ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THERE ARE MANY people to thank for their generous gifts of support and assistance with this book. I want to begin with my family at the Whole Foods Market in Gig Harbor, Washington. Bruce Winfrey and Nancy Moffitt were incredible taste testers and an invaluable source of support during the development of this book. I thank you both very much for your loving kindness and honest opinions.
There were taste testers from every walk of life involved in this book, those who have no interest in health foods or veganism, and those who have a vested interest in eating a healthy, gluten-, dairy-, and egg-free diet. There were those who indeed are vegans, and others who live with food allergies. Even strangers, who happened to be at the Whole Foods Market when I was dropping off samples, offered to be taste testers. Not only did everyone agree that the recipes were great, but those who never ate gluten-free, vegan food said they would choose to make these recipes for their families because they were so chock-full of taste and texture. My sincere thanks to all of you.
I also want to thank Dara Morgan for her hard work typing my recipes from scraps of paper ranging from torn-off envelopes to three recipes written on a tablet sideways! Not only did she help type the recipes so you could all enjoy them, she tested them as she typed. You rock, Dara! Kathy Cseke, thank you so much for your excellent editing skills. I appreciate you taking the time to read the opening sections as well as the recipes and for providing excellent suggestions and improvements. I am very grateful to Katie McHugh at Marlowe and Company for all of her editing work and patience with my very hectic schedule. Thank you, Barb, for writing the introduction to this book. You have been a guiding light for me, and I am grateful for your contributions to all of my cookbooks. Special thanks to Lewis Perkin for permissions to use his Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate recipe.
To Carol Dudley, my best friend, you have always been the calm in the storm for me, the person who reminds me that in breathing in, I am. I live in gratitude for our friendship.
I also want to acknowledge my mom for gifting me with her passion, her creative energy, and her love of life.
I would like to thank the following people for being my taste testers: Cary Perkins, Barb Schiltz, Sally Priest, Sheila Quinn, Dara Morgan, Marcia Doran, James Traub, Zack Rosenbloom, Liz Merrit, Debbie Freisen, Maggie Hagler, Jim OBrien, Terry OBrien, Jeffrey Fors, Jessie Bjorklund, Rory OBrien-Berthiaume, Sam Burkhart, Mike and Steve Burkhart, Stephanie Ann, Anna Columbini, ND, the staff at the Peninsula Naturopathic Clinic in Gig Harbor, Paul Reilly, ND, and his staff, the entire staff at the Functional Medicine Research Center in Gig Harbor, Daniel and Holly Roso, Chris Holts, Jen, Skylar, Zane, and Brad Lantz, Brent Holbrook, and Dan Lukaczer, who advised me to add more nuts to the peanut butter cookies!
I would also like to acknowledge those who provided tremendous encouragement and support along the way, including my sons, Jeff and Rory, who are a constant source of love and joy, my dad and brothers, Jessie Bjorklund, Connie Harrington, Kathy Granger, Pat Bujacich, Karen McDonnell, and my dear friend Stephanie Ann.
Thank you all with love and gratitude,
SUSAN
SUSAN OBRIEN is an author, baker, gourmet cook, food management consultant, cooking instructor, product development consultant, guest speaker, and the owner of two businesses, OBriens Kitchen and OBriens Consulting, LLC. She lives in Gig Harbor, Washington.
RESOURCES
WHERE CAN YOU FIND COMMON INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS BOOK?
SORGHUM FLOURI love this flour! I use it all the time. You can get it at health food stores, big chains, like Trader Joes, Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, Fresh Fields, PCC, Central Market, Marlenes Deli, Metropolitan Market, Fred Meyer, Safeway, and many other markets across the country.
AGAVE CACTUS NECTARThis can be purchased at all the same places as above. You can also buy it wholesale from Whole Foods Market, in Gig Harbor, WA (253-851-8120, 888-835-2312), and Enjoy Life Foods, in Chicago, IL (773-889-5070). If you order from either of these places, be sure to tell them Suzi OBrien sent you.
ARROWROOT POWDERThis is used to thicken sauces, or added to baked goods in place of cornstarch. Since I use it so often, I recommend you buy it and keep it in the pantry. It is available at all the places mentioned in the sorghum flour recommendations above.
BROWN RICE FLOURAgain, found at all the places mentioned above, along with your regular grocery stores. Just look in one of two places, the health food section of the store, or the flour section. It is becoming very common to find this flour in all grocery stores (with the exception of your small mom and pop stores).
XANTHAN GUMThis is used to thicken liquids, or to help baked goods stay together. What happens when you remove gluten from baked goods is that they tend to become crumbly, and fall apart easily. Xanthan gum helps to bind the ingredients together. This can be found at health food stores, some local grocery stores, and, of course, on line, or at any major health food chain, such as Whole Foods Market.
ORGANIC SHORTENINGI use Spectrum, because it is non-GMO, trans-fat free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It really is great in piecrusts. You can find it in any health food store, and most of the places mentioned above. Even our Safeway carries it, Ralphs in California, and Fred Meyer. Or look in the freezer case of health food stores and large supermarkets for Earth Balance Buttery Spread or Shortening, which are both 100 percent vegan and gluten free, and come in sticks like butter.
SOY MILKI use soy milk in many things. If you have a soy allergy, think about the consistency of the recipe, then consider your options. If you are making gravy, rice or almond milk will be fine in place of soy, but if you are adding the milk to a curry stir-fry, rice milk wont do. You may want to consider adding some coconut milk in place of soy. Before making any substitution for soy milk in my recipes, think about how flavor and consistency will be affected.
QUINOAThis is a wonderful grain. This can be found in all places mentioned above, as well as your everyday grocery store. Look in the grain section, if you are at your supermarket; it will be prepackaged. If you are at the health food store, you can buy it in bulk, or prepackaged. Its great to have in the pantry, as you can toss it in soups, salads, and so on, and it adds a wonderful nutty flavor as well as protein and fiber.
POTATO STARCH AND TAPIOCA STARCHThese ingredients can be found in all the places mentioned above and are used frequently in my recipes as wheat flour replacements.
FRUITS, VEGETABLES, BERRIES, NUTS, SEEDS, AND GRAINSThese ingredients are so important to have in the house. You can cook anything if you have the basics in the freezer, fridge, pantry, and fruit bowl. Keep these around so you make healthy choices regarding your meals and snacks. Youll feel better, and in the long term, you will stay healthy longer as you age. Be sure to buy locally and get the freshest fruits and veggies you can find. If you have a food co-op nearby, consider joining, or check around to see if your local farms sell and deliver organic produce. Many are doing that now, and you can sign up for weekly deliveries from spring until late fall.
RESOURCE GUIDE FOR GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN PRODUCTS
MY LOCAL HEALTH food store (Whole Foods Market, in Gig Harbor) is wonderful because they will order any product that I need that is not on the shelf. If you cannot find my recipes ingredients at your local grocery store, find a health food store or a gourmet food/supermarket that carries organic foods, as they will probably have them. Wild Oats, Whole Foods Markets, and Fresh Fields grocery stores all carry a wealth of gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free products. If they dont, ask them to order for you. If you dont have a health food store nearby, consider ordering supplies via the Internet. I have listed some resources here for you.
