The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet with April + Giveaway!

My friend April Peveteaux of Gluten is My Bitch fame is one hard-working woman. Two years ago I featured her hilarious book chronicling her journey into a gluten-free life and today I am here to talk about her new book, The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet. As a fellow author I am in awe of her ability to write two books back-to-back, and they are both insanely awesome and helpful. Her latest tome features delicious recipes, personal anecdotes, and all sorts of tips regarding living a wholly satisfying gluten-free life. Earlier this month I had a fun chat with April and she shared some great stories with me:

1) You’ve been gluten-free for several years now and this book clearly comes from your experience going gluten-free. Do you find you’ve mastered being gluten-free now? Or is there still more to learn?

I am the master of all gluten in the land! JK, I’m regularly a mess.

While I do feel like I’m more than fully informed about gluten, hidden gluten, what gluten is and what gluten is not, the effects of gluten on those of us with medical issues, the backlash, the tricks and tips to be safe—I’m still learning lessons every day. Mostly lessons I have to learn repeatedly like to always ask about the cheese sauce on the nachos. Some people sneak flour in there, darn it. And that is the lesson we all need to tattoo on our heads: always ask what’s in your food, how it’s prepared and what other food it comes into contact with on its way to your table. There’s no getting around that one.

2) The recipes in this book are delectable! Besides from avoiding gluten, where does your recipe inspiration come from? Living in CA must be helpful in terms of the proximity of fresh foods!

I do love my CSA (community supported agriculture) box that is filled with fresh produce year-round. It does inspire me when it arrives every week to get creative and to increase my fruit and vegetable consumption. Additionally, my inspiration comes from my family. I have favorite recipes from my childhood that I’ve recreated to be gluten-free, and favorite meals I’ve learned to make along the way that please my kids as well as myself. Some I’ve had to completely remake some, and others are naturally gluten-free (like a great big filet mignon and baked potato, yummmmmm).

3) Let’s help Kelsey build a menu. I need the best ever gluten-free picnic dinner menu for summer in the Northeast:

I hope you’ve shucked your corn! That is truly one of the greatest seasonal foods up your way—Jersey corn. That, and heirloom tomatoes help make an amazoids picnic.

To celebrate the season I would make my BBQ Chicken Salad and add some heirloom tomatoes picked up from the farm stand. The combo of fresh greens, just cooked corn, avocados and a tortilla chip crunch is one great meal in a bowl. Add a side of strawberry lemonade and you’re in business. And I hope you’ve saved room for dessert because a chocolate beet cake would be the perfect way to finish your meal.

4) Your kids sound like good eaters. What is there favorite dish in here? There least favorite? What are your favorites? I love asking this because it is how we all get the inside track.

My kids beg for Huevos Rancheros every morning. Heck, I want it too but I also need to fit into my pants. My daughter makes it easy on me by also wanting the Melon Balls of Fun all the time. It’s taking a melon baller and going to town on your watermelon and friends. So that’s fab.

I do love that BBQ chicken salad. I find myself making it almost once a week. It’s a fantastic combo and I also feel like I’m loading up on my vegetables. I also love the Kung Pao pork and Sweet and Sour Chicken. I don’t get to eat Chinese food very often due to the soy sauce, so when I make it at home I kind of can’t control myself. It’s sooooo good. And the Bourbon Joe Cake is basically the world’s greatest cake. You heard it here first.

The one recipe my husband loved and my kids still talk about how much they hate is my chicken mole with rice. How can you hate mole??? I don’t get it.

5) What’s next for the Gluten-free world? Will you come out with a cookbook or, better yet, a cooking show!! I’m not gluten-free but I would watch it in a heartbeat!

I’m working on my third book wherein I tackle the 8 major allergens and the modern parent. The working title is “Bake Sales Are My Bitch” and I hope to not only explore all of our feelings about how in the world we’re supposed to feed our allergic kids safely as they head to school, sleepovers and soccer practice, and not go completely bonkers in the process.  For those that don’t have allergic kids, you know an allergic kid so this book is for any parent in the world who ever has to consider if the birthday cake has gluten/dairy/peanuts/treenuts/fish/shellfish/soy/eggs before sending it to school with their 4th grader. We’re all in this together, and we’re all annoyed at times. I’m here to help!

Thanks, April!

To enter to win a copy of The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet:

1) Share a personal anecdote about going gluten-free or something you want to learn about living gluten-free.

2) Contest runs from July 14th – July 21st. Winner will be announced in the July 24th newsletter. Thanks!