Susan O'Brien

is my new favorite chef/creator of cookbooks. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when I was talking about the new pizza crust recipe I had found that is really good (see Pizza Success! blog here) that I had bought myself three GF books as a self Christmas present. One of these books is called Gluten-free, Sugar-free Cooking: Over 200 Delicious Recipes to Help You Live a Healthier, Allergy-Free Life.

If you are ever looking for a really good cookbook that is gluten free, sugar free, and really, really good - I would recommend this one.

Now, I will admit, she doesn't have a lot of baked goods in this cookbook. Primarily because she really does focus on healthy eating in addition to good eating. And let's face it folks, a lot of baked goods really don't fall into the healthy eating category! However, she does have some desserts and some baked goods.

If I have one complaint against her it's that she doesn't address using Stevia at all as a sugar replacement - and that's something I want to learn more about. But that aside, her recipes are fantastic. It has gotten to the point that I'm willing to try any of her recipes without hesitation just because they are all so good.

Some of my favorites?

• crepes (you seriously cannot tell that these are GF crepes)
• O'Brien Family Spaghetti Sauce (I have really struggled with finding a top-notch spaghetti sauce recipe - this one is it. Hands down, this is probably the best spaghetti sauce I've ever eaten)
• her hummus recipe is very tasty and very simple
• the Basil Chicken Curry is going to become a regular part of our dining experience
• her Mexican Rice recipe is also really good

So, if you're looking for a really good and healthy cookbook - whether or not you are with the GF crowd - this one is definitely a good pick.

(Just an afterthought: While I was researching cookbooks, I ran across so many people who get really upset if there aren't a lot of pictures in a recipe book. For me, that is not a big deal...but, if you are one of those people who want pictures - this is not the book for you. There is only one picture in the book and that is the front cover. Just had to add that for the sake of transparency!)