I've been told I should try and eat less gluten and that is what made me pick up this cookbook. I was apprehensive because a lot of times gluten free products taste less than normal products. I tried 3 desserts from this book. They all tasted great and she is right, you cannot tell they are gluten free. I even had friends taste them without telling them it was gluten free and they didn't even notice! I only ran into one issue while testing the recipes out. The Smores brownies call for 4 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting. We definitely did not need that much sugar and it produced so much frosting, more than what was needed for the tray. Besides that hiccup, everything was spot on!

I loved that she started with a chapter full of information about creating your own blends of flour and talking about her experiences and the tricks she learned to help people in her shoes. I will definitely be reaching for this cookbook again!

My daughter was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease a couple of months ago. I have been on the lookout for Gluten-Free cookbooks. This one did not disappoint! I love all the information including tips and tricks given in the first 25 pages. My kids are 10 and under so all the desserts will be super helpful for kid parties and holidays. I can’t wait to try out the donuts!

Great book that gives you so many options of gluten free recipes. As someone new to having to avoid gluten this book was a huge help in figuring out some easy and delicious dishes.

A lovely cookbook full of delicious gluten free goodies. It includes recipes for everything from fish and chips, to donuts, to pizza, to sandwich bread and buns. The beginning of the book has great information on what the different gluten free ingredients do in a recipe, baking tips, and 3 recipes for GF flour blends. Recipes are easy to follow and don't use overly hard to find ingredients.

Since becoming gluten free more than a year ago, I am always on the hunt for new recipes. What I really enjoyed about this cookbook was the various flour combinations you can make ahead of time and store in your cupboard for different recipes. Gluten free flour can be so expensive sometimes, and I don't always know what is the best one to use. Having the various flour recipes takes the guessing game out of it. I also enjoyed how most of these recipes are common and family friendly but gluten free. Many times I feel like I have had to give up certain meals while being gluten free, but this reminds me that I don't need to do that! My only downside to this, and it is really a personal issue, is the amount of dairy used within the recipes. I wish there were mention of some dairy free alternatives since I have to avoid dairy too. I do plan on experimenting a bit with non-dairy alternatives to see how the recipes turn out. Overall, I think this is a great gluten-free cookbook to have in your repertoire.

This is a fantastic cookbook that gives you the knowledge to produce delicious gluten-free foods. Explaining how to create different flour mixes that you can store for easy use, makes the recipes easy to follow. Recipes are easy to follow and knowing to read through each one before you start, allows you to see how long each recipe will actually take. The tips throughout the book, like not greasing the sides of the pans, make the creating of recipes and adjustments easy.

Surprise! It's Gluten Free!: Entrees, Breads, and Desserts so Delicious You Won't Know What's Missing is a good cookbook that introduces gluten-free eating in a way that is both welcoming and approachable. The beginning of the cookbook talks about the inflammatory issues that gluten can cause in some individuals, hidden sources of gluten in everyday foods, techniques, troubleshooting, flour blending, and what to avoid. The author scatters tips and store-it hints throughout the cookbook that are particularly good. I wish there were more photographs, as they would serve as inspiration for those new to the lifestyle.

The recipes are divided into interesting sections, which I have listed below with some of the standouts.

Wheat-Free Mornings: Chewy Granola Bars; Traditional English Muffins; Flaky Sour Cream Biscuits; Donuts 5 Ways

Fish & Poultry Mains: Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Mango Salsa; Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas; Baja Fish Tacos; Chicken Parmesan

Pork & Beef Mains: Heavenly Dijon Pork Chops; Mama's Enchilada Pie; Classic Beef Stroganoff

Flour-Free Sides & Soups: Mom's Cheesy Potatoes; Cheesy Rice Casserole; Taco Soup; Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Perfect Pizzas & Breads: Easy Peasy Pizza Crust; Flour Tortillas; Cornbread

Sweet Loaves, Muffins & Scones: Banana Nut Bread; Morning Glory Muffins; Blueberry Muffins; Coffee Shop Maple Scones

Pies & Fruity Desserts: Buttery Pie Crust; Mock Cherry Cheesecake; Apple Crisp

Cakes & Cupcakes: Black Forest Cupcakes; Red Velvet Cake; Lemon Pound Cake; Country Fair Funnel Cakes; Vanilla Cupcakes

Brownies & Cookies: Fudgey Brownies; Oat Bars; Sugar Cookies; Russian Tea Cake Cookies

Surprise! It's Gluten Free! has a great mix of recipes and is very inspiring, but the lack of photographs does hold this cookbook back. Overall, I would recommend it to other readers for its depth of finished dishes.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Surprise! It's Gluten Free!: Entrees, Breads, and Desserts so Delicious You Won't Know What's Missing by NetGalley and the publisher, Alpha. The decision to review this cookbook was entirely my own.

I did not read this book through an educator lens.

Surprise! It's Gluten Free! by Jennifer Fisher was not a surprise. Well, maybe it was, considering that the majority of the cookbook included recipes that there should not be gluten in anyway, so yes, those recipes are gluten free. I had really high hopes for this one and the beginning of the cookbook was promising. However, the rest of the cookbook was a let down. Creating recipes that are gluten free and publishing them in a cookbook with just a swap of using a gluten free pasta in it, is really basic and I think most people could figure that out on their own. Having an entire section of vegetables isn't needed - you didn't create something gluten free, it's naturally gluten free.

Surprise! It's Gluten Free! is a tutorial guide and cookbook for gluten-free foods which don't taste gluten-free by Jennifer Fisher. Due out 20th July 2021 from Penguin Random House on their DK Alpha imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a well presented cookbook with recipes which are very close approximations of classic breads, desserts, and other comfort foods which people who are gluten intolerant can eat without problems. The book has an easy to follow layout with easy to read text and clear graphics. The introductory chapter and how-to's cover the basic hows and whys of ingredient choices, as well as a guide to different gluten-free flour blends. The following chapters contain the recipes grouped thematically:breakfast, fish & poultry, beef & pork, sides & soups, pizza & bread, sweet loaves muffins & scones, pies & fruity desserts, cakes & cupcakes, and brownies & cookies.

Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements only), step by step instructions, along with some serving suggestions and alternative presentations. There is no nutritional information included. I would estimate roughly 20% of the recipes are accompanied by photographs. The photos provided are high quality and clear and serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.

The recipe ingredients themselves are mostly easily sourced and will be available at well stocked grocery stores. There are a few ingredients which might be a little more difficult to source or require an international foods grocery (xanthan gum for example), but definitely nothing that is 'way out there'.

All in all a very well written, beautifully presented collection made from (mostly) unprocessed real ingredients which are easily sourced and taste good. We tried some of the quickbread loaves and they do give a good approximation of the starch filled traditional banana nut and cranberry loaves. They even held together well enough to tolerate a slathering of (soft) butter.

Five stars, I'll be revisiting this cookbook often.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Gluten-free recipes for baking and cooking that will keep taste and textures to dishes people with gluten sensitivity or allergy can no longer have.

My best friend has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, as were her sons. My table isn't complete without her, so I am thrilled to see a book that helps me understand gluten-free cooking concepts and provides tasty recipes I can make when I have her over.

This book was stunning! My mouth literally watered as I read the recipes, and I was instantly inspired to add a few meals to my next week's dinner menu! These recipes are easy to follow - I wasn't intimidated reading them at all! I would recommend it to anyone who wants inspiration for their weeknight dinners, even if they aren't celiac!

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to DK, Jennifer Fisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Surprise! It's Gluten Free!

The older I get, the more I notice that I can not tolerate gluten well. I am always on the look out for cookbooks with great gluten free recipes. Surprise! It's Gluten Free is full of great recipes that I would actually eat, that don't sound difficult to make and with beautiful pictures which, for me, are a must for any great cookbook.

After going Gluten Free to due health reasons in 2013, I have been amazed at how far recipes have come. I am particularly interested to try some of these, especially ones with no baking gums. It is rare to find those recipes and the photos look incredible and delicious. I look forward to trying so many of these.

Great cookbook with pretty simple recipes and beautiful pictures. The beginning is full of great information on gluten and gluten free alternative products. I think if you are beginning a gluten-free journey that portion of the book would be very valuable. If you are looking for sugar or dairy free this is not the cookbook you are looking for.

This book I would buy for myself in an instant. Great gluten-free recipes for all my favorite baked goods plus some great entrées. The pictures are beautiful and high quality. My only criticisms: 1) no nutritional values included (I probably don't want to know anyway) 2) (and this is personal) still too much sugar and starches which are not recommended for those with an autoimmune disease.
If you want a beautiful gluten-free baked goods recipe book, this is it. Bon Appétit.

Jennifer Fisher's Surprise! It's Gluten Free! is a treasure trove of gluten free recipes. I love the section on gluten free flour blends, and the secret techniques for gluten free cooking and baking are extremely helpful. I also love that the author included with each recipe suggestions of what side dishes will go along with each recipe and what she and her family love about the recipe. I can't wait to try the recipes, but the first one will be the Chicken Pot Pie recipe! The photographs included in the book are beautiful! Looks amazing! Well done, Jennifer Fisher!

I am a big fan of this book! As someone with IBS and gluten sensitivity, I've been looking for any and all recipes that don't taste like bland, chalky or dense, boring replicas of real food. At the beginning, Fisher goes through a lot of information about gluten, alternatives, and lots more. The first thing Fisher does is gives you a couple of her preferred, tried and true gluten-free flour mixes. Each is for different situations, and are noted throughout the recipes when needed.
My personal favorite recipes were the foccacia bread and the enchilada pie! There is a lot to choose from in this book, and I am looking forward to trying even more. There are so many sections, apps, dinners, desserts (and that's me consolidating.) My only thing is I always wish there was a photo for every recipe so I know I did it right, but that didn't seem to be a problem for the recipes I tried!
Overall, if you are having a hard time finding the right recipes to meet your gluten-free needs, then I'd recommend giving this book a try!

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

GF cookbooks are my all-time favorite! You can never have enough in my opinion. I enjoyed Jennifer's book. It comes with a variety of great recipes to choose from and I'm a huge fan of cookbooks with photographs so this was perfect. Although I haven't made anything yet from the book, I've already bookmarked a few recipes to try soon!

A decent variety of basic recipes from breakfast to dessert for those who like making their own food or want to know something is gluten free

Good GF recipe alternatives for many favorite foods, along with explanations of common GF cooking problems and how the various alternative ingredients work together. My only complaint is that many recipes still used sugar, though I know not everyone is no-sugar.

As a family member of a Celiac patient and another member with sensitivity; I was hopeful for the advice this book could give us in, Surprise., It’sGluten Free! I greatly appreciated learning about 3 additional flour blends that could be useful in baking and breading items. The book shared 100 yummy recipes and photos that left me wanting to try many new creations! This book will become a great new resource for those on the Gluten Free spectrum!