The Fiber for Life Cookbook

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Summary: very small book with no pictures; recipes aren't appealing
Review: book is very small, not many pages, no pictures except on the front page; very disappointed; many recipes don't have anymore fiber than average cookbook.

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Summary: Roughage Reigns
Review: In The Fiber For Life Cookbook, acclaimed natural foods author
Bryanna Clark Grogan's challenge is to make us believe that "fiber" and "gourmet" can be used in the same sentence. With all of the attention focused on protein, fats, and carbohydrates today, fiber has been virtually ignored (except for Weight Watcher's, which made the connection between fiberous foods and weight loss many years ago). Simply put, when the outside layer of seeds, fruits, legumes, etc., is stripped away in a refining process, dietary fiber is also discarded. Grogran explains that dietary fiber is responsible for balancing alkalinity and acidity, and for detoxifying chemicals in the gastrointestinal system that can cause diseases such as cancer. Without fiber in our diet, cancer-producing toxins are produced in the gut by bacteria that flourish in a fiber-deficient system. When this occurs, Grogan points out that constipation may be a precursor to such life-threatening diseases as diverticulitis, large bowel cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, gallstones, hiatus hernia, varicose veins, obesity, diabetes, and hemorrhoids, many of which do not occur in those consuming a high fiber diet. A chart of "Fiber Superstars" lists 50 foods containing at least 4.5 grams of fiber per serving (a cup of kidney beans contains a whopping 19.4 grams of fiber!). This informative chart is now on my fridge. Another chart lists the fiber and calorie content of over 100 name-brand foods. Sample menus, with suggestions for increasing fiber, are listed for meals and snacks. Over 150 pages are devoted to recipes for breakfast, breads, appetizer/snacks, salads/dressings/sauces, soups, beans, vegetables, grains, and desserts. With a flair for international cuisine, Grogan circles the globe with her inventive Yemiser Wat (Ethiopian Spicy Lentils), Eggless Crepes, Pizza Dough with flax seeds, Pasta Alla Primavera, Vegetarian Feijoada (Brazilian Black Beans), Chiles Rellenos Casserole, Red Lentil Dal, French Strawberry Pie, and Italian-Style Apple Tart, to name but a few of the mouth-watering, high-fiber, vegan dishes. I highly recommend this book to anyone who doubts that the words "fiber" and "gourmet" can indeed be used in the same sentence.

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Summary: Gourmet fiber treats ...
Review: The benefits of fiber can hardly be argued - and Bryanna's new cookbook tells you how to incorporate fiber in your diet AND make it taste delicious too. In this book she focuses more on vegetables, beans and grains, to a larger extend than in her previous books which focused more on tofu, seitan, and other (low-fiber) meat subs - Bryanna gets inspired from cuisines from all over the world. The Italian dishes - taken from her fabulous "Nonna's Italian Kitchen" - are outstanding (such as her Pasta alla Primavera), even a humble-looking recipe like Irish mashed potatoes with kale is a gourmet meal. There are Chinese-style, Latin-American, Indian, and Middle-East-style dishes, ranging from soups (The Lentin Soup is so good!), salads and dinner entrees, even several cake recipes! This may not be as ground-breaking an effort as her truly outstanding vegan masterpieces "Nonna's Italian Kitchen" and "Authentic Chinese Cuisine" - but less can do! This is a completely respectable vegan cookbook that you will definitely enjoy for everyday use. Me, I'm already starting to look forward to Bryanna's next book ...