Writing this column merely days after the 2010 BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival, I find my cookbook interest still centered on cutting calories, probably because of the excess calories I consumed during that weekend. That may be the reason for you to be interested, or you simply may be looking for a healthier way to eat. in any case, these books offer options.
Marion Sullivan,Books for Cooks
“Light & Healthy 2010: This Year’s Best Recipes Lightened Up.” when the cooks at America’s Test Kitchen decide what they want to achieve, they don’t count the number of tries it takes to get the desired results, which is why Christopher Kimball’s staff can be relied upon. in this case, it was reducing the fat and calories from the year’s best recipes without reducing the flavor. They lightened nearly 200 recipes. in soups, they kept Broccoli-Cheddar rich and creamy without cream by substituting fat-free evaporated milk and adding pureed leeks. in desserts,
brownies remained rich and fudgy by substituting low-fat sour cream for most of the butter and Dutch-processed cocoa for most of the chocolate.
In fact, the effort was so successful that this book will be the first of an annual series. Hardcover. America’s Test Kitchen. $35.
“The Conscious Cook: delicious Meatless Recipes That will Change the way You Eat.” One of the most marvelous meals I had the last time in California was at Ubuntu, a vegetarian restaurant in Napa, where the food was beautiful. I suspect that if author Tal Ronnen opened a restaurant, it would be much the same, only vegan. Consultant to the stars, he has created dishes that are lovely to look at and, he says, “rich and delicious.” from Lemongrass Consomme with Pea Shoots and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings to Beet Mosaic with Gold Beet Vinaigrette, Balsamic Glaze and Cucumber Salad, and Agave-Lime Grilled Tofu with Asian Slaw and Mashed Sweet Potatoes, his dishes beckon. Hardcover. William Morrow. $29.99.
Marion Sullivan is culinary programs specialist at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. Send your cookbook questions to Booksforcooks@bellsouth.net.
