Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Books That Cook

For mindful diets, journaling

Check out some of the newest books to hit the shelves

By ELLEN FOLKMAN
Published February 22, 2006

TITLE: Chef Kathleen's Cooking Thin Daybook: A 52-Week Plan to Lose Weight, Get Fit and Eat Right by Kathleen Daelemans (Houghton Mifflin Co., $14.95; 320 pages).

GENERALLY SPEAKING: If your New Year's resolution was to lose weight and it's not going so well, Kathleen Daeleman's Cooking Thin Daybook, part cookbook, part journal, can help get you back on track. Many experts agree that the key to a successful diet is to track what you eat in a journal. This book also addresses what you wish you hadn't eaten, plus what exercises you did. Plus, there is space each week to give yourself a report card.

SAMPLE RECIPES: Nectarine and Peach Batter Cobbler; Chicken Mushroom Stir-Fry; Pan Fried Stuffed Chicken With Prosciutto; and Broiled Fish With Lemony Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.

FOR: Anyone struggling with dieting or wanting to get serious about eating more healthfully. The book is organized by weeks, with recipes scattered throughout. Questions and answers are at the beginning of each week. Daelemans gives a lot of good advice. She herself lost 75 pounds.

BEST FEATURE: The spiral binding. The book opens flat, making it easy to journal.

WORST FEATURE: Serving sizes. Most recipes are for six to eight and sometimes 12 servings. Some recipes might not appeal to the kids, making it harder to stick to the plan.

- - -

TITLE: Betty Crocker Cookbook Bridal Edition From the Betty Crocker Editors (Wiley Publishing, $29.95; 575 pages).

GENERALLY SPEAKING: This is an expanded edition of the "big red" Betty Crocker Cookbook. It is full of advice and information, from getting a kitchen organized with the right tools to terrific dinner ideas. The 32-page color section was created especially for this cookbook. Additional highlights include drawings to illustrate techniques and how-to photos.

SAMPLE RECIPES: Scalloped Corn; Potato Pancakes; Caramel Apples; California Black Bean Burgers; Garden Vegetable Wraps; and Lemonade Sorbet.

FOR: Newlyweds. There is a lot of handy, basic information in this cookbook. There is information on yields and equivalents, emergency substitutions, seasoning blends and how to use them, cuts of beef and pork, types of shellfish (plus how to devein shrimp) and how to prevent pie crust from browning too much. Recipes are easy.

BEST FEATURE: Contemporary recipes using ingredients such as goat cheese, wasabi powder and many types of chilies. Serving sizes range from 4 to 16, making this a versatile cookbook.

- - -

TITLE: The Florida Keys Cookbook by Victoria Shearer (Insider's Guide, $16.95; 273 pages).

GENERALLY SPEAKING: Variety abounds in this cookbook. There are recipes for fish, shellfish, pasta, vegetables, chicken and sweets. Of course, there are key lime recipes for cake, pie and more. Some recipes are from restaurants, and some display the flavors of both the Keys and the Caribbean. A taste of the tropics is what you'll find here.

FOR: Worldly palettes. Many recipes use more than a few spices and fresh herbs, and often a combination of both.

SAMPLE RECIPES: Black Grouper in Island Spices With Pineapple Salsa; Saffron Basmati Rice; Citrus Orzo With Tomato Basil Feta; and Baked Rum Bananas.

GOOD READING: There are lots of tidbits about life in the Keys and mini articles on Christmas Cuban-style, using ingredients such as guava and conch.

[Last modified February 22, 2006, 09:49:18]