Synopsis
Tasty is good, but tasty and healthy are even better. To create foolproof recipes for lighter foods, the experts of America's Test Kitchen experimented with hundreds of recipe variations before presenting this collection of 300 healthy offerings that don't sacrifice taste. Each recipe lists calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber, and sodium per serving.
Library Journal
In their 39th work, the busy editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine (CI) tackle low-fat, low-calorie cooking, primarily by "rehabbing" classic recipes. For those not familiar with the CI approach, it involves trying all possible variations on a recipe; the editors modify ingredients and techniques until the best-quality result is obtained, taking both flavor and ease of preparation into account. They also include a blow-by-blow description of the process, including what worked and what didn't, which is quite illuminating in itself. The usual recipe bases are covered, from appetizers to salads to main dishes to desserts, totaling 300 dishes as well as 145 illustrations (many of which are black-and-white line drawings, however). Besides the emphasis on calorie cutting, there is also a focus on technique, which makes this a good choice for beginning cooks or for those looking to improve their skills. Overall, a fine book for anyone interested in lightening up tried-and-true favorites or trying some new ideas. Recommended for all cookery collections.-Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. of Ohio Libs., Oxford Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.