The Dairy, Gluten, and Sugar-Free Dessert Book You NEED!

Last week my friends Maddie and Simona joined me in the kitchen to cook from It's a Pleasure, by Virpi Mikkonen. She has an amazing Instagram feed and you can follow her here. As a foodie blogger she did all the photography for the book herself and it has a beautiful minimalist vibe with great textures and accents. It's a Pleasure is a collection of dessert recipes that are all free from dairy, gluten, and refined sugar. And here at EAF we like books that are already "free-from" some common allergens because it usually means less adjusting for us! 

We made a batch of what I lovingly referred to as Mandy-friendly Bounty Bars, but they are actually chocolate-covered coconut bars and, despite my never having eaten an actual Bounty bar, I'm inclined to think these are much tastier. 

For this recipe we used unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 potato, coconut oil, organic honey, pure vanilla extract, and dark chocolate. The dark chocolate did have some added sugar however it's the most trusted brand of allergen-free chocolate around so we decided to overlook the sugar issue. 

To make the coconut center of the chocolates, Maddie peeled and chopped the potato and then simmered until cooked through. The potato acts as a binder for the coconut flakes and gives the center a nice soft texture while not altering the flavor at all.

Maddie was rocking some seriously Canadian socks

The potato was then drained and mashed until smooth. Simona added the honey, coconut flakes, vanilla, and coconut oil and mixed well. 

The "dough" was pulled apart and formed into little sausage shapes which was hilarious to watch if you tuned into our Instagram live feed. Both ladies had their own ways of doing it! The coconut centers were then put into the freezer to chill for (what we intended to be) a half hour, but actually ended up being more like 10 minutes. Also my freezer is heinously full from my farm-share stock-up so we had to move things around to shove it in. 

Killing time while we wait for the coconut+potato balls to chill

We melted the chocolate in a double boiler but if you own a microwave you could easily melt it in there. It's so hard to say I don't own a microwave without sounding like a pretentious millennial so let's just move on...

Since we hadn't let the coconut balls cool fully they wouldn't hold together when we tried to dip them in the chocolate. What can I say, we were impatient! Instead Simona transferred some chocolate to a plastic bag and drizzled it on while Maddie tested the dunking option. I can tell you that both tasted equally delicious. 

So, what do we like and dislike about this book?

We like its aesthetic and simple photography. It's a wonderful book to buy for yourself if you're learning how to eat healthier or are already practicing a sugar/gluten/dairy-free diet. It's also just a wonderful book in general aside from the health aspect. There is no compromise to flavor, texture, appearance, or accessibility of ingredients even though it's free-from. We loved this because at EAF we believe that "free-from" does not mean less-than. The recipe was easy to follow and the end product was delicious. I've already flagged a number of other recipes from this book that I want to make!

There's nothing I really disliked about the book except that it is a bit heavy on nuts and I have not found a great substitute for cashews as of yet. I also need to find a good brand of dates that doesn't have a may contain warning on it as that will open up the number of recipes I can make quite a bit. 

Overall, this book really was a pleasure to cook from!

Zahav - The Gold Standard in Cookbooks

Welcome back, EAF fans! We recently reviewed Zahav, by Michael Solomonov. When I was initially given this book I thought, oh man, I know nothing about Isreali cooking but I bet it's full of legumes and it'll be really hard to give it an allergy makeover. Thoughts of chickpea-free hummus danced sadly in my head. But then I opened it and began flipping through. There were so many possibilities, so much colour, so much STORYTELLING. I wanted to create all of it, and surprisingly much of it was already suited to my allergies. At that point I knew this book was special and that this review was going to be a lot of fun.

Madiha (right) was the guest cook working with Joella (left) and myself (behind camera) on this review. We made green tahina, Moroccan carrot salad, roasted okra, and shakshuka. So let's dive in...

Green Tehina
There's a whole section of the book devoted to this magical dip made of sesame seeds, olive oil, garlic, and other seasonings. Recipes for several variations are provided and he enforces how central this is to Israeli cuisine and many other recipes in the book. So I felt that in order to do the book justice we had to test it out. Otherwise Micheal would be sitting at his computer, reading this review, and thinking umm, did they not get it? 

The recipe didn't have to be changed to suit my allergies so that was an unexpected score. 9 times out of 10 everyone's favorite cultural dishes are comprised of ingredients that I'm deathly allergic to. So how nice to be able to just enjoy something as it was intended to be. 

I made the green tehina ahead of time for snacking while we cooked and served it with green and wax string beans and spicy radishes. I'm sure Michael Solomonov intended for it to be eaten with fresh seasonal veggies from a local farm but here's our little secret... We realized that it tastes frigging amazing with potato chips. Honestly, make a big bowl of it, get a bag of chips, and go to town. Either that or put out enough veggies to feed your guests so they don't go roaming through your cupboards. You know, whatever.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Nothing about this recipe had to be changed either! We steamed carrots and tossed them in a dressing made from the boiled down carrot water reduced with orange juice, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, and spices. I like to have an abundance of veggies with my meal and this was a great dish that I will definitely make again. A little sweet, very flavorful, and with a fresh hint of cilantro. It was easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time. 

Everyone's hair game was on point.

I popped onto the set to help whisk up some carrot water!

 Roasted Okra

And can you believe it, a third recipe that didn't have to be changed? This book is seriously awesome. And it's not a boring run-of-the-mill allergy-friendly recipe like chicken and salad either. For this dish we roasted a pan of okra until they were deep brown and crispy, then tossed with fresh tomato sauce, olive oil, lime, and cilantro. I often get pushback when I make okra for others because people tend to think of it as slimy and stringy. But I always tell them they obviously don't know how to cook it. Okra is rich and creamy inside and firm on the outside when roasted. The tomato sauce is tangy and sweet while cilantro and lemon add complexity. 

 Shakshuka
If you want to hear me stumble and mumble, just ask me to say shakshuka. We were all excited for the shakshuka because we came to realize that all our cultures (Pakistani, Indian, and Italian) have a version of eggs poached in tomato sauce. Very often when I was growing up my dad would make what we referred to as a farmer's meal. He would stir fry chopped zucchini and potatoes, add fresh herbs from the backyard, top it off with our homemade tomato sauce, and then drop in eggs at the last minute to poach. It's a dish I make all the time and one that's really close to my heart.

This version was fantastic and the flavorings were different than the ones I typically use. Instead of basil and rosemary this recipe called for paprika, cumin, coriander, and lime. I liked the change of pace and it felt like a totally new dish while still reminding me of home. 

What we loved about this book
There was so much storytelling. We loved that as a reader you could feel his passion for Israeli cuisine and got a sense of his personality (I'm looking at you, page 283) and personal story. This isn't just a collection of recipes; it's an experience. There is so much to take in from the recipes, ample photographs, and great double-page spreads, to the cultural and social info on nearly every page. 
The next item on my list to make is challah!

You can pick up your hardcover copy of Zahav here for $35 (regular price is $50)

Another successful review by your EAF team. Cheers!

It’s All Easy (and delicious)

This weekend I invited one of my closest friends, Joella, into my kitchen to test out Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook, It’s All Easy. The book is a collection of simple recipes that will feed a family and can be made quickly on a weeknight. Imagine a book for home cooks who are also busy parents and have a million tasks to accomplish after work.

I’m a fan of Gwyneth so before we dive in I’ll admit I’m biased. I loved The Royal Tenenbaums and Shallow Hal, I scroll through Goop from time to time, and I think conscious uncoupling is the most rational way to handle a split.

…And I envy her friendship with Mario Batali who I used to watch on TV all the time as a kid.

Upon opening the book there were some recipes that jumped out at me immediately. The chicken piccata, which we did make, looked stunning. The photographs in this book are top notch and create a whole atmosphere for the reader. I love that she included shots not only of the food but of her home, her interactions – her lifestyle.

I strongly agree with her statement that food doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. Several of her recipes are ones my nonna always makes, or ones I gravitate towards on weeknights. I pretty much never eat out unless I’m so exhausted Bran feels I’m at risk of fainting. And that is a very rare occurrence. I just love to cook, it’s what I do. I look forward to it at the end of the day, I often plan what I’m going to cook the night before, and I feel very satisfied when I hear murmurs of approval when others eat my food. Joella also cooks at home all the time, especially since she’s striving to incorporate more protein into her diet.

So let’s jump right in. We made three recipes from the book: Jessica’s coconut latte, lemon and herb pasta with cherry tomatoes, and chicken piccata.

Coconut Latte
We began with this recipe because we needed a little pick-me-up after work and before we poured the wine. How delicious does a coconut latte sound? I love that this recipe didn’t have to be altered to suit my allergies in any way. Very simply coconut oil, sugar, and espresso, all ingredients I already had on hand. We both loved the rich flavor of this drink and I actually went on to make Bran and myself one on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Once we were woken up we poured some wine and got ready to start cooking. Joella chose the soundtrack for the evening. We listened first to Koop Island and then some early Norah Jones (a favorite of both of ours). Our strategy was to begin the chicken and pasta in unison and hope they also finished cooking at the same time.

Chicken Piccata

Look at your food lovingly

Chicken in a delicate lemon and herb sauce with capers and lemon slices. I’ve had this dish many times before or variations of it using white wine or some broth. We sauteed the chicken breasts after dredging in flour, then added lemon slices and juice, capers, and Earth Balance vegan spread instead of butter. Again it was super easy to use substitutes for allergens, the only allergen being butter. The chicken was tender and saucy and we ate the entire plate. I could easily see myself recreating this meal some other time or especially if I had a group to feed. We served it on a bed of arugula.

Lemon and Herb Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Once again, this recipe was conducive to eating allergen-free. We just left out the parmesan but stuck to the recipe otherwise. It was a lot of food. You could easily serve a whole family with this dish and then have some leftover for lunches. It’s Sunday night and I still have a container full in my fridge. My only negative comment is that I felt like I needed a paella pan to simmer the pasta and tomatoes together. Joella also had a point of criticism as she thought it could have been more flavorful. It’s likely that the parmesan would have made up for that. In future I’ll add more garlic and some lemon.

We created a warm, cosy atmosphere to suit the book and meal. Then Jo got very tired of waiting for me to finish taking photos and we finally sat down to eat.

And we then we dug in! In a big way. It was somehow already 11:30 and we were starving, although we have a habit of talking so much when we’re together that we always lose track of time. Clearly this night was no exception. After scarfing down a huge helping each we settled in to watch the new season of Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix.

What we loved
This book really is great for anyone living with food allergies like myself.
There were tons of beautiful photographs that inspired me to cook.
Gwyneth gave us a window into her life which made the book feel very personal.
The recipes really were easy and used accessible ingredients.
Portion sizes were ideal for serving a family.
There are a ton of recipes in this book. A ton!

Our ratings
Accessibility of ingredients: 10/10
Flavor level: 8/10
Stunning photographs: 10/10
Covetable lifestyle and killer interior design skills: 15/10
Jessica Seinfeld’s coconut latte: priceless.

It’s All Easy sells for CAD $42.00. It’s hardcover bound with dust jacket and is available at Indigo in store or Indigo.ca

Love & Lemons & Peonies & Purple

Love and Lemons (not to be confused with the lingerie brand) is not only a popular food blog but is now a gorgeous hardcover cookbook. I recently met Jeanine, the creator of the blog and book, at an event at Indigo's home office in Toronto. She made a couple quick recipes for us to sample and I was impressed by how fresh and bright everything was. I got a copy of the book (yay!) which she kindly signed for me.

Skimming through the recipes I was looking for something allergy-friendly of course, but also something I could make using ingredients I already had in my fridge and pantry. Karrie, star of Guy & Girl Nerd Duo and writer of the lifestyle site Karrie Kwong (above) is a very beginner cook so I made sure to select recipes that were foolproof and fast. Cooking outside your comfort zone is a great way to expand your knowledge, but in this case we were just looking to have fun and enjoy a delicious meal together. I chose two recipes; Coconut Rice with Brussel Sprouts, and Veggie Ceviche.

Coconut Rice with Brussel Sprouts

I love how green this recipe is. So healthy, quick, and easy. In case you haven't heard, plates are out and bowls are in. Vegan bowls, smoothie bowls, rice bowls; they're trending. I highly suggest you buy a small cat bowl like the one pictured above, because it's just so damn cute.

Karrie chopped up the green onion, basil, chili, and avocado, then peeled the Brussel sprouts and cut them in half. She fried them lightly in coconut oil until the sides were golden brown, then whipped up the tangy dressing. The rice was cooked in coconut milk which not only means you get the health benefits of coconut but the taste and richness too. She piled a couple spoons of rice into a deep bowl and then added all the veggies. Jeanine suggests adding other veggies such as asparagus to the bowl. I would definitely do that next time as I felt like I was left wanting for more green and more crunch, despite the recipe being quite satisfying. I think adding more variety would also bulk it up a bit and make it more filling for dinner.

Veggie Ceviche
This is a nice salad to accompany a main course. We served it with the rice bowl above, but I think it would go great with grilled beef or chicken. Love & Lemons is not a vegetarian or vegan book but the recipes are organized by vegetable and so it lends itself to being a generally plant-based cookbook. At her home office appearance Jeanine explained that although she does prefer to eat veggie meals at home, she isn't necessarily a vegetarian 100% of the time. I can definitely relate to that, as I tend not to eat meat at home if I'm cooking for myself, and only really eat it if I'm cooking for friends, family, my boyfriend, or dining out.

Joella, social media manager and the person who keeps my head on straight, caught in the background working the Snap Chat

This salad consisted of several vegetables and an apple roughly diced, then tossed in a lime and herb dressing. I notice that her style of cooking is light on oil which is such a change from my usual inclinations. I'm all about the olive oil, all the time.

Things we Loved
The book is really easy to navigate as it is organized by fruit/vegetable. You can easily see what you have in your fridge, look it up in the book, and plan a meal around it. In that sense it's very practical.

The recipes are all easy. Even Karrie, who is definitely a beginner and, when handed a sharp knife audibly whined and said "BUT GUYS I DON'T KNOW HOW TO COOK", managed to make this meal in an hour without the loss of any fingers or eyelashes.

Health is front and centre. This is not a diet book by any means but it is definitely an aspirational way to eat.

The photography is stunning and will make you crave all the fruits and veggies! And Jeanine did it all herself. So how do ya like them apples?

Allergy Rating

I can't honestly say that the recipes are super friendly towards allergies, specifically the top 8 allergens. There are a lot of legumes, nuts, cheese, and eggs throughout the book. However I did find that ingredients were simple enough to substitute so it was not limiting. If you know your typical ingredients to sub in, you should be fine.

You can pick up your copy of the book here

Happy cooking!

Hot Thai Kitchen: Flavor Galore

This past weekend Rya and I tested out a new cookbook called Hot Thai Kitchen, written by Pailin “Pai” Chongchitnant, a blogger, Youtuber, and TV personality whose brand goes by the same name.

The book is both recipes and cultural study, teaching readers how to eat like the Thai, what to drink, what utensils to use, what types of dishes a meal is composed of. She lays out the categories: stir fry, soups, curries, salads, vegetarian and vegan, dips and sauces, and desserts. Rya and I were both struck by how different Thai desserts are from North American ones. Soup for dessert? Sounds unusual but looks delicious. We did feel that the recipe portion started a little late into the book. We would have liked more recipes plus all the information to start with. Pai includes a great section on allergies and Thai food. Most North American Thai restaurants are known for serving pad Thai and using an abundance of peanuts. She points out that this isn't "true" Thai cooking and not all dishes contain nuts. She also lists substitutes, for example, using sesame or sunflower seeds in place of peanuts when cooking at home. We both liked how she suggested the reader seek out a replacement. Think about what function the ingredient serves in the dish and then brainstorm an ingredient with similar properties (is it crunchy, liquid, sweet, etc.). Giving mention to a current, growing, dietary restriction made the book feel more modern and accommodating to those of us who have always felt they had to steer clear of this cuisine.

There were quite a few interesting spices, herbs, and flavorings used in many of the recipes, especially the curries. For example, galangal, finger root, and tamarind juice. These aren't flavors either of us use in our everyday cooking. Pai includes a chart to organize the category and function of each main ingredient. The dishes we chose used green onion, cilantro, mint, and lemongrass as main flavorings.

I have to thank Pai for introducing me to toasted rice powder. I cannot believe I had never made it before. We wanted to put it on everything! The taste and texture add so much to a dish. I'm already imagining how I can incorporate it into a chocolate dessert, or how I can blend it with coconut milk to make "ice cream" and then sprinkle more on top. You really must try it. I made about 6 tbsp of it and it was nearly finished by the end of the meal. Considering it was supposed to be a garnish I would say that's pretty impressive.

(From left to right: uncooked sticky rice, toasted rice, toasted rice powder, cooked sticky rice)

We soundtracked the night with some deep house music...

And then we got to cooking.

The recipes were selected based on our dietary restrictions (no dairy, nuts, peanuts, legumes, shellfish, sugar, or caffeine), the ingredients that were readily available, and what looked most amazing in the photos (because everything looked pretty kickass to us). We didn't make one item from each of the categories she talked about in the introduction, but we did choose a salad and a stir fry and served with sticky rice.

Grilled Beef "Waterfall" Salad

We made a couple amendments to the recipe, using honey instead of sugar, eliminating white pepper and black soy sauce which I strangely couldn't find in store, and leaving out the fish sauce to suit our allergies. I have a charcoal BBQ so we were able to get a great sear on the outside of the beef with that rich charcoal flavor.

This recipe was very simple to make and the beef could easily be marinated the day prior to enhance its flavor and save time before dinner. The dish was full of mint and cilantro, and crunchy from the shallots and rice powder. It was richly flavorful and abundant in portion. My boyfriend joined us for dinner (and did the barbecuing) and we still had a lot leftover.

Mixed Mushroom and Mint Salad

It was around the time that we finished chopping the herbs for the second dish that we realized we had chosen 2 recipes that were nearly identical in composition and flavor base, except one was made with mushrooms and one with beef. Oh well, we love mint and cilantro! And we sure ate a lot of it.

The flavors of lime and lemongrass came through more clearly in the mushroom dish, and the textures complimented each other well to make each bite meaty and crunchy. Beef and mushroom go really well together and these two dishes surely did as well.

Our bountiful meal, ready to consume with a cold beer in hand.

The next recipe from this book that I'm keen to try is the holy basil chicken fried rice with fried egg, and the fried plantains for dessert.

Rya and I felt that this book is ideal for anyone who is planning a trip to Thailand, interested in Thai culture, or wants to learn Thai cuisine. As a number of the ingredients were unfortunately difficult for us to find I would say it's maybe not ideal for everyday cooking unless you have a good Asian grocery store near you. The recipes require a moderate level of culinary skill so we would recommend it to the more seasoned home cook over a beginner.

The photos are tantalizing and rich in color and texture. Every dish looked delicious and the food in real life actually looks like it does in the photos. Shots of Thai markets, spice baskets, and closeups of chili's and other ingredients will make you fall in love with this cuisine. The tribute to her family in the intro made me feel a sense of homeliness about the food and enforced the feeling of food being deeply rooted in her culture and upbringing.

Our overall rating is 7 stars. Go buy your copy today

Another cookbook test success! 

Sugar-Free Baking With Rya

Over the weekend I invited my good pal Rya into my kitchen to bake some sugar and allergen-free sweets. We flipped through the books above and selected a couple recipes that sounded delicious.

I Quit Sugar, by Sarah Wilson
The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking, by Reinhart and Wallace

They're really beautiful books

We used a few specialty products that can be found at any Whole Foods, specialty/health food store, and even at some run of the mill grocery stores
- Enjoy Life flour blend
- Date Lady pure date syrup
- Let's Do Organic coconut flakes
- Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread

We began with a very simple recipe from I Quit Sugar.

Coconut Chips: free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, soy, egg, sugar, gluten
First we toasted a good helping (about 1.5 cups) of coconut flakes for around 5 minutes on medium heat and seasoned with a sprinkle of salt and cinnamon.

Then we put them in a bowl...

...and ate them. How wonderfully easy? They were an awesome finger food that went well with the cinnamon pumpkin seeds I had out as well

There are so many recipes in this book that we wanted to make, especially a coconut cream that I know Rya is eager to try out. We really liked that the author used a lot of crossover ingredients so that you won't be stuck with a specialty ingredient that you'll never use again.

Next we moved on to The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking. From this book we made a batch of jam thumbprint cookies and substituted the flour mix the recipe called for with Enjoy Life gluten and allergen-free flour. We also made our own jam and used The Date Lady pure date syrup instead of sugar. 10 points for us!

These cookies are free from: gluten, dairy, nuts, peanuts, and sugar

Rya cracked a few eggs into a large mixing bowl

Then she added melted Earth Balance and whisked well

After mixing in the dry ingredients she picked up 1 tbsp dollops of dough and rolled each one into a ball

Then she laid them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and punched a well in the centre with her finger

We had prepared some jam ahead of time by simmering 2 peeled, cored, and diced pears with about 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries and 1 tbsp of date syrup for 40 minutes. Then we blended it in my handy Magic Bullet before spooning into the dough wells

After placing for the trays in a preheated 350F oven for 8 minutes, then changing racks and baking for another 8 minutes....

We had these amazing cookies! They would go really well with a cup of herbal tea or decaf coffee (Rya has been caffeine-free for some time now).

I highly recommend you pick up one or both of these books! If you have cookbook suggestions or recipes you'd like me to review, please let me know in the comments section or by email or social media.

A Sirocco Blows Through Toronto

Upon opening Sabrina Ghayour’s cookbook, I learned a few things. First, she cleared up what the title means (thank god, I hadn’t a clue). She defines a sirocco as a “hot, dry wind blowing from East to West, often carrying with it flavors of the Mediterranean.” Next I learned that although I couldn’t find some of the key flavors commonly found in the book, it would be okay because she designed the recipes to not be reliant on one main ingredient. Admittedly I was concerned when I did my initial flip-through because I knew I would have trouble finding sumac and other spices at my closest Loblaws. Knowing that we could carry on without them allowed me to keep my options open when selecting recipes.

I welcomed two of my close friends, Joella and Cailen, into my kitchen to prepare three recipes and share a meal together. Joella’s a pro now, this being her third book review on my site! And Cailen is pretty skilled in the kitchen as I came to learn.

We agreed that the aesthetic of the book is very “Instagram-y”, especially with the table of contents arranged like a grid and the photos altered with a hazy filter making them super grammable.

Lamb Lettuce Wraps

So we made a major substitution here and used beef tenderloin instead of lamb because Loblaws had a great sale and I couldn’t resist. The marinade tasted amazing and I know it would also have been fab on lamb. It consisted of soy sauce, honey, cumin, garlic, and a ton of cinnamon. We let the meat marinate while we put together the kale salad (below). Just before serving we made the peanut sauce, using sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter. There was a lot of sauce left over so I think in future I would maybe make half the recommended amount. The beef was so rich and juicy, and the cinnamon added the most amazing depth of flavor. We grilled it using a Persian style of metal kebab stick, although you could fry the meat as per the recipe. The lettuce cups and “peanut” sauce helped to round out and freshen up the aromatic marinade. This was such a wonderful dish and I would definitely make it again. It’s perfect for entertaining.

Marinated Kale Salad

The kale salad also had to sit and marinate so we worked on that right after dressing the raw beef. Kale is such a thick, tough green that absorbs dressing really well. After a few hours in the fridge it had soaked up the apple-based pureed vinaigrette while still having great texture and color. We all agreed that it wasn’t the right salad to accompany the beef, so that was poor menu curation on my part. But I would definitely make it again and serve with a simpler protein like grilled chicken or shrimp. 

Caramelized Fennel

Being Italian, I’m no stranger to cooking with fennel or snacking on it raw, though I’ve never had it prepared like this. Jo coated the chunks of fennel in powdered sugar and then Cailen gave them a light fry in olive oil. Something went a little wrong with the herb sauce; it smelled great but it was a lot thicker than we figured it was supposed to be. It was about 10pm by the time we got around to the end of the meal prep and we decided to sacrifice the sauce so we could sit down and eat. The fennel was a close contender for best dish, really yummy and caramelized. The sugar wasn’t overpoweringly sweet like I thought it would be and actually gave it a nice creamy texture. 

The next recipes I can’t wait to make
Marinated Scallops (pg. 100) – HUGE cravings for this one
Eastern-Style Salmon Tartare (pg. 103)
Nectarine Pavlova (pg. 222)

How it rated for allergy-friendliness
I’ll be honest and say this book has a lotta nuts, legumes, and dairy (mainly yoghurt). Every recipe had to be altered but as I’ve mentioned in the past that’s totally cool with me. Recipes are for inspiration, not following the steps with precision. The goal is to make wonderful  food that you’ll enjoy and by using Ghayour’s recipes as a base I was able to make substitutions to suit my needs and everything turned out well.

You can pick up a copy of Sirocco at Indigo online or in store for $39.95 CAD

What a beautiful table (if I do say so myself)

And it looks much better with friends sitting around it!