Review: What Else is to Eat?

Summary: "What Else is to Eat?" features recipes for foods that everyone can enjoy, whether they have food allergies or not. Main dishes, side dishes, breakfast foods, and baked goods are all included. With an emphasis on fast and easy recipes that use "normal," easy-to-find ingredients, this book is designed for today's busy lifestyles. -- Plumtree Press

I was so excited to receive an e-mail from Linda Coss telling me that she has a new cookbook available -- WHAT ELSE IS TO EAT? THE DAIRY-, EGG-, AND NUT-FREE FOOD ALLERGY COOKBOOK. I shamelessly begged her for a copy so I could share it with you. As many of you might know, I have a four year old son who is allergic to a lot of foods. I know some of you are in the same predicament, and that's why I am so thrilled to tell you about these cookbooks.

I am a huge fan of Ms. Coss' first cookbook, WHAT'S TO EAT? THE MILK-FREE, EGG-FREE, NUT-FREE FOOD ALLERGY COOKBOOK. My son is allergic to all three things mentioned in the title, so I knew I had to have it. There are so many wonderful recipes and helpful hints in this cookbook. There is one recipe in this book, though, that makes it definitely worth the cover price for me. It's the recipe for Holiday Cut-Out Cookies. Every holiday, birthday and major event, my friend and I make cut-out cookies and decorate them. They are always a huge hit with the kids (and many parents too!) Of course, my son could never eat them because sugar cookies are filled with butter, eggs and milk. He didn't really care until he turned 3, and then he began begging me for his own cookies -- it just broke my heart. Thanks to Ms. Coss' cookbook, I can now make him cut-out cookies; and just last month for his birthday, I make him ones that looked like the characters in the Cars Movie. As a mother of a young child who is always being left out at parties when it comes to food, this recipe has really changed his life.

Ms. Coss' new cookbook WHAT ELSE IS TO EAT? is just as good, if not better, than her first one! Of course, I headed straight to the dessert sections of the cookbook because that's what I find the most fun to cook (and eat.) There are so many "real" recipes for bread, muffins, cookies and cake. In addition, I really liked the soup recipes that were included in the cookbook as well as many of the chicken ones. The ingredients are all regular, normal, healthy things that I can find at my local grocery store. And, the recipes were for normal foods that my entire family would eat. So often, I find myself cooking something different for my son because none of us want to eat foods that are dairy-, egg-, and nut-free.

What I most loved about this book was how quick and simple the recipes are. I'm not a gourmet chef, and I really don't have the time or inclination to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I thought Ms. Coss' recipes were very do-able and healthy to boot! There were also quite a few slow-cooker recipes which work well with moms' and kids' busy schedules. I can definitely see myself trying out many of the main dish recipes in the next few weeks.

In addition to these two cookbooks, Ms. Coss has also written a book called HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CHILD'S LIFE-THREATENING FOOD ALLERGIES. This, too, is a wonderful book for any parent who has a child with food allergies. Basically, this book includes the following:
1) The Food Allergy "Instruction Manual" - get step-by-step information to make your child's life safe
2) Practical, Sensible Advice - learn details on how to handle common and dangerous situations
3) An "Encyclopedia" in 200 Pages - covers topics including how to treat allergic reactions, how to buy and cook foods, how to make your house safe, and how to teach other's about your child's allergies.

I can't stress enough how wonderful Ms. Coss' books are for parents of children with food allergies. I think they are must-haves for parents like me who are constantly dealing with this very scary situation. Ms. Coss has lots of experience with food allergies. She has led a support group for parents of children with food allergies for over 10 years; and she is the mother of a teenage with multiple potentially fatal food allergies.

If you'd like to get an idea of some of the recipes in these cookbooks, there is a table of contents and recipe list here (there are also some actual recipes too.) And if you want to learn more or are interested in purchasing any (or all) of Ms. Coss' books, click here. Shipping is free on all orders with U.S. mailing addresses. In addition, you can request the books to be autographed; and there are special rates when ordering more than one book.