Title:	The Recipe Hacker Confidential: Break the Code to Cooking Mouthwatering & Good-For-You Meals without Grains, Gluten, Dairy, Soy, or Cane Sugar
	Author:	Diana Keuilian
	Published:	December 27, 2016, BenBella Books
	No. of Pages:	250
	Cover Price:	$19.95 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle

---

There are very few people nowadays who aren’t on the “eat healthier” bandwagon. Diana Keuilian, who is known from her blog: Real Healthy Recipes, as The Recipe Hacker, is an expert at taking popular recipes that are full of additives, and all kinds of unhealthy stuff, and making them healthier. The best part about the finished healthy recipes, which is different from dozens of other recipes found in cookbooks, is that they actually look and taste good. Keuilian’s philosophy is that it’s important to remove five items from your diet: gluten, soy, grains, dairy, and cane sugar. She emphasizes the fact that you should base your decisions on what you want to eat according to how the food makes you feel. The Recipe Hacker Confidential is a follow-up to her first cookbook, and is a must-buy for those who like modern, healthy recipes.

Not only does the book contain dozens of mouthwatering recipes, it also contains hints on being efficient in the kitchen, shortcuts, new, healthy ingredients, essential spices to have on hand, and equipment that can make your cooking easier. The recipes are fairly simple and can be made by regular people who don’t have extensive cooking backgrounds, as well as those who are experienced cooks.

There are excellent pictures of most of the dishes, and explanations on each recipe that highlight the author’s cute personality. Reading this cookbook – even before cooking from it – will make you feel that you know her personally and will give you an incentive to shop for her suggested ingredients and whip up great things without anyone knowing that they are actually healthy as well as tasty.

Keuilian has included recipes for every course: appetizers, salads, main dishes, and desserts. Her Brownie Pie is delicious (although I can’t imagine cutting it into 30 servings like the recipe says), and the Slow Cooker Italian Chicken (we prefer breasts over thighs) was mouthwatering. She includes an excellent hummus recipe, and several soups that are awesome. There are recipes suitable for vegans, as well as regular vegetarians, but she uses a lot of bacon, and includes recipes for lean meats such as pork loin. She uses cauliflower rice, noodles made from vegetables, and baked goods made with healthier coconut flour. There are dozens of recipes for favorite vegetables, including winter squash and sweet potatoes, which are filling and full of nutrients.

This book is highly recommended for everyone who wants to change their cooking style to healthy.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.