Great Cookbooks for Celiacs
Baby, it's cold outside. Let's cook!
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for even a little while, you know I’m all about celiac-safe travel and dining out. But the past few days have been so cold that when my husband suggested going out to dinner, I actually said no. (Note: this is not normal for me.) The truth is, I enjoy cooking, and this polar vortex we’re caught up in right now makes me want to leave home as infrequently as possible. Also, we had a couple of family visits over Christmas and New Year’s that reminded me of how satisfying it is to cook for people you love, and to have them cook for you.
With that in mind, I thought this would be a great time to share some of the cookbooks that are in rotation in my kitchen right now. Some are recent releases and some have been around for a while, but I’m finding inspiration in each one.
Food52 Vegan: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen by Gena Hemshaw
Let me get a couple of things out of the way here: first, this is not a dedicated gluten-free cookbook, though many of Gena Hemshaw’s recipes are naturally gluten-free. Secondly, I’m not a vegan — quite the opposite, honestly. So if I’m telling you that this entirely plant-based cookbook inspires me, I hope that tells you how good it really is. Food52:Vegan was recommended to me by two relatives with celiac disease, and it absolutely delivers. I’m obsessed with the Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Pesto Vinaigrette — it’s healthy, delicious, and incredibly satisfying. Some of the recipes are for snacks, like the high-protein Crispy Roasted Chickpeas, and they tend to be both easy to make and tasty.
Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna
I’ve mentioned before that my nieces have celiac disease, and they adore Erin McKenna’s Bakery, which used to be called Babycakes. But did you know that Erin McKenna has also published a couple of cookbooks? Not only are they glorious eye candy, with photos that will make you drool, but McKenna shares some of her bakery’s most-loved recipes with home bakers. My teenaged niece Sage is an incredibly talented baker and cook, and she whipped up a couple of orders of gluten-free madeleines when I visited earlier this month. They were so good that they made me pick up the book.
Celebrating a Decade of Niche Gluten-Free Dining by Marc Warde
You’ve read about a London restaurant called Niche a couple of times on the Gluten-Free Guidebook — after I visited it last March, and at the end of 2024, when I published a list of my favorite restaurants of the year. In December, Marc Warde, who co-owns Niche, published this cookbook, in which he discusses his own lengthy journey to getting diagnosed with celiac disease. But the main focus is on sumptuous food, with detailed recipes for starters, mains, sides, sauces, and desserts. The first thing I made from the book was the Irish Soda Bread, which was perfection (it’s something I grew up eating and is my definition of comfort food). Next up: Lemon Drizzle Cake.
Amor y Tacos: Modern Mexican Tacos, Margaritas, and Antojitos by Deborah Schneider
I’ve had this small cookbook for well over a decade, making it the most-used cookbook in my kitchen. It’s not marketed as a gluten-free guide, but it might as well be; the author even insists that “The flavor of the corn tortilla is an essential part of the taste of the tacos in this book.” While I have yet to make a margarita based on a recipe in this book (the hibiscus one does look really good), the taco recipes knock it out of the park. Two personal favorites: the Garlic Shrimp, and the Mushroom, Rajas, and Corn.
I should also add that I find some terrific gluten-free cooking and baking inspiration right here on Substack. Some of my favorites:
Next Level Gluten Free by Rachel Ciordas
Gluten-Free Delectably by Sherie Friedlander
The Gluten-Free Austrian by Daniela Weiner
Reset Inflammation by Rebecca Williams
The Naked Pear by Idris Craft
The Celiac Scientist by Roy P. Awbery (Science and recipes in one place? Yes!)
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As a celiac who writes cookbooks, I own all of these, and I subscribe to all these Substacks!
What a great list! I might have to place an order for these cookbooks!