Allergy Free At Last! by Leiba Bibla

Allergy Free At Last!
Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, and More!
By Leiba Bibla
Israel Book Shop: 2007
ISBN: 978-60091-028-9

Reviewed by Anna Dogole - August 10, 2007

Allergy Free At Last! is an invaluable cookbook for anyone dealing with food allergies - or who is cooking for someone with food allergies. This cookbook includes, as the subtitle indicates, a wealth of Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, and Gluten-Free recipes. The cookbook is also Peanut-Free! Allergy Free At Last! is also, to my knowledge, the only Kosher allergy cookbook available!

This cookbook was written by Leiba Bibla who entered the sometimes difficult realm of allergy free cooking when her son developed food allergies. She developed the recipes in this cookbook during the process of trying to create dishes for him that were both nutritious and tasty. The end result is a wide selection of easy to prepare, delectable recipes that are suitable for the whole family. She has also included a selection of Yom Tov and Shabbos dishes. In addition, she has listed the correct Bracha to say over each dish such as Mezonos, Shehakol, Ha'etz, Hamotzi, and Ha'adama.

The recipes in this cookbook are organized thematically, with sections covering

Appetizers & Beverages
Soups & Salads
Vegetables & Side Dishes
Main Dishes
Breads & Rolls
Desserts
Cookies & Candy
This & That
This final category includes recipes for such items as toothpaste, baby food, snacks, and Yom Tov specialties such as Chrain and Charoses.

Not all of the recipes in this cookbook are totally allergen free (that would be impossible). For example there is one bread recipe that calls for both wheat and yeast, and some that have beans (a food allergy that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with peanut allergies). Rather than every recipe being totally allergen-free, what these recipes do is to provide you with a wide selection of dishes that are basically allergen-free that you can then further modify to meet your own specific allergy or health needs. For those with celeriac disease, all of the gluten-free recipes are marked with a star.

As someone with food allergies, and who also cooks for youngsters with food allergies - this book is fantastic! So far every recipe that I've tried from this book has turned out wonderfully. The directions are easy to follow, and for the most part, the ingredients are easy to find. Although for some you might need to visit a large or specialty market when it comes to obtaining such items as goats' milk and blue cornmeal. If you cannot obtain these ingredients - never fear, they are easily exchanged for more readily available items, such as for the goats' milk you can use soy or rice milk.

Throughout Allergy Free At Last!, Mrs. Bibla has also included a host of handy tips, explanations of some of the more unusual food ingredients, and menu suggestions for Yom Tov and Shabbos. The cookbook is also spiral bound, enabling the book to lay flat when open, a trait that I find very helpful! I wholeheartedly recommend Allergy Free At Last! for anyone in need of an allergen-free, Kosher cookbook! Even if you don't have any food allergies or sensitivies - you'll find this an excellent cookbook to have on hand, both for the ideas it offers and for use in case you have a guest over who has food allergies.

Here is a brief sampling of some of the diverse recipes that you'll find in this invaluable cookbook:

Cholent
Challah
Bagels
Kneidlach (Matzo Balls)
Chunky Tomato Sauce
Syrian-Style Potato Salad
Potato Knishes
Sweet Luckshen Kugel
Egg-Free Gefilte Fish
Glazed Chicken
Stuffed Backed Acorn Squash
Fleishige Lasagna
Falafel
Dark Carob Cake
Zucchini Bread
Cinnamon Buns
Honey Cookies for Rosh Hashana
and much, much more....

Related Reviews:

That Hungarian's in My Kitchen, by Linda F. Radke.
125 Hungarian American Kosher recipes that are tried and true recipes compiled from members of the Weiss family. The recipes in this cookbook run the gamut from Challahs and Hungarian Goulashes to Sweet Potato Tzimmes and Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage.
ESRA's Soups & Salads, edited by Meira Applebaum, et.al.
More than 200 mouth-watering recipes compiled by the English Speaking Residents Association in Israel. Run completely by volunteers, this group manages a host of community action and welfare programs.

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