chicken and pork chops. I'm mostly here for the baked stuff, but it's nice to know I could bread something if I had to. The chapter on grains felt a little forced, but it does include good information about the various ways to cook them, and it doesn't take up much room.
  
  Their recipes are developed based on their own gluten-free all-purpose flour mix, which is a little different from others I've seen because it includes fat-free milk powder. Most of their baked goods also call for xanthan gum, and they'll tell you when you absolutely can't replace or leave out the gum or milk powder. It talks about substitutions for these up front in the introduction, so there's not a lot of that in each recipe, but otherwise, it has all the information you need to know each time you need it, and all recipes have measurements by volume and weight.
  
  Each recipe also has a little GF Testing Lab chart where it talks about whether substitutions are an option or not and explains what'll happen if you use GF flour mixes from King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill; usually there will be textural differences, with some grittiness from Arthur and some level of bean flavor with Bob. Sometimes they recommend you don't use either mix because the results were so poor. That more than anything convinced me to try mixing up some of their own flour blend. I trust ATK, and this book is a good resource with a lot of basic recipes for things I'm likely to make, like waffles, pancakes, pizza, some sandwich breads that look amazing, cookies, pies, cakes, and tarts.
  
  There are color photos for nearly every recipe, an index, the kind of methodical explanations you expect from an ATK publication, an introduction that goes through the science of baking with and without gluten and rates some common gluten-free products like bread, pasta, and flour mixes, as well as a guide to gluten-free flours, grains, and leaveners.
  
  Assuming their flour mix works out, I'll definitely be buying this.
• 
  V Mignon

  It's not very often that I talk about the gluten-free cookbooks that I try out, but if I were to recommend only one book to the baker who is missing their cookies and crepes, it would be America's Test Kitchen's How Can It Be Gluten-Free.
  
  I've read enough cookbooks now where the question, "Why?" is incredibly important to me. This book provides all the information possible on why your cupcakes will come out better with some white chocolate in the batter. You have to think by bizzaro baker logic with gluten-free recipes. Did you know that gluten-free flours don't absorb fat as well as wheat flour? No, I didn't either, and you'll find yourself using less butter than you could imagine.
  
  As for the recipes, I just baked a batch of chocolate-chip cookies that satisfied me on a level that has been foreign since I stopped eating gluten. Many gluten-free books focus solely on taste, sometimes on texture but not to a dedicated level as America's Test Kitchen. Yes, you can have your cookies and your pies and your cakes again but you also won't feel as though you're consuming a lesser product. I can't even get over how perfect the texture of my cookies were.
  
  So thank you, America's Test Kitchen, for really figuring out how flours work and how they can benefit our baking. As well as allowing me to make cookies that taste as if the recipe came from my grandmother.
• 
  Liberty

  I've been a fan of the America's Test Kitchen for over a decade. I've always loved how they get into the science behind their cooking and explain why recipes work. Even so, I've never bought a cookbook from them--been tempted in the past, but haven't done it. Until now. After previewing this cookbook from my library, I knew I'd have to have it since I went gluten-free last year. I'm a baker at heart, and have missed making breads and goodies that I can partake in--or even simple things that suddenly became more complicated like fried chicken.
  
  So far, I've actually tried three of the recipes--the chocolate chip cookies, the crispy chicken strips, and the fudgy brownies. All are superb. The flavor is great, and they generally have the look, feel, and taste of their non-GF counterparts. I'm very pleased. I'm excited to try more of the recipes out of this cookbook as I'm able. Up next will probably be their sandwich bread. As much as I like Udi's (who they recommend highly), nothing beats homemade bread. If you're new to the GF lifestyle, this cookbook is a must-have. But be sure you follow their guidelines to a T. Read the hints and tips, and the story behind the final product of the recipes. They'll save you heartache--or just gritty cookies.
• 
  Sharon

  This is the third America's Test Kitchen cookbook I've acquired ... and this time, it was out of necessity. As a newly-diagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis patient, I am having to go gluten-free to help stop the anti-thyroid antibodies. And, as someone who loves bread, all I could think about was deprivation.
  
  Well, fortunately for me and other folks who are going gluten-free for health reasons, ATK has created a book to help deal with that. The first section talks about the science of gluten, and what this means in terms of textures and flavors for those who are making the change. The next section has product recommendations for things like sandwich breads, pastas and gluten-free flours.
  
  Then you get to the recipes, which have conversions for two different commercially available gluten-free flours and the ATK blend (for which there is also a recipe). Each recipe has an explanation for how flavor and texture of the finished product may change using different flours, and for things that you can and cannot leave out.
  
  WIthout this book, I would not have known that xanthan gum a) could be purchased as a consumer or b) that it would be required to make many baked goods stabilize. Nor would I have known which commercial products to try and which to avoid in my journey ... and that's on top of the many tasty recipes.
  
  Highly recommended for those dealing with Hashi's, celiac, and other gulten intolerances.
• 
  Michelle

  America's Test Kitchen applied their extreme attention to detail and exhaustive testing to gluten-free baking and created the ultimate reference book. These are by no means healthy recipes, but for recipes that turn out right the first time, this will be my go-to resource. I'm most excited to use their testing notes and techniques to improve my own gluten-free baking, which relies heavily on almond and coconut flour and minimal sweeteners.
• 
  ☼Bookish pam in Virginia☼

  I don't know about you but I want to serve more gluten free meals. I don't believe that anyone in our family has an intolerance for gluten, but I do think the American diet is a little gluten heavy.
  
  There are two reasons I haven't implemented my plan previously. The first reason is simple and not really a huge contributing factor. Truth is, I'm an little timid to get started. I've always cooked and baked with flour and the idea of ruminating off into new, unexplored territory is a little intimidating. The second reason though is the biggest problem. And that is that when I stand up and wander about the kitchen, thinking about what to make for dinner, my mind goes blank and I can't think of something gluten free to make. (Stupid I know, but I'm being honest.) THAT'S WHY I LOVE this book from American's Test Kitchen. It's there to give me ideas for every meal, and it serves to give me 'idiot proof' instructions that give me confidence.
  
  WHAT YOU GET -- Ingredients and what not
  ****************************************
  At the beginning of the book there is a section about what Flour actually does in cooking --think Alton Brown science approach-- and then there is a discussion of what the Kitchen folk had to look for to overcome the lack of flour stickiness.
  
  You don't need to read the above material but I thought it was interesting. What I do suggest you read is the section on EVALUATING COMMERCIAL FLOUR BLENDS. On this page they compare Bob's GF Baking Flour with King Arthurs's, Pamela's and others.
  
  THEN they give their own formula. And using White Rice flour, brown rice flour, potato and tapioca starch with a little nonfat milk powder --we can make our own blend.
  
  What's really cool is that they then show us a muffin made with their GF flour mix and King Arthur's and Bob's. They don't look the same.
  
  From there they compare other ingredients and even store bought bread. I appreciated this a lot.
  
  WHAT YOU GET -- Recipes
  ****************************************
  THE GOOD
  I love The American's Test Kitchen recipes. They start off with a section about "Why This Recipe Works". I like this because it helps me figure out if it's a recipe I want to try right away.
  
  Then there's the instructions. They are VERY thorough. Though I've cooked for decades, when I try something new I prefer to be 'over-taught' rather than to have to guess what a procedure should feel like.
  
  The Variations that they offer are great. If I see something that my kids aren't crazy about, I'll look there for substitution ideas.
  
  Finally, I like the Smart Shopping tips. This are suggestions for what to look for quinoa, for example, or rice. If there is a name brand they like, they aren't hesitant to use it.
  
  THE NOT SO GOOD
  My husband and I are currently on a diet. And what I never noticed before is that there are no calorie estimates. I know I can calculate them, but I never noticed that the Test Kitchen doesn't include an estimate. It would be good to have a vague idea so that I could easily eliminate items that are high calorie.
  
  ~~
  
  I really like this cookbook. It has recipes for all occasions and it has a lot of advice on what to buy and how to prepare. The color photos of the finished foods are scrumptious, and I love that there are variations for all the recipes so that if I want to substitutions I don't have to wrack my brain.
  
  The only downside I've found to this book is that there are no calorie estimates. Obviously not a problem for most folks, but if you are on a diet, it makes for a little extra work.
• 
  Amanda

  My son and I are working our way through this cookbook and it is fantastic! We have found very few recipes we wouldn't want to make again. Our favorites so far are the hearty country flax bread, shepherd's pie, banana bread, English muffins, and lemon pound cake. I have celiac disease and I've been shocked at how good the baked goods are. I would never know many of them are gluten-free. One caveat: they have a recipe for their own blend of flours, which I ignored at first. I just bought a GF brand, but I have learned that the recipes are much better if you use their blend. Just bite the bullet and buy the five or six ingredients to make it. You'll be glad you did. But seriously, try that lemon pound cake. It's unbelievable. I love that they include a lot of the science behind gluten-free baking and cooking, which I can apply to other recipes.
• 
  Meran

  This cookbook, from the American Test Kitchen, got me excited. I've been a long time fan of their Cook's Magazine.
  
  They flunked the gluten free test. The recipes I've tried so far are bland, and difficult to work up. It's not good to work hard and get so little back on a recipe. I'm still working my way through, since I stupidly made up a bunch of their flour mix.
  
  The biggest drawback is one they think is their biggest plus: using psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum. This item is used in every product over the counter encouraging bowel elimination. So, every slice of their bread causes gut wrenching experiences in the bathroom. All for no flavor (or little) in the bread product.
  
  NOT RECOMMENDED under any circumstances.
• 
  Stephanie Mohler

  I like the cookbook enough to buy it, but I didn't cook anything in it yet! A lot of my family is going gluten free and this cookbook explain how to cook for them. I like that the cooking processes are described- why it works/how different gluten free flours work in each recipe.
• 
  Cherie

  ATK cookbooks do a great job of explaining the science behind cooking and delivering excellent recipes. This book was a gift from my daughter. We are both on a gluten free diet. My other GF cookbooks focus primarily on baking. This cookbook has some excellent baking recipes, but includes many of our favorite dinner comfort foods. So far, I have tried at least four of the recipes with good to excellent results. The Raspberry bars make a delicious treat and I cannot stop thinking about the chicken pot pie which was amazing with the gluten free crust. Some of the recipes are time consuming, but directions are easy enough to follow if you are patient. If you want to use the cookbook, you will need to invest in a few different flours, including white rice flour, tapioca flour, and potato starch in order to make a GF flour mix for many of the recipes. The results are worth it. They review various All purpose GF flours. They miss some other brands that are less available, but better quality like Authentic Foods brand.
• 
  Kitten Kisser

  America's Test Kitchen did a beautiful job in their efforts to create a cookbook filled with mostly baked goods that actually taste good. While they seem to grasp the need for many of us to be on a gluten free diet, I didn't get the impression that they fully understood the severity of the health risks involved for some individuals. They had one goal - make gluten free treats that are as close to gluten based treats as possible.
  
  They have a flour blend that they came up with. They recommend it over any other flour blend. This is all well & good IF you can tolerate the flours they chose in their blend. Unfortunately a lot of people cannot have oats as well as wheat. Oats have a protein structure that closely resembles wheat & many cannot digest oats even gluten free oats. ATK's flower blend uses white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch & nonfat milk. If you are sensitive to dairy this is another problem. This is your "all purpose flour" for lack of a better term. From there the recipes will call for additional ingredients that may once again be an issue for some: Pysillium, Xathan Gum, Eggs, & Corn.
  
  I have a very sensitive digestive system & must use extreme caution. Therefore I could not use their flour blend. I did make their pumpkin pie using my own coconut flour recipe as the crust. The pie filling was okay. Nothing to get excited about. I am rather surprised because I have another of ATK's cookbooks & every recipe I tried came out amazing. My pie coconut flour crust was pretty awful & I don't recommend it. I usually make the crust using a recipe from Breaking the Vicious Cycle that uses nuts. Everyone loves it! I also made the flourless chocolate cake. This was amazing! No added sugar either. Too sum it up, it's a lot of eggs, bittersweet chocolate & butter. You do bake it & have to let it chill for a long time. The flavor is intensely rich. You don't want to eat too much of it. It is VERY satisfying. When all my hens are in full lay & I'm overloaded with eggs, I plan on utilizing the recipe for my family, neighbors & friends.
  
  ATK breaks down a lot of gluten free products available. I really enjoyed this part of the book. Granted they didn't cover 90% of the options, but they did cover the most popular or easiest to find in stores. I have tried Bob's Red Mill. ATK is dead on regarding the overly beany flavor of Bob's GF flour. Besides GF flours they also discuss in detail various GF pastas, breads, grains, etc. They explain the purpose for particular ingredients & also compare the results. Example Xathan Gum vs. Guar Gum.
  
  ATK gives you the option of using their flour blend, Bob's Red Mill or King Author GF for most of their recipes. They explain why the other flours may or may not work as well as their blend.
  
  The main reason I selected this book was I wanted to make my own GF English Muffins. Sadly it's a no go for my situation. I find that I can consume certain GF products in moderation. I trust Pamela's Products & Food For Life's GF English Muffins in the Natural Foods freezer section. When I bake, I tend to go sans any flour or use nuts - it's just easier that way.
  
  Overall it is a fabulous in depth book for the gluten free baker but how much use you can get out of it depends upon each individuals health situation.
• 
  Pam

  Every recipe I tried was good. Have learned good techniques and ingredients. I use Volume 2 more as it has more whole grain recipes.
• 
  Lynn

  I haven't tested any of the recipes myself yet, but I am very excited to do so. As always, the research and ensuing recommendations are clearly and carefully explained, and any brand recommendations are well reasoned. I'm glad they were as happy with Bob's Red Mill brown rice flour as I have been. I'm definitely going to try out the flour blend suggested in this volume...I'm currently using a mix recommended in another GF cookbook, that has sorghum, brown rice, cornstarch, and potato flour. I've found that it works fabulously for some things (like my favorite banana bread recipe) and less well for other things (pound cake turned into a sodden lump that tasted odd too). The mix here uses brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch but purports to be less grainy than the similarly constructed commercially available King Arthur Flour GF blend. Looking forward to trying it out.
• 
  Hari

  For those who eat gluten-free, you know how hard it is to find recipes that result in food tasting as good as "what you used to eat." The wizards at America's Test Kitchen have come to the rescue. Employing their vast knowledge of kitchen chemistry, and surprising themselves occasionally, they painstakingly tested various ingredients in numerous combinations and had non-gluten-free eaters taste-test the results (because if they liked the results, gluten-free eaters would, too). This cookbook contains the results of their extensive labors, covering a range of cooking from entrees to desserts. I've tried several recipes and enjoyed the results. But be aware, the recipes reflect an emphasis on taste and texture, not healthfulness and the recipes I tried took more preparation time.
  
  The only reason my rating is reduced is because there is no nutrition information (calories, sodium, fat, sugar, etc.) provided for any of the recipes.
• 
  Joelle Anthony

  I have only made two or three things from this cookbook, but it seems to be a great one. The thing I like in particular is that I'm a cook and yet cooking gluten free is a whole new way of cooking and this book explains the why and wherefore. That's incredibly useful because at times I've read the how to make something elsewhere and then not known the reason to do something a certain way and fallen back on my own cooking techniques and ended up with less than stellar results. I need to know why to do something sometimes! This book goes into extreme detail.
  
  The only downside is all the dairy. I'm a vegetarian, so I can skip or sub the meat recipes but when it says YOU MUST USE MILK POWDER or it won't turn out, that's kind of a downer. I actually bought some, but generally I don't use dairy (except eggs). Otherwise, 5 stars.
• 
  Mindy

  This work is one of the best gluten-free books I've seen. They test both commercially available products as well as their own recipes, including a flour substitute. And they explain why their recipes produce superior results. So if your own food challenge is gluten, then I highly recommend this book. If, however, you're like me and also have other food allergies, such as eggs and milk, then save your time and money. Virtually every recipe has butter or powdered milk or eggs or cheese or or or.... I gave this book three stars because it does exactly what it promises and it does it well. But "my rating" is just a three, because it does me no good--unless I'm cooking exclusively for my daughter, who has Celiac.
• 
  Stephanie

  It has some great recipes and the research is done well. I myself am not gluten free and I used regular flour in replacement of their gluten free flour (and additives.) The only recipe I've made so far is the banana bread recipe, and it turned out great! It was really delicious. It has the perfect amount of crunch on the outside, dense banana around the edges, and soft cake like texture in the middle. I ate more than half the loaf myself and was very pleased with the results. I am dairy free so I wasn't able to use most of the recipes that use heavy cream or the such, but their second how can it be gluten free book is dairy free. I'm looking forward to looking at that book soon!
  
  4.5/5 stars
• 
  Kim

  This is our go-to bible with my little celiac. The recipes really work and I love that they compare them to those made with King Arthur gf flour and Bob's Red Mill gf flour. I do wish their comparisons had also included cup 4 cup, and that there was broader discussion of subbing some of these flours into non gf recipes. Like the rest of the ATK/CI line, the and techniques are spot on, but not that exotic. Because we can't eat in restaurants much anymore, and cooking is a major project, I would like more ethnic and exotic foods. I have not bought the second cookbook yet though it is on my list, and maybe some of what I am seeking is there. However this is an easy to use, easily digestible cookbook for the home chef dealing with real celiac but who otherwise wants a normal diet.
• 
  Anne Stephenson

  This book covers perennial favorite recipes from blueberry muffins to pizza. We've adopted the pizza crust as our go-to recipe. I like that the recipe makes two crusts and we can freeze one. I've also made the deep dish apple pie (awesomely delicious) cornbread and sausage stuffing, crispy pan-fried pork chops and the all-american meatloaf. Thus far, we've been pleased with the outcomes, excepting the blueberry muffin recipe. While the recipes cater to comfort food, I find myself wanting some healthier spin offs besides just the re-creation to gluten free. That said, this cookbook is a good reference for when nostalgia has me wanting food like my mom used to make.
• 
  Lindsay Merrill

  I checked this book out from the library so I could bake for a family member who has celiac's disease. It's not very hard to cook for someone with celiac's, but it's very hard to bake. I thought the researchers and chefs at ATK did a phenomenal job of researching and explaining all the science necessary to bake well without gluten. Their recipe for the gluten-free flour blend worked really well in the recipes we tried (apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and buttermilk pancakes). I will probably buy this book to have on hand. I'm looking forward to reading the second gluten-free cookbook because they have a whole-grain flour blend, which is something that this cookbook did not.
• 
  Naomi

  After finding out I had to completely eliminate gluten from my diet, I had to reconfigure my kitchen - and how I think about meals. After several major fails attempting GF recipes found on blogs, I picked up this book. Everything I've made so far has been excellent! I subbed a 50/50 mix of millet and oat flour instead of the white rice flour in their all-purpose mix, and everything has been full of flavor.
• 
  Du

  So, I haven't made anything out of this cookbook, but can't wait to. Reading the text that explains the scientific thought behind the various recipes and the time and effort that does into the process and ingredient selection really makes the whole book worth while.
  
  Only downside, is that I might be getting older, but the text seems really small, which was awkward at times reading the explanations.