In this day and age, many of us either struggle with our own dietary restrictions and sensitivities or cook for someone who does. As I am not proficient in cooking with such restrictions, I suspect that, in many of these cases, you will know more about the subject than I ever could.
In the back of this book is a helpful list of all the recipes covered, organized into sections for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free cooking. In addition, a number of recipes are marked to indicate that, with a few small changes, they can be made to fit one of those categories. Here are a few guidelines to help you customize the recipes in this book into something you can enjoy worry-free.
While there are many recipes in this book suited to a vegetarian lifestyle, there are also a number that can be adapted for a vegetarian diet.
Depending on the recipe, the change might be as simple as swapping the chicken broth for a vegetable- or mushroom-based broth. Love the sound of a sauce that’s meant to go over a piece of meat? Pour it over your favorite meat-substitute or grilled vegetables instead.
A wide array of gluten-free flour mixes is commercially available both online and in many grocery shops, and these have been exhaustively tested to perform as well as possible in both baking and cooking. Here are some basic guidelines:
Breads: These can be among the trickiest recipes to adapt for a GF lifestyle. Generally, I would recommend adding what makes the loaf unique to your favorite GF bread recipe, as with the recipes for Mulgore Spice Bread and Kaldorei Pine Nut Bread. Or, in the case of Soft Banana Bread or Sweet Potato Bread, try substituting a one-to-one GF flour for the regular versions in the recipes.
Thickening: If a small amount of flour is included in a recipe as a thickening agent, try substituting cornstarch, rice flour, or your favorite GF flour mix.
Above all, don’t be afraid to experiment. Even if you don’t need to change anything for a dietary concern, feel free to toy with the ingredients lists. The best recipe in the world is still just a starting point, so adapt to your own tastes and inspirations. Play, eat, enjoy!