I’ll admit that when the gluten-free craze first reared it’s grain-free head, that’s all I chalked it up to: a craze—a fad diet that would soon be replaced with the next big thing in healthy eating.

Little did I know, people follow gluten free diets like the Paleo diet for a range of reasons. For many, it’s a great way to lose weight or to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Then, there are always the bandwagon craze-chasers. And, for the unlucky, a serious illness or allergy dictates this decision for them.

Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2007, Danielle Walker became a voice for the latter demographic.

Determined to get her health under control and her life back on track, Danielle literally saved her life through her cooking. She found foods that her sensitive digestive system could handle, and simultaneously, delicious ways to nourish her body.

Her book, Against All Grain, is full of recipes that bring all of the comforts of modern day eating to what’s known as the caveman diet. Many see this dietary plan as limiting and feel that they miss out on the good stuff—pizza, pasta, burgers, and delicious pastries—but Danielle flawlessly integrates alternative solutions to all of these dishes into her book. Want pasta? Try out her zucchini pasta. You’re craving some pizza? Throw together her grain-free pizza crust.

Danielle does more than compile a cookbook filled with delicious, accessible recipes. With chapters offering glimpses into what she stocks her own pantry with, what equipment she uses, lists of foods to avoid, and an entire section of menu suggestions, Daniells aims to make the Paleo transition an easy one.

I decided to put this alternative ingredient theory to the test in a big way: lasagne. What’s more anti-Paleo than lasagne? I was blown away by how authentic it really was. Everything from the texture of the dish to the bright colors and vivid tastes of marinara sauce, nut “cheese” (that tastes like real cheese), and the grain-free noodles created an irresistibly authentic Italian taste that was right on the money.

The thing that impressed me most about the book though was the entire section she dedicates to making “childhood favorites.” A mom herself, she ensures that even little ones whose diets follow Paleo guidelines will thrive. These pages are full of recipes for delicious cookies, granola bars, fruit roll-ups, and other toddler-approved treats and meals that any tot will surely crave.

Danielle Walker filled this book with incredible photographs that will tug at and inspire every last one of your artistic impulses. You’ll crave her yummy pictures as much as the beautiful tastes that they capture as you flip through a cookbook that moonlights as a high-fashion food magazine.

Whether you adhere to the Paleo diet or are just looking for ways to bring healthy, delicious meals to your family table, Against All Grain is a cookbook that I can honestly say you will never regret having on your shelf. A practical and easily applied daily guide to a healthy lifestyle full of recipes that everyone in your family will enjoy, Danielle’s book is a testament to thinking outside of the box inside the kitchen and one that will change the way you think about food forever.

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