If you have ever been diagnosed with a food allergy or disease that limits the foods you can eat, you know how difficult it can be to adjust to a new diet and way of life.  It can, to be blunt, suck emotionally.

Not only are you potentially giving up foods you love because they harm you but, you have to worry about eating out, always wondering what's hidden inside that delicious looking dish or what else touched that cutting board in the kitchen.

The Allergy Free Chef Giveaway | Food Bloggers of Canada

And then there's the challenge of trying to figure out how you can make versions of your favourite foods without the harm.  It often involves ingredients you've never used before, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of eating things that are, in a word, gross, to try and find the good stuff.

A few month's ago we introduced our Allergen Friendly Recipe Remix column with our resident nutritionist, Sondi Bruner where she takes much loved recipe  favourites and shows you how to adapt them to be allergen friendly, vegetarian and vegan but keep all the flavours and textures you love.  And it's not as hard as you might think!

So when we found out that FBC Member Laurie Sadowski (AKA the Allergy-Free Cook), who has celiac disease, has a series of cookbooks that focus on allergy-free baking we were intrigued.  Gluten is so integral to the texture and structure of baked goods that it can feel like going gluten free means never eating bread or cake again!

But Laurie shows you that it can be done and you don't have to give up texture or taste!  Her three cookbooks all focus on desserts and baking and all are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and she also tackles, nuts, corn and other grains.  There are tips on combatting cross-contamination, tips for reading grocery store ingredient lists for hidden allergens.  She also has ingredient substitution tips, tool tips and info on storing gluten-free treats.

Here's a little more information about all three books from her publisher:

The Allergy-Free Cook Series

Enjoy the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread—even if you’re allergic to gluten! THE ALLERGY-FREE COOK Bakes Bread offers dozens of recipes for these all-time favorites: sweet breads, muffins, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, crackers, biscuits, tortillas, soft hearty yeast breads, rolls, pitas, bagels, and pizza crusts. Many of the recipes are also free of other common allergens, such as legumes, nightshades, tree nuts, peanuts, seeds, and soy. This book is also a mini-primer on living gluten-free with tips and advice on how to maintain a safe allergy-free environment.

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The Allergy Free Chef Giveaway | Food Bloggers of Canada

THE ALLERGY-FREE COOK Bakes Cakes and Cookies provides guidance for those who want to celebrate life’s sweetness safely, compassionately, and nutritiously right down to the last tasty crumb. A collection of recipes for stellar baked goods include moist and fluffy cakes, sinfully rich bars, and crispy-chewy cookies that achieve the perfect balance of flavor and texture. From brunch cakes, bundt cakes and cupcakes to streusels, squares and cookies—these mouthwatering, indulgent-yet-wholesome, allergy-free goodies will equally satisfy family and friends.

The Allergy Free Chef Giveaway | Food Bloggers of Canada

The ALLERGY-FREE COOK Makes Pies and Desserts serves up an impressive assortment of gluten-free goodies. Incredibly rich and flaky crusts, delicate tarts, juicy cobblers, crunch crisps, and sumptuous pudding cakes will satisfy even the most discriminating sweet tooth. Laurie is an expert at providing precise, step-by-step instructions so that novice bakers as well as the pastry proficient can produce impressive creations. Completely gluten-, dairy-, egg-, and soy-free, any potential allergens in each recipe are clearly labeled to assist those with multiple sensitivities.

Here's a little more info about Laurie if you haven't met her before:

Niagara-based Laurie Sadowski’s love of food began at a young age, but her creativity in the kitchen began when she was diagnosed with celiac disease. Adopting a vegan diet led to further interest in everything food, soon winning the vegetarian category in a national recipe cook-off and becoming a regular food columnist for her local newspaper. Her love of food and helping others resulted in freelancing as a food writer and becoming a published cookbook author. Her books, The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread (2011), The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Cakes and Cookies (2013), and the upcoming The Allergy-Free Cook Makes Pies and Desserts (2014) are devoted to gluten, dairy, egg, and soy-free baked goods that taste just like the real thing. She is currently working as a recipe developer and food writer, and pursuing a masters degree in Community Music.

Laurie and her publisher, Book Publishing Company, have generously given us two copies of each of her books for a giveaway!  You can enter to win one copy through rafflecopter below!

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8 Comments

Daniella @ Tooch's Kitchen
Reply

This would be so wonderful. I might actually get to eat a few things after all. Would LOVE The Allergy free Cook makes Pies and Desserts, since this is where I struggle the most due to nuts not loving me! ( and I do mean the food, not the folks lol)

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