Must-Have Cookbooks

One thing that can help you get started on an allergy-free diet is a good cookbook. I bought three cookbooks, all with very different things to offer, but all offering recipes for people with multiple food allergies. I have since looked at many others but am happy with just these three:

Sophie Safe Cooking: A Collection of Family Friendly Recipes that are Free of Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, and Shellfish, by Emily Hendrix

This book contains allergy-free versions of family favorites, such as chicken strips, meatloaf, muffins, tacos, etc. I found this book to be rather elementary, but if you're just starting out eating allergy-free and need some quick and easy ideas, this is the book for you. It uses simple substitutes and is designed so the whole family (non-allergic kids included) can eat allergy free.

The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook: Two Hundred Gourmet & Homestyle Recipes for the Food Allergic Family, by Cybele Pascal

This is my pearl. This is the one cookbook I could not live without. These recipes include everyday favorites (often with a twist) and the more exotic, such as ethnic dishes and gourmet fare. She utilizes fresh ingredients and completely avoids refined sugar. So far, everything I have made has turned out perfectly, but these dishes take a little more effort and use more ingredients than the first cookbook. But believe me, once you've been eating allergy free for awhile, that little extra effort will be worth the reward!

Cooking Free: 200 Flavorful Recipes for People with Food Allergies and Multiple Food Sensitivities, Carol Fenster, PhD

I bought this cookbook because of praise for its appendix. I wanted to try some wheat-free baking, and the appendix does indeed include valuable information on flours, cooking without eggs, sweeteners, reading labels, etc. However, I was disappointed to find extensive use of soy, including tofu as a substitute in egg-free recipes. The author eats gluten-free, which is the focus of her book (I found the subtitle a bit misleading), but with modifications for some other allergies. If you can eat soy and/or eggs, this book would be great. If not, my advice is to get it at the library for the appendix, which is invaluable if you plan to bake.

I didn't even think to buy an allergy-free cookbook until I wanted to bake, but the ideas in these books can get you off to a good start and keep you eating well for a long time.