American Heart Association Around the World Cookbook: : Healthy Recipes with International Flavor

Rating:
Summary: Good if you know what you're doing?
Review: A comment on my earlier review: I was going to use the author's recipe for paella until I read it more carefully and then I found that most of it went against the grain so I didn't. I understand that recipes for paella abound and that hers may be to other people's taste but it wasn't to mine. In the name of fat reduction she suggests that if the reader cannot get Spanish chorizo, but only Mexican chorizo, the reader use "light smoked sausage" (p. 154) because Mexican chorizo is "swimming in fat" (p. 144). While it is true that chorizo is quite high in fat, there is only so much of it in any particular serving and it is absolutely indispensable. Paella would just not be paella without it! Furthermore, she uses 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves and 1/2 pound boneless pork loin chops for 8 servings, in addition to 1/2 pound large shrimp. 8 fresh clams, 8 fresh mussles (understand that this is 1/4 chicken breast half, 1 oz. of shrimp, 1 mussel and 1 clam per serving and 1 oz. pork chops), and artichoke hearts, etc. (p. 144-145), and she says to cut the chicken and the pork into CUBES! While this may be fine for some, I could not do it this way. I omitted the pork entirely, and used what I prefer: bone-in chicken thighs with skin (I would use 1 per serving)), and I left them whole. Also, I omitted the artichoke hearts which I didn't think would work well enough, and I used more saffron than she says is necessary and no matter what recipe you use, I suggest that you use saffron to taste. Also, I would not (although one could) cook the chorizo in the stockpot with the rice-I panfry it. If the way I make it increases the fat content to some extent over the way she does it (her recipe has 7 grams of Total Fat and 2 grams of Saturated Fat per serving-but at 5' 3 1/2 inches tall, I know from the website of Dr. C. Everett Koop that I can have 50 grams of fat per day, so I don't know what the fuss is about), I think that that is vastly preferable, especially since one does not have paella every day. I am wondering what to do about the other recipes in the book about which I know nothing...

Rating:
Summary: Low-fat with flavor
Review: I reach for this cookbook over and over again, and I've yet to be disappointed by one of the recipes. The comments are helpful, the recipes easy to follow, and the results are always tasty. I read one reviewers' complaints about the pealla recipe, but I've made this dish several times for dinner parties, and I and my guests have always been pleased. The book offers a wonderful way to enjoy low-fat cooking without sacrificing flavor. It truly has become the bedrock of my low-fat cooking library.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific cookbook with healthful recipes!
Review: This cookbook is divided into sections each with recipes from soups to salads, entrees and desserts from a different international cuisine (French, German, Hispanic, Italian, Middle Eastern, etc.) complete with nutritional analysis for each recipe so that the reader can see just how many calories, protein, carbohydrates. cholesterol, sodium and total fat (broken down into saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsatured) all expressed in grams or milligrams per serving, except calories, and use his calculator to compute the total number of calories and/or fat grams per meal, if he needs to. There are mouthwatering color photographs of some of the recipes grouped together in two different parts the book. Last recipe I tried was for the Turkey Rolls with Prosciutto and Cheese (Italian). Because it is quite high in calories (408 per serving) I omitted some of the ingredients (flour, bread crumbs, egg substitute and bread crumbs). I liked it (although I didn't know what I was missing because I'd never had it/made it before) The author is good enough to say that it is traditonally made with chicken breasts so if you want to make it with them, you can do that too. Next on my list that looks beautiful-Chicken with Forty Colves of Garlic (French) and their Paella (Hispanic). Also Chicken Piccata (Italian),Aegean baked Fish (Greek) and Couscous with Lamb Stew (Middle Eastern). Highly recommended. Wouldn't want to be without it.