The Gluten-Free Table: The Lagasse Girls Share Their Favorite Meals

Two daughters of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse (who contributes the foreword) follow gluten-free diets, one because of gluten sensitivity and one because of celiac disease. They both know how hard it can be to go gluten-free, but they write with optimism, and while they cover which foods to avoid and be conscious of for those avoiding gluten, they focus on the food that can be included in a gluten-free diet. The recipes, many of which clearly draw influence from the authors’ father’s intensely flavored and Southern-inspired cooking, include a mix of those that traditionally call for gluten-containing ingredients and those that are generally gluten-free, with no substitutions required. Plain Jane crab cakes feature gluten-free bread; mini goat cheese and fig pizzas and pumpkin spice muffins are among the recipes requiring a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Indian vegetable pakoras with cucumber raita and prosciutto-spinach chicken roll with lemon butter sauce would be gluten-free in almost any cookbook. Of course, plenty of recipes, including pancetta and sage potato pie and smothered pork chops showcase Emeril’s Original Essence Seasoning. Marketing aside, this is a thoughtful and flavorful cookbook for gluten abstainers. (Oct.)