Reddit reviews The Food Substitutions Bible: More Than 6,500 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment and Techniques

I've only ever subbed it with parsley, but buying a food substitution bible is a good kitchen investment! I love mine to death.

For the love of all things holy, learn how to make appropriate substitutions. Substitution is white magic that enlivens bare cupboards or makes boring recipes sparkle. It is also a black magic that turns stomachs and causes unmentionable failures. The Food Substitions Bible is the best, but web resources can work you up to the same knowledge. When all else fails, google.

Books

• All About Roasting, Molly Stevens - I just want to roast everything, this is my bible. The roasted carrots and beets alone want to make me cry and I've gotten several non-beet people to eat the all.
  
• Joy of Cooking - My reference book for basic stuff
  
• Food Substitution Bible - For every thousand times I go, "Huh, I don't have that...what the heck do I replace it with?" and it is fairly international reference
  
  
  Sites
  
  
• Smitten Kitchen - I want to be her when I grow up. Seriously.
  
• Chocolate Covered Katie - For all my healthy desserts
  
• Budget Bytes - Thanks to y'all!

While I agree with the other users on here who are saying that it isn't as useful for cooking around allergies, it is a great book that can enhance someones cooking. It doesn't really have recipes, or much on how to cook. It is mainly an index of food pairings. It also does have blurbs and other stuff that might get your mind thinking about food in a creative way. But it is definitely more of a supplement to other information.

I'd say that you should get her a book that has recipes for dishes she isn't allergic to. Or, you could get her a book about food substitutions, since that would let her create her own recipes and not just be stuck with the recipes in a regular cookbook.

This book apparently is good for substitutions, although I haven't read it, so I cant say myself.: http://www.amazon.com/The-Food-Substitutions-Bible-Ingredients/dp/0778802450

There is also an excel spreadsheet of food substitutions from Alton Brown somewhere on the internet. I think I have it on my computer as well, but I can't seem to find it. If you can't find it on the internet, let me know and I'll see if I can find it on my computer. It's not the most extensive spreadsheet ever. But it could at least help a little bit.

Edit: I just figured out why I can't find it on the internet myself. I was confusing things. It's not a spreadsheet. It's actually a book that Alton Brown wrote. Well, part of the book is substitutions, anyway. I was just remembering a spreadsheet I saw once that compiled all of the information in it. The book is here: http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Kitchen/dp/1584792981

Since it does cost money, though, I'd suggest going with "The Food Substitutions Bible". It seems to be a lot more comprehensive. Or you could get both. But I, personally, would choose "The Food Substitutions Bible" over Alton Brown's book, due to it's breadth and the fact that it has won an award from the IACP.