Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've been a subscriber to Cooks Illustrated for years now. I've always adjusted their recipes containing gluten for my Celiac husband, and avoiding their baking recipes has been disappointing. So I was thrilled to see this cookbook in my Amazon suggestions. I've so far flipped through many recipes and reviewed the recipe for sandwich bread and pizza crust, and am looking forward to trying both out this weekend. What I love about this book is the science and testing for each recipe is recorded with the recipe so you know why certain ingredients are added or omitted. Then if you want to adjust a bit you can do so with the knowledge of why a recipe is built the way it is. The big bonus in this book: there is a recipe for a gluten free flour mix, but weights and measurements for two other popular store bought flour mixes are provided for each recipe. If you've ever tried to buy ingredients for a gluten free flour mix in a regular grocery store you know it can be tough to find some, but easier to find pre-packaged mixes, so this is a huge bonus. The only drawback I can see is for someone who is not a more seasoned cook/doesn't enjoy cooking, some of the recipes are advanced. The directions are always easy to follow, but the outcome can vary depending on your take on the directions. For instance, instructions are provided on how to measure flour for the gluten free flour mix. Part of the instructions include tapping or lightly packing the flour as you scoop it into the measuring cup. My tap vs my husband's tap are completely different levels of pressure, and would result in slightly different flour mixes which could vary a recipe enough to be noticeable. Luckily weights are included, which is the best way to measure baking ingredients, but there are other directions included that could be taken differently. Really looking forward to trying many of the recipes in this book! If you have a gluten intolerance and love to cook, this is a must buy book! Or if you're fed up with the yucky pre-packaged gluten free foods, give some of the recipes in this book a try. UPDATE: The sandwich bread recipe in this book makes THE BEST gluten free sandwich bread I've ever had. I don't have to eat gluten free, so I know what real sandwich bread taste like, and this is pretty darn close in taste. It's right on the money with texture, not gritty or dry at all, and only a bit denser with a nice, crisp crust. Plus its a really easy recipe. Most of the ingredients are easy to find even at your local supermarket. The powdered psyllium husk was the hardest to locate. Check your grocers health supplements aisle, or stop by a vitamin shop. It's used as a laxative. I ate two pieces of this bread on the same night and didn't have any issues, so don't worry about accidental laxative effects. Also, the only 4.5" x 8.5" loaf pan I had is glass, and that worked great. UPDATE 2: I continue to try recipes in this book and haven't had a bad one yet. I haven't delved heavily into the baking section other than making several loaves of the sandwich bread (which is still amazing), but I did try the arepas recipe which was great. The Almost Hands-Free Risotto can be found in back issues of Cooks Illustrated and likely in their other cook books, and is fantastic as always.