Rating: 
Summary: Very Disappointed
Review: I wanted very much to like this book as I'm always looking for new recipes to aid me in my weight loss goals. If I have a source of healthy meals to prepare, the task of eating well is just that much easier for me. I thought "Cooking Thin" would be of use to me, but it's going back to the store. Here's why:~ First and foremost, no caloric or fat content information! How is a person supposed to tailor their diet using healthy recipes without knowing how many calories they are taking in? How can a book like this call itself a "cooking thin" book when the cook doesn't even know how many calories she or he is consuming? Those numbers are very important to many people, and leaving them out is a huge error, in my opinion. And would a picture of the finished product hurt? ~ The book has difficulty deciding 'what it wants to be'...sounds silly, but it does! Why is there a buttercream frosting recipe in a diet cookbook? Where are there cheesecake and quickbread recipes listed? I HAVE all these recipes in other books - I purchased this book for diet recipes, not MORE recipes to tempt me in my struggle against weight gain. It's almost taunting the reader. ~ There's a healthy dose of salt in this cookbook - it seems to much to be part of a healthy diet. Some of the recipes have a lot of sugar in them, too. Perhaps this is why the nutritional content is not listed; if it were, the numbers may prove to be as far from a diet as they could be. ~ There are several recipes that make a note to "skip this recipe" if you can't find ripe enough tomatoes, mangoes, strawberries or the correct variety of sweet onion. There are a lot of states between the coasts of Cailfornia, Hawaii and Florida that don't get great produce all year long, and if you discount these recipes from the book, along with the high calorie 'special' recipes the author includes throughout the book, how many 'thin' recipes are we really getting? Including the disclaimer of not making the recipe just mad me mad. ~ It's difficult to tell who wrote this book - the mother, the father, the sister or the brother. (And the mother yelling at you from the corner of the page got to be extremely annoying) They're all in there, with a handful of friends. It sort of reminds me of those church compilation cookbooks, you know? ~Some of the printing is extremely difficult to read. The sidebars containing tidbits of information are white print on an orange background, which is really hard on the eyes. It's just a terrible color combination. There are other sidebars which use a friendlier printing combination, though. The cover is really attractive, and would look nice sitting on your shelf if you were going for looks only, which is important to some people. I'm returning the book and getting a serious diet cookbook that list nutritional content and ingredient lists that are represntative of my area and lifestyle. Hopefully, any subsequent cookbooks from this author will correct these oversights found in her first effort.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent addition to any collection
Review: If you're looking for a book that not only offers recipes, but also has helpful tips and tidbits, this is definitely a book worth checking out. I enjoy watching Kathleen Daelemans' show on the Food Network, so I was very eager to purchase her book. It has been an excellent addition to my already huge collection of cookbooks. We've tried several of her recipes and have found them all to be tasty and easy to prepare. She offers tips on how to cook ahead, "morph" one meal into another, and some tips on planning your menus. I really liked the fact that Kathleen talks you through the process of losing weight - she offers a lot of insight, especially since she went through the process of losing weight herself. I recommend this book, even if you aren't looking to lose weight.
Rating: 
Summary: Gonna count calories and "trades" forever?
Review: This sublime cookbook is a painless path to a delicious new life, from a gifted chef who has been there. The only consistent criticism I've read here is that it doesn't include calorie and nutrition content. The food, says everyone, is great. If, at this point in America's obesity, diabetes and heart disease crises, you're unaware of the basics you have to commit to, all I can ask is, how? The information bombards us from everywhere. Don't blame the author of one cookbook if you still don't get it. And, of course, she does discuss these concepts, just not constantly. If you're serious about a weight loss/lifestyle change that is lifelong, then YOU, personally, need to understand and master the facts about the true size of portions, about the true nutritional content of fresh ingredients versus processed, etc. If you have 5, 15, or 25 other cookbooks trying to teach you the same fundamental facts (as many said they have), then GET IT already. That part is up to you.
Rating:
Summary: Quick & Easy
Review: What a delight this book turned out to be. Many of my Cook Books have page after page of beautiful pictures of food and recipies that turn out meals that look nothing like the pictures and manage to taste even worse than they look. This book is a lot more than just a recipie collection in that you can almost sense Chef Kathleen's delightful personality literally bursting from its pages. Of course, having seen her TV show I should have expected no less. Sone of my favorite parts are her stories of her mom and the use of her dad as the the 'guy' behind the "Guyometer". I've been able to find most ingredients for the various recipies I've tried and the amount of time I spend in the kitchen has been halved using this book. Ladies, if a mere guy can do it, you certainly can too!!
Rating:
Summary: Real men can eat these foods as well
Review: I thought the other men out there might like to know that there are foods in here you can eat. My wife has been trying to get me on a several different healthy diets and I have been uninterested. In Cooking thin, however, there are recipes for Roasted Chicken, Buttery mashed Potaoes, Beef Stew, Chili, Flank Steak and Italian Sausage Pizza.
I never knew I could make my own pizza. Much easier than it sounds and much better than frozen.
I must admit that I am still working on getting down to the portion sizes she recommends, but I have no complaints about the recipes we have tried here at home.
I think Daelemans should come out with a nice grilling cookbook. Maybe with a few venison and game recipes.
Actually, any number of the recipes in this book can be adapted to the outdoor grill and will be at our house this summer.
Rating:
Summary: Quick, Easy, Inexpensive, Kids love the food
Review: The recipes are quick with short shopping lists. I have made over half the recipes in this book and haven't been disappointed even once. My husband has liked almost everything including vegetables he "hated". Until this book I tried everything to get my family to eat better and failed. It is a nice feeling to know that they're getting the nutrition they need. That I get to spend less time cooking is a big bonus too! A note to the calorie counters out there: Not everyone cares or has the time to deal with that especially for a big family. I know we're eating better than the pizzas and burgers and frozen stuff we used to eat. I have learned how to use more fresh foods and how to start portioning and planning ahead thanks to the easy way the author presents the lessons. I say Bravo to Chef Kathleen and thank you!
Rating: 
Summary: Love the show but not the book
Review: I bought this cookbook after watching Kathleen's show on tv. I love the show, tons of great ideas and a lot of motivating factors. However, I was disappointed in the book. There are some good recipes, but I don't find any of them particularly quick and easy. And that's what I'm all about. I was also very disappointed to find that there is no nutritional information in any of the recipes. For "Cooking Thin", some of these recipes didn't seem too healthful. I will still love the show, but like others I have had this book for months and haven't tried one recipe yet. It will sit in my collection, but probably not be used much.
Rating: 
Summary: Thin Cooking
Review: Thin on recipes, thick on her perpective, her life, etc. I like her show on the Foodnetwork but was disappointed in this book. On the positive side - I do like how she has a guy-o-meter and that will influence what I do try. I've had the book a few months and have not tried a single recipe. This is a no frills cookbook and no photos.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous recipes, fabulous book!
Review: I absolutely devoured Kathleen's book. Not only are the recipes incredible (they've gotta be--this gal is a CHEF!), but they're easy too--Kathleen knows we don't have three hours every night in the kitchen to devote to "cuisine". I love that about her--she's the real deal. The tips, antecdotes and humor also made this book a delightful read. If you need a cookbook you'll actually USE, this is the one!
Rating:
Summary: Better than a club cookbook
Review: I have bought a lot of cookbooks. I vowed to buy only to "club" or local cookbooks because local cookbooks have taste tested recipes. I decided to try one more time with this book.
These recipes are great and the book is fun to read. This woman thinks like me! I haven't found one thing I didn't like. The one flaw of the book is that it is difficult to find some of the ingredients. Usually she will give an option on an ingredient or a spice.
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