Elizabeth Gordon - Simply allergy-free: quick and tasty recipes for every night of the week

W hen I sat down to write this book, I asked myself what I wanted to accomplish this time around. With my first book, I wanted to show my readers that they could be terrific bakers despite multiple food allergies. In my second book, I set out to create recipes that were evocative of happy times, times spent with family and friends; I wanted to share familiar recipes that could be passed down through the generations, recipes that transcended food allergies and tasted delicious. But with this book, I want to invite you, dear reader, into my kitchen and give you access to the dishes that I really cook every single day. I want to show you that my food allergies are not a hindrance; they are a lifestyle. My food allergies do not make my life expensive or labor-intensive.

Long before I wrote cookbooks, I was just a girl in Ohio. My mother cooked for us every night, and though I know that this sounds very Norman Rockwell, in fact, it was quite pragmatic. Yes, of course, we sat down as a family every night and talked about our days, but really these family dinners were about making food that was budget conscious, quick, and healthy. Today, I cook dinner for my family as many nights a week as I possibly can. Its less expensive and safer for me to eat this way, because there is little risk for an allergic reaction when I know all the ingredients in my food. Thanks to work, school, extracurricular activities, and life in general, this scenario isnt always realistic for every family, every night, but I still believe in cooking dinner as often as possible. You will see that many of the recipes in this book are freezer friendly and can be made ahead of time so that you can get dinner on the table lickety-split. There are several slow-cooker recipes in this book, because I found that using the slow cooker lets me out of the kitchen to spend a few extra minutes with my children and to enjoy all of the other aspects of my life.

To me, life is about wonderful celebrations, family, and friends, but it is also about daily living and living each day to the fullest. I like to make things that are interesting, colorful, wheat- and egg-free for me, and that I could just as likely serve on a Tuesday night as on Thanksgiving. I do not like to make fussy or expensive things, just straightforward, practical, delicious food that doesnt cost a fortune to prepare. Its important to me that these recipes can be mixed and matched to form fantastic menus and that the leftovers from tonights dinner could be reworked just a little to make something delicious tomorrow night. I like to think of these recipes as the little black dress of my pantrysimple and economical fare that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. The foundations of a great meal, these are recipes that never go out of style.

To me, beauty and adventure are also important to daily living, and I like my recipes to reflect both. Eating is just as much a visual experience as it is about flavors and textures, so I try to create colorful recipes that not only taste delicious but also look appealing. Variety is also important from both a taste and health perspective. No one, not even our taste buds, likes being bored, and I truly believe that multiple food allergies should never translate into bland food. Hence, you will find many different ethnic foods within these pages.

I hope that you will find Simply Allergy-Free the definitive book on quick and easy gluten-, dairy-, soy-, nut-, and egg-free daily dining. The recipes inside are delicious and beautiful, things you will want to serve again and again, dishes for weeknights and special occasions alike. From Apple Streusel Cake (), I hope that you will enjoy this peek into my gluten-, dairy-, soy-, nut-, and egg-free recipe box. This is how my family eats every day of the year, and I hope yours will, too.