Sunday, October 30, 2016

#REVIEW: Against All Grain Celebrations by Danielle Walker

Title: Against All Grain Celebrations
Author: Danielle Walker
Series: none
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published Date: September 27. 2016
ISBN: 978-1607749424
Pages: 352
Buy It Link: Amazon


Synopsis: When people adopt a new diet for health or personal reasons, they worry most about the parties, holidays, and events with strong food traditions, fearing their fond memories will be lost along with the newly eliminated food groups. After suffering for years with a debilitating autoimmune disease and missing many of these special occasions herself, Danielle Walker has revived the joy that cooking for holidays can bring in Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Celebrations, a collection of recipes and menus for twelve special occasions throughout the year.

Featuring a variety of birthday cakes, finger foods to serve at a baby or bridal shower, and re-creations of backyard barbecue standards like peach cobbler and corn bread, Danielle includes all of the classics. There’s a full Thanksgiving spread--complete with turkey and stuffing, creamy green bean casserole, and pies--and menus for Christmas dinner; a New Year's Eve cocktail party and Easter brunch are covered, along with suggestions for beverages and cocktails and the all-important desserts. Recipes can be mixed and matched among the various occasions, and many of the dishes are simple enough for everyday cooking. Stunning full-color photographs of every dish make browsing the pages as delightful as cooking the recipes, and beautiful party images provide approachable and creative entertaining ideas.

Making recipes using unfamiliar ingredients can cause anxiety, and while trying a new menu on a regular weeknight leaves some room for error, the meal simply cannot fail when you have a table full of guests celebrating a special occasion. Danielle has transformed her most cherished family traditions into trustworthy recipes you can feel confident serving, whether you’re hosting a special guest with food allergies, or cooking for a crowd of regular grain-eaters.

My Rating: 2 stars


My Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley.
Maybe I was just expecting something different but I was very disappointed in this book. Grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free comfort foods...it sounded like heaven! I so looked forward to the recipes in this book, but when I started delving into the recipes, they were so difficult. The ingredients aren't anywhere easy to get, the recipes take an awful long time to prepare and serve.
I just don't think it is worth the hassle.