Christmas Gift Guide 2016: Gift Ideas for Cooks & Foodies

Before I get to my raving-licious review of Nicole Hunn’s newest MUST HAVE gluten-free cookbook, Gluten-Free Small Bites, I just want to publicly thank her for the time and effort she puts into her gluten-free blog (Gluten-Free on a Shoestring), her gluten-free cookbooks, and even her social media accounts.

Before I had to give up gluten/wheat nearly four years ago, I had always been known in my family as an avid baker and cook – and (*tosses modesty aside for just a second) and a darn good one.  As compliments poured in, I was always thinking of the next bread or cake from scratch I’d make. I was known for my sourdough breads, buttermilk biscuits, cakes, pies, cookies, cornbreads, pastries, etc.

If we’re being honest, my sourdough bread was legendary.

Baking was a major part of my identity.

Then… it wasn’t. My body decided gluten/wheat were poison and they had to be permanently removed from my kitchen. I’m not exaggerating when I say that (as a food blogger, restaurant reviewer, and avid cook/baker), my world was rocked and I was in a daze for about a week. If it had not been for blogs like Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, and cookbooks such as the ones Nicole Hunn writes, I might still be in that daze with a ridiculously stupid look on my face.

Thank God for these lifelines because I don’t wear stupid well. It wasn’t long before I was, once again, baking bread, making pancakes, cakes, cookies, and even pies. I could make fried chicken again and, trust me, for a Kentuckian, that is huge. The work is sometimes more difficult and, let’s not fool ourselves, it’s usually more expensive to make gluten free recipes than traditional recipes – BUT you can’t really put a price on getting a major part of your identity back.

While I don’t have all of them yet, I am in the process of collecting Nicole Hunn’s gluten-free cookbooks. My husband gave me an early Christmas present about a week ago – Nicole Hunn’s newest cookbook, Gluten-Free Small Bites. He handed it to me in the middle of the day and that was that. Not a single thing got done the rest of the day. I escaped to my favorite den chair with iced tea in one hand and my new cookbook in the other.

{Cookbook Review Continued Below the Corn Muffins…}

As I gawked at the recipes that were once again a possibility for me, I felt like Disney’s Pocahontas must have felt when she sang,  “A Whole New World… Shining, Shimmering, Splendid.”

Side note: when you raise three daughters, songs from Disney Princesses become firmly planted inside your brain and they play at pretty random times – at least this time, the song choice was appropriate.

From the Back Cover:

100 irresistible one-bite recipes—for everything from parties to portable meals

You know those days where dinner is grab-and-go, but you’re not sure what to grab? The older kids have a soccer game, a ballet lesson, the little one has a kazoo party, and they all need to be fed? Or maybe you’ve been volunteered to bring the mini quiches to the office potluck. Well you’re in luck: with Nicole Hunn at the helm, you can choose from 100 recipes for small bites—from party-pleasers like jalapeño poppers and pigs-in-blankets to easy meals like hand pies and chalupas. Have one of those special occasions when you can sit down for a meal? Nearly every recipe has instructions for how to make a bigger bite.

Recipes Include:

• Pretzel Dough
• Phyllo Dough
• Flour Tortillas
• Corn Tortillas
• Naan Bread
• Pizza Dough
• Miniature Mac and Cheese Cups
• Garlic Pizza Breadsticks
• Pizza Bites
• Cheesy Potato Pierogi
• Miniature Chicken and Waffles
• Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Empanada Dough
• Shrimp Pot Stickers
• Sopapillas
• Glazed Donut Holes (!!!)
• Pretzel Dogs
• Pigs in Blankets
• Fish Sticks
• Samosas
• Egg Rolls (YES, egg rolls!)
• Fried Wontons
• Cheddar Hush Puppies
• Mozzarella Sticks
• Onion Rings
• Truffles
• Chalupas
• Wraps
• And many, many more…

Basically, all the things you thought you had to do without eating and live without making are right here in one beautiful book, ready to bring new life back into your cooking and baking.

{Cookbook Review Continued Below}

The first recipe from the book that I made were the ridiculously adorable Corn Muffin Bites (page 73).   I did not have any corn in my kitchen and since it was pouring down outside, running to the store wasn’t in my game plan. So, I decided to just add a little jalapeno and chopped green onion in place of the corn. These corn muffins weren’t just beautiful to look at, they were out of this world delicious. I can’t wait to try them with corn next time (although, I’m not lying, the jalapeno and onions were knock outs).

I also made them in a traditional muffin pan instead of a mini-muffin pan. Why? Total accident. In my defense, I was under the influence of my allergy meds (Benadryl) and by the time I realized I was greasing the wrong muffin tin, I’d already committed to it. In my state, the thought of re-greasing another pan was out of the question.

The second recipe I made from Gluten-Free Small Bites were the Asparagus Fries (page 67). I made a ridiculously simple dip for them (Ranch Dressing with Prepared Horseradish and Kosher Salt) and they were unspeakably delicious. Crunchy, fun to eat (and make), and full of flavor.

I can’t wait to make both of these recipes again – and to use the Asparagus Fries as inspiration for Green Bean Fries. That’s a classic example of what separates good cookbook authors from great ones – good cookbook authors provide you with recipes, period. Great ones provide you with recipes, as well as techniques, that inspire confidence and creativity. They encourage you to branch out and try new things and they remind you that cooking isn’t just fun, it’s an adventure!

{Cookbook Review Concludes Below the Asparagus Fries!}

I 110 percent recommend you skip right over to Amazon and grab a copy of Gluten-Free Small Bites for yourself and anyone on your life who is gluten-free. If you need a little more inspiration, go back to the section above that lists some of the recipes included in this cookbook. Then remind yourself that these are just SOME of the recipes in this cookbook. Recipes and experiences that I, for one, thought were gone forever.

Reunions are a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Find Gluten-Free Small Bites on Amazon.
Find Nicole Hunn at Gluten-Free on a Shoestring!