Living With Wellness: Gluten, Casein and Nightshade-Free Cooking Paperback – October 15, 2012

It didn't occur to me until recently to search for a nightshade free cookbook. I of course know how to omit nightshades from recipes, but mentally I felt deprived. As if the dish was incomplete, which it was. So imagine my surprise when I found a cookbook that also excludes wheat (technically gluten doesn't bother me, but wheat does) and cow diary, my other two sensitivities. After living with rheumatoid arthritis for many years and taking scary drugs, I did an elimination diet and determined these sensitivities. Avoiding them (or trying to!) has helped me get rid of a drug that seemed worse for me than the RA itself.To get my daughter invested in my cooking/sensitivity journey, I let her pick the appetizer, main dish, side dish and dessert to test this cookbook. Her best friend happened to be spending the day, so we shopped and cooked together. Daughter picked kale chips, sweet and sour bok choy, and Southern Comfort pork chops, as well as a family favorite apple crisp from a different source.The kale chips were good, standard recipe, nothing new or exciting but tasty. The sweet and sour bok choy was a tad too sweet for me, but it would be very easy to reduce the sugar some. Daughter and her friend loved it, and they made it together almost all by themselves (10 and 11 y.o.). The friend has never enjoyed bok choy before, so I'm happy to say we converted her. It was a very easy, fast recipe. The store I shop at didn't have full size bok choy, only baby bok choy. I used 8 baby bok choy, easily could have halved the sauce recipe or used twice the baby bok choy. The Southern Comfort pork chops were very good, and I'm happy to have a recipe to replace my favorite mustard and butter sauce for meat. This uses goat yogurt instead of butter, and is very good (doesn't taste goatie). If you don't have Southern Comfort or don't want to buy any, you could easily substitute white wine or chicken broth. This too was an easy recipe.I feel a little silly saying this, but I was brought to tears when I first paged through this book. While it is quite small, only about 43 recipes total, there is nothing off limits in it! I've been avoiding wheat, cow dairy and nightshades for about 3 years and this book is a blessing. I'm very pleased with the flavor and simplicity of these first recipes, and I look forward to trying the rest.Since I'm a busy mom, and this book is inexpensive, I ended up ordering a second one, to keep at work. This will cut down on last minute quandaries of what to pick up at the store on my way home from work.Thank you Ms. Pelletier, for putting together a handy little go-to cookbook that I can learn and master, no substitutions needed. Tonight, I didn't feel deprived. We had a feast, and we even used the good china.

Loved the clear description of the reasons for eating gluten and nightshade free. Thin book, lays flat. I am an inexperienced cook the menus look easy. I can use this for my own nighshade free diet and for relatives who need gluten free.

I am thankful to Monica Pelletier for putting together this little book for those of us who have multiple food sensitivities, including nightshades. Being new to gluten free (but not to nightshade free) I have found it frustrating to find potato and tomato in so many other recipe books. The addition of nutritional information and tips on preparation for many of her recipes is a plus.The recipes in this book are beautifully presented, but the text could use some additional editing to catch the many spelling errors.

Good if you want recipes in book form. Otherwise you can find most of the recipes online for free.

Didn't really care for the recipes. I may only use a few. Recently quit eating nightshades and was looking for more help.

It's in perfect condition...like new. Well described buy seller.

IF YOU ARE GLUTEN-SENSITIVE OR JUST WANT TO BEGIN DOING THINGS THAT ARE SO MUCH BETTER FOR YOUR BODY, THIS IS A "MUST HAVE"ADDITION TO YOUR KITCHEN!!!

Beautiful book with many yummy recipes. Buy it! You will be glad you did. Met all my needs. Wonderful gift, too.