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 Alisa Fleming ~ I used to think gluten-free Asian cooking simply involved substituting wheat-free tamari for regular soy sauce, but in recent years I’ve discovered that it means so much more. Gluten lingers in many of the popular sauces, from hoisin to oyster, and wheat-based wrappers, noodles, and dumplings are actually quite prominent in everyday Asian cuisine. As someone who adores Asian food, the very concept of not enjoying a good Chinese stir fry or a comforting bowl of soba noodles sends chills down my spine. Fortunately, should I need to go gluten-free in the future, Laura Russell has me covered with her new cookbook, The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen.
The official release date for this gem is August 22, 2011 – but, it is available now for presale, and I was fortunate enough to get a sneak preview of the entire book. All I can say is WOW. If you love the various Asian cuisines as much as I do, then I recommend ordering this cookbook NOW. Here are some of the highlights from The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen (in my opinion):
- 100 recipes including cuisines of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam
- Full color photography – not with every recipe, but definitelysome nice eye-candy
- A good primer (including a handy chart!) on gluten in Asian ingredients and gluten-free options
- From scratch recipes for sauces (like Teriyaki Sauce, Nuoc Cham, and Fresh Green Curry Paste ) and bready items (like Gingery Pork Potstickers and Mandarin Pancakes)
- A nice assortment of “classic” recipes combined with some fun new twists - Korean-style Chicken Tacos anyone?
Just a few of the recipes that I plan to trial from The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen include the following: Lemongrass Shrimp Skewers, Vientamese-Style Sizzling Rice Crepes, Eggplant with Sweet Miso Glaze, Chinese Barbecued Pork, Japanese Pub Fried Chicken, Banana and Sweet Potato Fritters, and of course those Gingery Pork Potstickers! I’ve always wanted to make potsticker dough from scratch, and the photo (on the cover) looks beyond enticing. To note, for those who can't eat eggs, there are quite a few sweet and savory recipes in this book that call for eggs, but all of the recipes in The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen are within limits for gluten-free and dairy-free dieters. If you confuse eggs with dairy, you aren't alone. See this post for an explanation. Laura B. Russell is the former associate editor of Food & Wine cookbooks, the “Gluten-Freedom” columnist for the Oregonian and a frequent contributor to Prevention magazine. She has followed a gluten-free diet since 2004. Laura lives in Portland, Oregon, and I’m certain she will be doing some signings there once this new cookbook finally hits the shelves. But you can pre-order a copy of The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen from Amazon to get one hot off the presses! For more reviews of The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen, see the following blogs: This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets. 
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