Cooking for Isaiah is the story of my journey to develop great-tasting meals for my son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy. The results are 135 recipes that not only are easy to make, but delicious, too. From S′mores Pancakes with Marshmallow Sauce and Double-Decker Toasted Cornbread and Spicy Greens Stack to Chicken and Waffles with Maple Bacon Gravy and Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting, all of the recipes are entirely free of gluten and dairy. Better yet, they contain ingredients that were chosen not just for flavor, but for performance: Cake is light and moist, pizza crust is tender and crisp, and gravy is rich and creamy.

If you or someone in your family is one of the 12 million Americans with food sensitivities, like Isaiah, let me guide you with my tried-and-tested all-purpose flour blend and pancake mix recipes, sure to make gluten-free cooking and baking easier -and tastier -than you′d ever think possible. The book′s supermarket-friendly recipes are flexible and accessible to everyone. An ingredient substitution chart explains what to swap if, for example, you need to cook without gluten, but you eat dairy. Plus, I recommend the basic ingredients and tools you′ll want to keep on hand for fast, effortless cooking. With Cooking for Isaiah, you′ll be able to make food the way it should be: creamy, crispy and chewy -just plain good food that tastes like home.

Banana Doughnuts with Banana Frosting

Makes: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes

1 ¼ cups Silvana′s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups mashed ripe bananas (4 bananas)
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup shortening, at room temperature
2 ¼ cups confectioners′ sugar
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °. Grease 2 nonstick, 6-count doughnut pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs, 1 ¼ cups mashed bananas, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Spoon the batter about three-quarters full into the prepared pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool completely on a rack.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the shortening, confectioners’ sugar, the remaining ½ cup banana, 2 teaspoons vanilla and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and the lemon juice. Glaze the doughnuts with the frosting.