The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen: Delicious and Nutritious Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Dishes

Gluten, a combination of proteins found in various cereals, is what ""gives bread its elasticity and cakes their spring,"" according to the author of this wonderful vegetarian resource. But for people suffering from celiac disease or wheat allergies, gluten can cause painful cramping, nausea and worse. Although gluten-free baked goods will never taste quite as supple as their refined wheat counterparts, Klein's offerings hardly taste like deprivation. Spiced Basmati Rice Pilaf with Peas is a spicy, filling supper, easy to prepare and high in fiber. Mushroom, Pea and Pearl Onion Pot Pie with Herbed Potato Topping is more involved, but worth it: slightly sweet vegetables in a creamy sauce under a thick potato crust brightened with herbs. A surprisingly well-rounded selection of breads features recipes for dense, soft Irish Potato Bread, thickened with more than a pound of potatoes and a quarter cup's worth of potato flour, and a Rice Flour Pizza Crust that's a close-enough approximation of the real thing. Desserts, too, are well-represented: Indonesian-Style Warm Bananas in Cinnamon-Coconut Milk is a wonderfully different take on banana pudding, and Blueberry Cheesecake is properly creamy and decadent. There's even a moist and tasty Hawaiian Coconut Cake, ensuring that celiac disease sufferers can have their gluten-free cake and eat it too.