Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef Cookbook Review

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef Cookbook Review

Veal Paprika- page 272

Has your copy of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef- A  Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes Cookbook arrived?  If you pre-ordered it you should have it by now but if not, what on earth are you waiting for?  OK, have you at least visited their blog, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef?  Shauna and Danny will be expecting you.  Tell them I said hello.

As soon as mine arrived last week I sat down and started reading the stories and listing which recipes I would make for this review.  When I looked at my list of 30 recipes I knew I was in trouble.  I could not possibly make all of those and share them in the week to come.  So for now I skipped the Bacon Wrapped Pork Belly (doesn’t that just scream my name), Prosciutto Wrapped Salmon and Crusty Bread (they cooked it for me themselves), Cassoulet, Tenderloin Pan-Seared with Port Sauce and Balsamic Onions, and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Brownies.  I will be working on those soon enough.

As I mentioned Shauna and Danny cooked for us while we were at the IFBC (International Food Blogging Conference).  The meal was wonderful.  The Prosciutto Wrapped Salmon with a wonderful Pasta, their Arugula and Fig Salad with Blue Cheese and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette and that amazing Crusty Bread.  To top it off they also made their Peach-Blackberry Crumble.  I licked my plates clean.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef Cookbook Review

Reading through this book and cooking these recipes has been such a joy.  Every story that is tied to a recipe makes me want to make it right then.  I finally narrowed it down the list of dishes I would make based on my crazy week.  I had to do most of my cooking on Sunday for the week.  So I settled on Danny’s Meatloaf, Potato Puree and Veal Paprika.  I hope by the end of the week to make one of the seafood dishes as I had mentioned on Menu Plan Monday.

The first two dishes I made was Danny’s Meatloaf and the Potato Puree.  The meatloaf was to be made in a 9×11 loaf pan.  When I went to look for mine and couldn’t find it I realized I probably gave it to my son in college.  Either way, I need a new one.  So I grabbed my large round crock from Longaberger and used that.  I’m so glad I did and didn’t use the 4 smaller loaf pans instead.  It worked great all in one container.  I was happy to see that the Potato Puree was very similar to the way I usually make mashed potatoes so I had all of the right equipment and was used to the method.  I would serve these together.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef Cookbook Review

For some unknown reason to me my family decided they were not going to eat dinner that night but I was not going to be deterred.  I followed the directions on the meatloaf, made the glaze and applied with my pastry brush.  I’ve made lots of meatloafs so how could this one be very different.  I finished the potatoes and I sat down to dinner.

My husband sat down with me at the table as I began to eat Danny’s meatloaf.  Well have you ever seen the movie When Harry Met Sally?  I was Sally, at the table eating this meatloaf.  Of course my husband had to have some too.  I would have married anyone who made me that meatloaf on the spot!  It is by far our favorite from the cookbook and it will become a regular at our dinner table.  I will warn you however, it is really difficult to stop eating it.  The mouth feel and the taste are well, Sally-esk.

Tonight I finished making the Veal Paprika.  The recipe said you could make it to a certain point and then finish it the next day and the flavors only got better with a little time.  Well one day turned into three.  Did I mention this was a crazy week.  The flavors were so wonderful.  The veal was extremely tender and the taste filled your mouth.  The only change I made to the recipe was using a dairy free sour cream.  I served my husband’s with a little rice like pictured in the cookbook and I had another side of those potatoes.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef Cookbook Review

This cookbook is wonderful.  It is so much more than a book of recipes.  There are gorgeous photographs, guidance on cooking techniques, 100 chef-tested recipes and it is all interwoven with this amazing love story from their first date to married life together.   I have to say reading it makes me think I should get my husband in the kitchen and teach him to cook.

Oh, did I mention all of the recipes are gluten free.

All I have to say is brilliant.  I love it and I can’t wait to make more of these recipes.  Thank you Shauna and Danny.

Lucy, Shauna, Danny and Diane

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