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The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook

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5 Minutes for Books staff reviewer Lauren is the perfect person to review this, as both a booklover and someone dealing with a restrictive diet:

Several years ago, I developed some digestive issues that led to a restrictive diet. I don’t eat grains, starches, sugar, or diary. Eliminating these foods has led to dramatic health improvements for me, and I am not alone. More and more people are turning to diet to improve health. Some restrict certain foods because of true allergies, while others (like me) find that they have developed intolerances over time. Either way, many people are looking for recipes that fit with dietary restrictions.

In her new cookbook, The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook, Elizabeth Gordon shares classic and contemporary comfort foods that are gluten, dairy, nut, soy and egg free. In the introduction, Elizabeth shares that when she was diagnosed with food allergies as an adult, she initially cooked her own allergy-free meals separately from the food that she cooked for her family. When this became frustrating and tiring, she set out to make tasty allergy-free foods that she could eat and her family could enjoy, like banana bread, buffalo wings, pizza, mashed potatoes, Twinkies, and chocolate chip cookies (I am still in the stage where I often cook separate foods, so I NEED these recipes!). The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook is Elizabeth’s compilation of these tried-and-true recipes.

This cookbook includes an introduction, a dictionary of ingredients, a chapter on substitutions, and information about where to shop. Elizabeth categorizes her recipes as breakfast goodies, starters, salads, condiments, main dishes, sides and desserts. Each recipe includes a description, an ingredient list, step-by-step directions, and an eye-catching color photo (I love cookbooks that include photos for every recipe!). While some of the recipes are standard, like french toast, pot roast, and fried chicken, I can’t wait to try all the fun, kid-friendly recipes like funnel cakes, pigs in a blanket, and a homemade, allergy-free version of a pop-tart! Unfortunately for me, many of the recipes do call for sugar, which I can’t have, but they will make many with gluten, dairy, nut, soy, and egg allergies jump for joy!

For those of you who deal with allergies and intolerances daily, finding family-friendly recipes can be a challenge. I recommend The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook. For more information, be sure to watch the short trailer.

And if you are interested in winning a copy, please leave a comment. We have a copy to give to one of you! We’ll announce the winner in our book giveaway column on April 2.

The winner of Another Piece of My Heart is #11 Fonda.

Lauren is a wife, mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

Reader Interactions


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55 Comments

  1. Yes, Yes, yes, allergy free! I have suffered from allergies for a long time and to be able to find an article like yours its great! thanks!

    Reply

  2. We deal with theses exact allergies in our household. I would be thrilled to win this cookbook! Thank you!!

    Reply

  19. My daughter has a lot of food allergies, would love to take a peek at this book and see all of the recipes I could make with my daughter.

    Reply

  23. We would love to read this and try some new recipes! We are currently gluten, dairy, and mostly nut free. It’s so hard to come up with dinner ideas!

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  24. I would love to try some of these dishes. Making the same things over and over so I don’t have a reaction gets old!

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  29. I sooooo need this cookbook. My 11yo son is allergic to gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, bananas and all passion fruits. I too have many food allergies an well, after 10yrs, I’m running out of ideas and so is my family!!!

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  30. Everybody should have this book at their hand. Even if you don’t have allergies, your guests may have and even you or your member of a family can develop it all of a sudden.

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  31. It would be wonderful to win the book. Cooking is challenging with us with food allergy to soy, dairy and gluten. Thank you!

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  32. I’m so thankful my friend Lori sent me this way to check this out. She knows we transitioned to a dairy-free diet in the fall due to newly diagnosed allergies. Recently we learned we must drop gluten as well. Quite overwhelming. Glad to see a cookbook that could help with the process!

    Reply

  33. I have a friend who has a Celiac disease. She only knows limited gluten-free recipe and already used to eating the same all over again. I’m sure, she would love to have that book to try new food.

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  35. My mom could certainly use this and so could I. Perhaps she might share it if we win. Then again, if it is this good…..I will just give it to her for Mother’s Day.

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  36. My friend and her mom have been encouraging me to log my foods, to see whether some health issues stem from diet. Would love to share this book with them.

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  37. I would love a copy of the cookbook my daughter has various allergies and this will help us tremendously for new meals! Hope we win!

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  38. Would love to win a copy of this book so I can learn to make yummy treats for my 6 year old who is allergic to milk, wheat, eggs and nuts.

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  41. I’m allergic to gluten and always on the lookout for new gluten-free recipes and this cookbook sounds gorgeous. So I couldn’t wait around for the draw so purchased a copy from Amazon 🙂

    Is there a recipe or two that I must try from this cookbook?

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  43. Would love to win book. Recently found out I have wheat and dairy intolerance, and coming from an Italian family, I’m finding it difficult to cook enjoyable meals. Please help!

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  44. I have Elizabeth Gordon’s “Allergy-free Desserts,” and it’s the best cookbook I have for our limited diets. Everything we’ve tried has been outstanding! I am gluten, dairy, and nut free, and my youngest is gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and nut free. Due to some health issues other members of our family are having, the whole family is going gluten free. I am looking for more good foods as our diet seems rather monotonous. I also need some good ideas for replacing items such as pretzels, crackers, and bread for my husband and other two kids. I would love to win this book!

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  46. Wow, reading both your story and Elizabeth’s is kind of like looking in the mirror! I developed serious food allergies as an adult too that have landed me in the ER so many times, I’m practically staff there. 😉 It’s so overwhelming trying to come up with different recipes that are allergy free and don’t taste like you’re missing out on life ore-allergy. This cookbook sounds like a God-send! I’d love to win a copy. Thank you and happy cooking! :))

    Reply

  47. This would be an awesome book for my family.
    We have gone to eating only REAL FOODS and with our family of food allergies this would help greatly.

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  48. A year and a half ago I found out I am lactose intolerant. Being a chef this nearly killed me to find this out but after a few weeks trial of no dairy the results were amazing. It’s very hard to change to suit allergies and intolerances when you haven’t lived it. I do cooking lessons with my local primary school and amazed at how many kids have allergies. I would live this book to assist in giving me options for them. Gluten,eggs, nuts and dairy are popping up at an alarming rate.

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  49. I would love to win a copy of this book! My son has Eosinophilic Esophagitis and has a VERY limited diet, able to only eat 15 foods. We are continually looking for new recipes!

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  50. I would love to win a copy of this book! I have two children with severe food allergies. One is allergic to eggs, dairy, gluten. The other is severely allergic to eggs and nuts. With these limitations it is hard to find good recipes to cook for them.

    Reply

  51. We deal with theses exact allergies in our household. I would be thrilled to win this cookbook! Thank you!!

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  52. I would love to have a copy of this cookbook! Both of my children have severe food allergies & intolerances. It’s been quite a challenge finding safe and fun recipes for them. Thank you so much for this opportunity to own this cookbook. 🙂

    Reply

  53. I’d love a copy of this book as my husband and daughter both have severe food allergies – shellfish, nuts & peanuts for my dh. My 12 yr old is allergic to dairy, egg, nuts, peanuts, fish, & shellfish. Hope I win!

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  55. Would love to win this book and give the recipes a try. DH recently got put on a restricted diet and I would love to be able to not have to cook separate meals every day.

    Reply