Showing posts with label Cookery / food and drink etc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cookery / food and drink etc. Show all posts

6/16/2010

Review of Food and Healing (Paperback)

Although I don't necessarily agree with everything Annemarie Colbin has to say about food & health (for example, I believe that certain immunizations are a critical part of one's health care and not unnecessary or harmful), "Food and Healing" is an excellent and thoughtful treatment of a complex subject. The title may erroneously give the impression that the book is just for those who are ill. In fact, the book has a lot to offer to anyone who is interested in learning more about nutrition, and how what we eat can make us feel better or worse. We know that caffeine can give you energy or make you nervous, and that a high-fat diet can cause heart disease; Colbin theorizes that other kinds of food, food ingredients and even methods of preparation affect the body in different but no less profound ways. Particularly intriguing are Colbin's musings on "food philosphy": e.g., multi-faceted comparisons of different diets; how different thinkers approach food in a different philosophical way; various ways to look at food choices and their effects on the body. I was impressed by the breadth of the sources Colbin cites (although occasionally one finds an outdated reference, like the ones to the now-debunked Tasaday "tribe") and how she weaves everything together into a coherent and readable book. What really won me over, however, was Colbin's insistence on taking a flexible approach to eating. Colbin emphasizes that no diet should remain static, and we need to choose different kinds of diets to reflect and address what is going on in our lives at different times. She is remarkably open-minded and tolerant of all points of view, allowing the reader to take away nuggets of wisdom from unlikely sources. If some of the opinions expressed seemed a bit too airy-fairy for me (e.g., auras, and her apparent rejection of the germ theory of disease transmission), even these sections were interesting and thought-provoking. Required reading for anyone who has "food issues," wants to improve her diet, has a chronic health problem, or works in the nutrition field.

Product Description
Ten years ago, Colbin's Food and Healing stood at the forefront of the food revolution, exploring the link between diet and health. In this anniversary edition, she provides updates on recent dietary systems, including low-fat, food combining, and alternative medicine.

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5/18/2010

Review of The Oldways Table: Essays and Recipes from the Culinary Think Tank (Hardcover)

"The Oldways Table" is less of a cookbook and more of a guide to finding and enjoying the most healthy, delicious, and fine foods the world has to offer. The mission of Oldways is "to help consumers make wise choices about eating, drinking, and lifestyle," and to emphasize "the traditional pleasures of the table." In some ways this makes it a rather gourmet book with sections on imported cheeses, wines, olive oils, and more, which might make it seem inaccessible to poorer sections of the populace. However, there's also a great deal of information of use to anyone, discussing various aspects of sustainable food production (ensuring we make food choices that contribute to the availability of food in generations to come), healthy diet and more, all couched in terms of delicious food rather than dense scientific terms.

"The Oldways Table" includes many memoir-like interludes filled with enjoyable tales of rustic clambakes or authentic meals in historic cities, and it certainly makes a leisurely and fascinating read. I know far more than I did before about the production of cheese, the difference between processed cheese, unprocessed cheese, and unpasteurized cheese, and so on. It's interesting to know exactly what goes into making the best of the cured meats of Italy, and what makes them different from region to region.

The recipes themselves are largely simple and quite delicious. There's a dish of edamame beans, olive oil and sea salt that is positively alchemical in its simple and luscious taste. An eggplant-based soup made us sigh with delight. Unfortunately, while the tastes were delicious, it definitely helps to have plenty of kitchen experience when you make these recipes, as some of them don't appear to have had much kitchen-testing. For example, the "creamy vanilla bread pudding with cherry compote" is absolutely divine, but the instructions have a few... issues. For starters, the first direction is to preheat the oven, but then before using it you complete another several steps that take about an hour and a half. The recipe calls for "4 to 5 cups cubed white bread (enough to fill a 9 by 13-inch pan)", yet 4-5 cups of bread wasn't even close enough to "fill" a 9 x 13 pan, so I had to guess whether the amount was the important part or the filling the pan was the important part (I decided to almost-fill the pan, and it worked out well).

Since the recipes are the lesser part of the book by volume and quality-control, I'd primarily recommend this book to those interested in reading and learning about healthy, sustainable food choices and practices. If you have the experience in the kitchen to trouble-shoot any mistakes you find, then certainly do make the recipes--they're quite delicious and enjoyable!

Product Description
THE OLDWAYS TABLE compiles more than 15 years of groundbreaking work into an accessible food reference, filled with the flavors, preparations, and lessons of the world's great cuisines and cooks. An eclectic resource to be sampled or savored, THE OLDWAYS TABLE is a treasury of great recipes, a dietary guide, and an informed tribute to the world's most influential food traditions.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Oldways Table: Essays and Recipes from the Culinary Think Tank (Hardcover)

5/08/2010

Review of Gut Wisdom (Paperback)

This is an excellent source of information for anyone who has chronic gastrointestinal problems.It is well-written, easy to read, and easily accessible to anyone from the layman to the professional health care provider. Welike the way the author covers such topics as diet, bowel relaxation and cleansing methods, psychological factors and much more.This book is highly recommended.It's the best we've read on the subject and we've read many.



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4/11/2010

Review of Eat Your Genes: How Genetically Modified Food Is Entering Our Diet, Revised and Updated Edition (Paperback)

Genetically modified foodstuffs are one of the most contentious subjects in the world today and will become more so as trade talks include their export. Nottingham has written a clear, balanced and judicious summary ofboth the biotechnology involved by how it impacts both developed anddeveloping nations. The book is a must for anyone who wants to avoid thehype of both the agrochemical companies who produce GM products and theantis. Highly recommended.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Eat Your Genes: How Genetically Modified Food Is Entering Our Diet, Revised and Updated Edition (Paperback)

3/25/2010

Review of Live in the Balance: The Ground-Breaking East-West Nutrition Program (Paperback)

This book is a fascinating and practical guide to choosing the right foods and lifestyle for your own body.It starts with simple questionnaires to help you understand your body from an "energetic" or Eastern perspective.Prout describes symptoms of excess "heat," "cold," "dampness," "dryness," and "wind" -- all Chinese diagnostic terms.The book then goes on to give the foods and lifestyle strategies to best remedy these imbalances.Someone who is overweight should avoid "damp" foods, for instance, as opposed to counting calories, the Western approach that has obviously been failing us so far.Imbalances are easy to spot and I enjoyed figuring out my pattern. I really like the fact that moods (a temper, irritability, depression) fit in with body patterns.This isa customized approach to eating right and is based on thosands of years of observation rather than hundreds of years of "science" which only seem to correspond with increasing disease and obesity rates.

Product Description
For over three thousand years practitioners of Chinese medicine have known that food is health-giving. Now path-breaking nutritionist Linda Prout synthesizes the basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the science of western nutrition. With a clear focus to help readers achieve balance, Prout introduces the concept of balance and describes the signs and symptoms of various patterns of imbalance from a TCM perspective. She provides simple self-assessments readers can use to determine their own tendencies toward imbalance, and recommends foods, cooking methods, and lifestyle changes to balance each pattern. Fats, proteins, carbohydrates and sugars are each discussed from a western nutrition and eastern perspective, with beneficial and potentially unhealthful choices given for each body pattern.

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2/14/2010

Review of The Hamptons Diet Cookbook: Enjoying the Hamptons Lifestyle Wherever You Live (Hardcover)

How DO the rich and famous always seem to stay so thin and healthy? With the exception of maybe Danny DeVito and Rodney Dangerfield, can you think of very many movie stars who are overweight or obese? Probably not. That's because they have found the secret to eating better quality foods that not only satisfy their tastebuds, but also their nutritional needs.

Dr. Fred Pescatore first introduced his healthy weight loss principles in his groundbreaking 2004 bestselling book called The Hamptons Diet with Hollywood hotties Sara Jessica Parker and Ren?e Zellweger among its most ardent followers.

But now, by popular demand, Dr. Pescatore is back with a hot new book full of over 200 mouthwatering and flavorfully unique recipes called The Hampton's Diet Cookbook. While you may not be rich and famous, he shows you how you can eat like one with Mediterranean-styled cooking assistance from renowned chef Jeff Harter.

Once you try many of these recipes, you'll forget you're actually on a diet! That is the beauty of finding a low-carb program like The Hamptons Diet -- IT TASTES SO GOOD YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT.

But it does. With countless numbers of people using this nutritional approach to lose weight in 2006, despite what the naysayers in the media and those pesky low-fat lovin' health "experts" say, the fact remains that this way of eating has worked and STILL continues to work to help people lose weight and keep it off for good. I lost over 180 pounds thanks to a healthy low-carb eating plan and you can too!

As a strong proponent of eating more organic whole foods as well as liberal amounts of macadamia nut oil, Dr. Pescatore wants the average, everyday person to look at food in an entirely different manner than they ever have before. Pay attention to the kind of carbohydrates that you are putting in your mouth and stick with the healthful slow-release ones as well as foods that are balanced according to the glycemic index and the glycemic load. The recipes in The Hampton's Diet Cookbook provide you with this balance.

Just in case you didn't get his original book, Dr. Pescatore provides an abridged version of The Hamptons Diet plan at the front of his new book to catch you up to speed, including explaining the various food pyramids that you will want to know about when you are on his diet. Trust me, throw out everything you thought you knew about diet and nutrition and keep your mind open to the greater possibilities that await you in this book.

There's even one chapter that explains what kind of kitchen appliances and tools you will need to start eating healthier. Hey, if you're gonna make the commitment to lose weight and keep it off, then what better way than to start anew than to literally clean house?! You'll also enjoy the convenient grocery shopping lists that Dr. Pescatore provides to keep you focused on what you need to do to get with the plan and make it happen for yourself.

The recipes in The Hampton's Diet Cookbook cover breakfast ("the most important meal of the day"), lunch (something light, nothing fancy), and dinner ("one of the most enjoyable and entertaining parts of the day"). Additionally, there are great side dishes and salads to combat boredom on the plan even if you can't make it look very good (Dr. Pescatore wrote that "the hardest thing for me is to get a salad to look pretty"). I can relate, but who cares when the taste is...mmmmmm!

For those of you who want to entertain guests and dazzle them with your low-carb cooking prowess, Dr. Pescatore presents a series of popular party recipes that will have them raving! Interestingly, you would think these recipes would need to be fancy-schmancy, but actually many of them are quite simple. The point is, Dr. Pescatore explains, to have fun with your life and stop worrying about food so much. It's time to eat better and be merry -- The Hamptons Diet way!

But what would a cookbook be without a few wonderfully tantalizing desserts?! However (and I LOVE this!), Dr. Pescatore makes it very clear up front what you won't see in his recipe book: "Sugar won't be used in any of these dessert recipes." EXCELLENT! That's just the way we like it when we are livin' la vida low-carb. A superb dissertation on what is acceptable as an alternative to sugar is included at the beginning of the dessert chapter to help you make the right choices about what you should use, including a list of the "healthy sweeteners" (Stevia, Xylitol), ones where the "jury is still out" (Splenda, maltitol), and finally the ones you really should "avoid" (hint: Nutrasweet didn't do so well).

At the back of the book, Dr. Pescatore includes in the appendix an amazing resource guide to help you find some of the ingredients that may be hard for you to find in your area. He earnestly wants to see you succeed at his plan and literally thought of everything for people who read The Hampton's Diet Cookbook.

Regardless of which low-carb plan you have been on, whether it's Atkins, South Beach, Protein Power, or The Zone, The Hampton's Diet Cookbookwill give you even more succulent and tasty recipes your are sure to love and enjoy with your family. Eating healthy never tasted so good! That's the miracle of low-carb living. THANKS, Dr. Pescatore for continuing to be a champion of this amazingly miraculous way of eating!

Product Description
Cooking and Entertaining Secrets of the Rich, Famous--and Thin!



How do the rich and famous who congregate each summer in the Hamptons stay so thin, healthy, and gorgeous? In The Hamptons Diet Cookbook, you'll discover that enjoying exquisitely satisfying taste sensations doesn't have to result in your becoming overweight. You'll learn how to get thin, stay svelte, and be healthier than ever before while indulging yourself in such seemingly sinful pleasures as:
* Ham Roll-Ups with Poached Egg and Mornay Sauce
* Tropical Key Lime Chicken Salad
* Simmered Shrimp with Shiitake Mushroom and Scallions
* Cheese and Jalape?o Quesadillas
* Creamy Chickpea and Farro Soup
* Sausage, Bacon, and Bean Casserole
* Stuffed Pork Chops with Spinach, Cheese, and Pine Nuts
* And hundreds more temptingly delicious recipes


Praise for The Hamptons Diet

"Dr. Pescatore's diet is delicious and sound and represents one of the best options."
--Ann Louise Gittleman, author of The New York Times bestselling The Fat Flush Plan

"Dr. Pescatore's The Hamptons Diet takes the Diet Revolution to the next level--a healthy, sensible diet and lifestyle plan that will make us all thinner, happier, and healthier."
--Fran Gare, N.D. Southampton, author of Anti-Aging Diet Evolution

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Hamptons Diet Cookbook: Enjoying the Hamptons Lifestyle Wherever You Live (Hardcover)

12/01/2009

Review of The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook (Paperback)

After a year of losing 40 pounds eating according to their earlier book, Protein Power, I began searching for ways to expand my menus. I have bought several other cookbooks looking for adequate alternatives to baked goods, but was never happy with the results: Often too delicate, or too bitter, or they'd fall...
Now along comes Drs. Eades and Ursula Solom with recipes that are exactly what they advertise: Comfort Foods. Tonight, we enjoyed delicious Chili Con Carne with Black Soy Beans and slices of Best Whole Wheat Bread and butter. All low-carb, satisfying and delicious. For breakfast, we added a slice of Super Banana Bread mini-loaf to our plate of ham and eggs. Hard to believe it was low-carb, it tasted (and rose) just like the real McCoy.
Most of the recipes freeze, so I can make a variety of baked goods on the weekend, freeze and have them handy for days to come.
I can hardly wait to try the Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Elegant Biscuits and so much more.
If you enjoy a low-carb lifestyle, this book belongs in your arsenal.

Product Description
The revolutionary cookbook that satisfies all your comfort food cravings-from the New York Times bestselling authors of Protein Power

When you think about low-carb diets, do you picture complicated meal plans and bland foods that leave you with cravings? Do the words comfort food make you long for scrumptious delights like pancakes, ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, or fettucine alfredo-foods you thought you could never have on a low-carb diet?

If your answers to the above were yes and yes, you're in for a huge surprise! You can have these foods and many more, thanks to The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook. Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades and chef Ursula Solom give you unique, easy cooking tips and more than 300 yummy low-carb recipes for foods that help you keep your weight down and fulfill your cravings. In no time at all, you'll be on an easy-to-follow low-carb plan that will allow you to stay thin and healthy-and feel great!

Southern fried chicken with pan gravy * Elegant biscuits Melt-in-your-mouth pancakes * Deluxe low-carb macaroni and cheese * Beef and mushroom crepes * Spicy corn chips Soft crust pizza * Low-carb beef stroganoff * Raisin rolls Breaded sole * Fettucine alfredo * Low-carb lasagna * Super banana bread * Low-carb tacos * Bean and cheese burritos * Best garlic bread * Eggplant parmigiana * Rich low-carb pound cake * Scrumptious low-carb cheesecake * Apple brown betty * Cheddar cheese waffles * Chocolate ice cream * Key lime pie * Sublime truffles

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook (Paperback)