Surprise! It’s Gluten Free was a good combination of recipes that anyone can follow. Those that are gluten free know the struggle of finding easy, tasty recipes. This book definitely delivers this and more.
I would recommend this book whether you are gluten free or not, the recipes are just that good!
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I can't wait to try these recipes. I am not allergic to gluten or anything but trying to get in shape and find recipes that doesn't flare up health conditions I have. So hopefully these will be yummy!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* has a lot of good recipes so i gave it a four but i would likely not buy it for myself as i already know many of them :o

This is the first gluten-free book where I’m actually wanting to make recipes that are gluten-free. Usually, I turn up my nose, but not with this. My only complaint is that there needs to be more photos. The only recipes I am tempted to make are the ones that are pictured.

Full of great recipes and I enjoyed it so much I purchased a physical copy for myself! The photos are mouth-watering and the recipes are easy to follow.

This cook book is a very interesting idea. I am always searching for gluten free and dairy free recipes to cook and bake for my family and this gave me some more inspiration. The main basis of the recipes calls for a gluten free flour recipe that is used in all of the recipes and I was hoping for a little bit more of variety of ingredients. The photographs are interesting and overall I liked this book but did not love it.

This has to be one of the best gluten free cookbooks I've seen. The blend works well in these recipes and my own, for starters. I have been baking my way through this book and so far all recipes are hits with my kids. Thank you to the author for creating these straightforward delicious recipes.

Jennifer Fisher’s Surprise! It’s Gluten-Free! has some basic information for those just receiving a diagnosis and needing to go gluten free. She does walk through combining some different flours to make blends and what various things are. However, I was surprised to see the omission of several gluten free flours that are staples in our gluten free home.

Many of the baking recipes are standard fare for a gluten free cookbook. I also found it surprising that she included so many recipes which are already gluten free rather than adding new recipes which could expand the average menu for families newly needing to go gluten free.

The information in this book isn’t for experienced gluten free families, and there is missing information for those newly dealing with removing gluten free. However, I do applaud any book which attempts to help families dealing with Celiac or food allergies. Most of us were there at some point.

This book has a lot of interesting gluten-free recipes. If you like gluten-free foods, definitely check out this cookbook.

I have some gluten free friends or family members so I was interested in seeing a cookbook specializing in it. This book had some great recipes in it!

Thanks for the advance reader copy of this cookbook. Truly a surprise with some of these
Celiacs rejoice!!!

Very informative and full of a lot of good information. I look forward to using this book a lot in the future.

Surprise! It's Gluten Free is a great addition to anybody's kitchen, especially those with a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

Jennifer Fisher put together a wonderful book with recipe that taste so good that you don't need to be living a gluten free life to like it. The book begins with Fisher describing the symptoms that led her to identify herself as gluten intolerant which I could relate to and found interesting.

Fisher includes descriptions of various types of gluten free (gf) flours--to include her own suggested blends as well as the 1-to-1 store-bought blends for busy people--and other key ingredients one can use in her recipes. Then she shares helpful measuring, greasing, mixing time, cooling and other and techniques specific to gf cooking and baking. The one thing she does not mention that I would have added is that there are other alternatives to using xanthem gum and guar gum such as psyllium husk, or either chia seed or ground flax with water.

The recipes are clearly written and were easy to make. They include useful tips and wonderful illustrations and were easy to make. My favorite of the recipes I've tried so far include The Oven "fried" zucchini and Garlic Butter Naan. I'm anxious to try her recipes for Traditional English Muffins, Cinnamon Rolls, Meat Lasagna and Beef Stroganoff.

Thanks to DK Publishing for my ARC through NetGalley in exchange for this review. #SurpriseItsGlutenFree #NetGalley #JenniferFisher

Jennifer Fisher delivers some helpful advice and useful information in Surprise! It's Gluten Free.

Most of the recipes are traditional, everyday fare where she incorporates gluten alternatives so we an enjoy our comfort food just like everybody else. The best part for me is in when she breaks down different ways to combine ingredients to make your own gluten free flour, and then she explains how to use each blend. I've never seen anything like this before, and I've read quite a few gluten free cookbooks. Kudos.

I’m about to get real with y'all! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis when I was a sophomore in college, and as a young adult, I barely registered the seriousness of that diagnosis, nutritional changes never really concerned me. If I’m honest, I didn’t even know what the heck that diagnosis meant or entailed, and I didn’t have an interest in learning about it either. It’s only now, as an adult and a mom that has developed several other autoimmune issues that I’m realizing how important nutritional changes are to coping with a lot of these disorders.

If you would have asked me even a couple years ago if I saw myself reviewing cookbooks I would have said, probably not, but because I’ve struggled with the idea of giving up all my favorite foods for feeling better health wise, I’ve discovered that most cookbooks are not only helpful in changing over an entire family’s diet, but the stories inside them can be relatable and helpful as well. I am incredibly grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to review this, and to Jennifer Fisher for not only creating a cookbook turning classic, loved dishes into gluten free deliciousness but also for sharing her own struggle and story behind creating this cookbook.

The Background

The first thing I noticed and loved about Surprise! It’s Gluten Free! was that the author, Jennifer Fisher, also struggled with this same concept. Food and cooking meant a lot to her, but she knew the necessity of changing her diet to stay healthier, and being gluten free was a big part of it. I related to the struggle of giving up favorite foods, of not being able to find large selections of foods to meet her family's needs, the expensiveness of this dietary change, and the horrible quality of the food she was purchasing. I had tried to go gluten free a few years ago and failed because I hated the tastes and textures and it increased my normal grocery bill by almost three times the amount for foods I was not thrilled to be eating. Needless to say, like Jennifer, my decision to be gluten free didn’t last long. Now that I don’t have any other choice but to become serious about making nutritional changes in order to bring back my health, I’m super glad to come across stories and cookbooks like this one, they are real, honest, and full of amazing pictures and recipes that make these changes easier.

The second thing I noticed was that Jennifer really dug into what gluten is, and why/how it’s important to the baking process. This was important to me because as a person who cooks and bakes regularly, I’ve never had much luck with gluten free recipes, but never really understood why. The reassurance that she has also been dealt these trials, did all the trial and error to find the perfect blends, and hand delivers her own tried and trusted flour blends to keep on hand, really makes it a lot easier than figuring it all out on your own. It makes the transition process easier, and it was one of the first things I did was replace all my flour blends in the house.

The Pictures

The pictures in the cookbook were fantastic. They were big and colorful, most taking up a half page and showing serving suggestions as well as the main recipe. I was actually quite surprised and content when my creation looked just like the picture in the book (because let’s face it, that never happens). There were a lot of photos to go along with recipes, something that I generally love about cookbooks because I always want to see what I’m going to make, if it’s not appealing to the eye chances are no one will touch it.

The Recipes

I tried the Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas for the first recipe, and while I probably used a little too much cheese for my taste, they were really very quick and easy to make and they were fantastic. No one even noticed they were gluten free because they tasted just like normal, cheesy enchiladas. Usually when I make enchiladas, the kids tend to whine and not eat them, this time they scarfed them down and asked for seconds, so for me this recipe was a complete win.

The second recipe I tried was Mom's Famous Meat Sauce. Spaghetti is a huge deal in our house. It’s one of the kids’ favorite meals. Usually I have to use a ton of store bought sauce everytime I make it. This recipe came together quickly, the recipe was super easy to follow and the ingredients were all things I already had in my pantry. I did make one minor change and used petit diced tomatoes instead of the stewed tomatoes, but it allowed me to skip the step of using a blender and dirtying more dishes. I let the sauce simmer on the stove for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally before making the rest of the meal. For me, this sauce tasted 100 times better than the store bought stuff, and I was able to have enough left over that I have another whole batch in the freezer for next time. For the price of one small store bought jar of sauce I made two meals worth of meat sauce, so for my budget, I’m totally a happy camper and will probably never buy store bought sauce again, and so far haven’t.

Overall

I love this cookbook, it’s already a constant go to for gluten free meals and treats, and will be one that I’m quickly going to add to my collection. The only thing that stopped me from trying out more of these recipes was time and motivation to make things from scratch. With it being summer, and the kids being home, it’s just too much work, but this fall/winter I’ll definitely be trying a lot more of these recipes. I’m most looking forward to the sandwich bread recipe because the store bought gluten free bread, well it’s just not, we will leave it at that. This book is full of easy to make, most ingredients already in your gluten free pantry, so I’m excited to give new life to old favorites without my gut screaming at me later.

I really wish I could give this book more than 5 stars, it’s such a comprehensive cookbook for those that are just learning how to cook gluten free recipes. I’ve been gluten free for 6 years now and haven’t really made an attempt to make any gluten free recipes because it’s just me, so I do without. The rest of my family gets all the gluten they want, and I just look on and drool. I finally decided that I needed to make gluten free meals for me. I learned how to mix the perfect flour (sad to say I gave up and buy one to one in the grocery store because I’m too lazy), what oils to use, and what milks to use. I’d already gone through a ton of different pastas with disastrous effects, and finally found the perfect replacement pasta is brown rice pasta. It was nice to see that I wasn’t the only one who thought the same.
But then I got into the recipes! Some of my favorites were Grandma Joy’s Swiss Steak, Garlic Butter Naan, Mom’s Cheesy Potatoes, Homemade Meatballs, Cracklin Crab Cakes, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, and Oven Fried Zucchini. Those were just the best! But there’s so many more that are good! If you need to be gluten free or have someone in your family that is gluten free, I definitely recommend this book!!
**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

As someone who has recently found out that I'm allergic to wheat and what it causes my stomach to do has been hard. I've for a few years tried to go gluten free because I heard that it was the thing to do, but now I do have to eat gluten free from now on. This book had some many wonderful recipes that were easy to make and tasted like real bread or flour but it wasn't. For anyone who has a gluten allergy or wheat allergy, I highly recommend this book!

Eating gluten free has been a rollercoaster element in my life. I first started to reduce inflammation and end persistent joint pain and it worked! But I frequently found myself sad and sometimes depressed at all the food I couldn't eat at gatherings with family and friends. This cookbook gives me so much hope! Desserts are my favorite and the recipes in this book are fabulous. I feel like I'm in great hands with this author and her background! I'm particularly excited to try the donut recipe as soon as I get a donut pan. I'm also looking forward to some Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas and the Pumpkin Bread! This book has beautiful photos (though I wish there were more) and clear instructions. I especially appreciate the tips and storage suggestions that go along with most of the recipes.

I was so excited to read Surprise! It’s Gluten Free! Most store-bought gluten-free bread tastes nothing like bread. I was looking forward to what the author promises in the introduction.

“The techniques and ingredients that work for one gluten-free recipe might not work well for the next. I have done all of the hard work for you with meticulously tested recipes that withstand the criticism of the most skeptical taste buds.”

However, the reality was disappointing. Giving a simple recipe for chicken salad and stating to use gluten-free bread (either purchased or using the sole white bread recipe) is too obvious. At least 75% of the recipes included in the book are naturally gluten-free. I need more recipes for the bread that I’ve been missing. There are two recipes for bread. Only two plus focaccia, naan, hamburger buns and flour tortillas. You will need a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to make all of them.

Another issue is the lack of pictures within the book. Only about 25% of the recipes have photographs. In addition, there is no nutritional information. Overall, Surprise! It’s Gluten Free! was a miss for me. 2 stars.

Thanks to Alpha, DK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This cookbook is a great addition to the kitchen of anyone who has a gluten sensitivity or intolerance!

Jennifer Fisher starts out by explaining her journey with GI issues (some of which I could relate to). She offers educational information about gluten, explains some of the ingredients regularly used in the recipes, and details some important cooking and baking techniques.

The recipes are well-detailed and, while I’ve only made two from this so far (I will make more!), I can say that they were easy to make and the instructions were clear. The cookbook contains several mouth-watering pictures to go along with the recipes as well!

To date, I’ve prepared the Cheesy Rice Casserole and the Fluffy Pancakes. The casserole was irresistible and I was grateful for leftovers! It was also one of the easiest things I’ve ever prepared. I, personally, did not love the overall flavor of the pancakes, but there are two things worth mentioning: My husband thought they were fantastic and, upon realizing that I’d forgotten to buy a lemon, I had to use lemon juice concentrate in the recipe. I can’t say for sure if that second piece of information is completely relevant to how I felt about the flavor, but I’m definitely willing to try the recipe again with fresh lemon juice. They were completely edible (and I’ve tried recipes in the past that weren’t!), so I definitely won’t write them off.

I’m eager to try more from this cookbook. There are really so many tantalizing recipes! At the top of my list to make are: Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas, Steak Sandwiches With Creamy Horseradish Sauce, Garlic Butter Naan, and Mexican Pizza! As soon as I’m able, I’d like to get myself a physical copy of this cookbook!

I am immensely grateful to DK Publishing for my digital review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Surprise! It’s Gluten-Free is currently available in hardcover and will be out in paperback on July 20, 2021!