The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes

The latest addition to the rapidly expanding universe of gluten-free cookbooks is a breezy, friendly, and straightforward volume from the food and lifestyle editor at Delight Gluten-Free Magazine . It’s full of no-nonsense advice (“cheating on the diet is not an option and can lead to long-term complications, so resist temptation to cheat!”) and—better yet—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 (the note at the start of the Italian section comes from the executive chef of the Maggiano’s chain), but it does have a lot of accessible, tasty options. Italian dishes include creamy crab and green pea risotto, chicken marsala, and spinach gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce. (Note: The food is gluten-free, decidedly not fat-free). In the Asian section, there are shrimp and mint summer rolls; pineapple fried rice; and chicken with cashews. Papaya-cilantro salmon with coconut rice and strip steak with black beans, corn, and cilantro represent Mexico. Desserts range from bananas foster (easy to make sans gluten) to a more complex chocolate fudge cake. With this book, following a gluten-free diet is a fairly sweet prospect. (Apr.)