Rating: Summary: GREAT BOOK, PACKED WITH INTERESTING LOW CARB TIPS Review: I bought both this book and the one by D. Chud. They are both nice books, but I found this book, ("The Low-Carb Cookbook" by F. McCullough) to be more practical - Fran gives you a rundown of low carb pantry items and resource guide for finding these items - lots of unusual low-carb products that would be otherwise hard to find (low carb Tortillas, for instance). Many recipes are short and easy to prepare - there are "classic" American (Fried chicken with lowcarb crispy coating),French (vicchyssoise,beef burgoyne), and Italian style (caponata,Italian meatloaf) recipes as well as recipes using some more commonly found Asian and Southwest (carnitas) ingredients. The book is organized in the usual manner: appetizers,soups,salads,main dishes,condiments, veggies,side dishes, desserts and each section has good and interesting low-carb recipes. Each recipe has the carb,protein and fat counts, so you can get an idea of how the carbs would change if you make substitutions. In addition, she has some more unusual basic recipes (how to prepare your own pork rinds / cracklings)that I haven't seen before. My favorite parts are special sections spread throughout the book with topics like how to prepare a low-carb Turkey stuffing, how to make a low-carb "breadings" for meat,and low-carb wrappers of lettuce to mention a few. I really enjoy this book and have shared it with co-workers on the low-carb diet. One last comment is that another book for low carb eaters which is complementary in nature to the "The Low-Carb Cookbook" is "The Complete Meat Cookbook" by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly. In that book you get a lot of buying info on meat (difference between prime and choice, how to choose a ham,beef,pork,lamb and veal)as well as how to prepare meat easily and with good flavor and tenderness, while on a budget. The accompanying side dish recipes in this book are probably not low carb (you have to watch the ingredients, some are low carb), but the meat preparations are easy and delicious, a good complementary book to "The Low Carb Cookbook".
Rating: Summary: Wonderful book! Review: Every recipe that I have tried in this book has been wonderful. Everything from the Garlicky Baked Chicken, the Cheesecake, to the "Potato" Salad have all been great.The book also contains some helpful information for the low-carb dieter. Great book!
Rating: Summary: Just the book for anyone who thinks low-carb is boring Review: THANK YOU, Thank you. What a great find! I had been searching the bookstores for such a cookbook but came up empty. The recipes are right up my alley, creative and easy. The side dish and dessert section are my favorites. I never buy cookbooks without pictures but I'm glad I made an exception. Hope there's another book in near future, Maybe PICTURES this time.
Rating: Summary: Excellent for someone who enjoys cooking and watch carbs Review: I found this book to be a great tool as part of my over all approach to controlling my insulin levels. One thing that always hurt me on diets is my love of cooking and trying new recipes. I have made and served a lot of the recipes in the book and enjoy using the unique spices and variety of meats and cooking techniques. This book makes the diet fun. I can plan meals and entertain and guest do not realize they are eating healthy!
Rating: Summary: Every one a keeper Review: Most cookbooks have hits and misses. Everything I've tried from this book has been great. This book has made it possible to stay on a low-carb diet and contemplate the future without horror.
Rating: Summary: good info but don't expect to make magic with these recipes Review: The book has a great intro section which explains why you should do the low-carb diet plan and also summarizes many of the protein diets that exist so you can make a personal choice as to which plan to follow and then buy that book as well. I haven't made many of the recipes yet, but they are primarily veggies and meat (obviously - what else is there?). Many of the recipes require unique spices, but the writer explains at the start what you should stock your kitchen with and what you should toss out. If you decide to do this diet, you should follow it full force or you'll find yourself with constant trips to the grocery store and later, many products going bad in your pantry. I made the "Big Red Chili" recipe and was disappointed because all it was, was seasoned ground beef. No tomato sauce, mushrooms, beans, barely any onions. I guess you just need to know that there is no magical ingredient that is going to make meat/veggies taste like mac & cheese. If that is what you are hoping, you need to change your mindset. It definitely requires you to change your taste-buds and supposedly your cravings will go away eventually. I don't think the book is honest though, when it says you can fool your house-guests with some of these recipes and satisfy everybody. If guests aren't following the low-carb plan, you need to accomodate them with some bread/pasta! Nothing else will do!
Rating: Summary: Insulin Control for Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health Review: As the author of "THE GOURMET PRESCRIPTION: High Flavor Recipes for Lower Carbohydrate Diets", it doesn't surprise me that two thirds of today's NY Times "how-to" best-sellers are lower carbohydrate diet books. (Protein Power, Sugar Busters!, a book by Dr. Atkins and three by the Hellers). Thanks to our most articulate and heroic carbohydrate addict (Oprah), Americans are finally waking up to the destructive consequances of fifteen years of carbohydrate abuse: weight gain, lipid derangements and cardiovascular disease, hyperinsulinemia and type 2 diabetes. These best-sellers are turning the food pyramid on its head! "The Low Carb Cookbook" offers recipes that are definitely a step up from diet book fare, though perhaps not quite at the level of "The Gourmet Prescription". They also tend to be too high in total and saturated fat. (And saturated fat has been shown to increase insulin levels.) However, given the choice between these recipes and a high carbohydrate approach, I'll take this book any day! Too bad there aren't any photos.
Rating: Summary: The best low carb cookbook. Creative, fresh, original. Review: The best low carb cookbook I've seen. From a true chef. Creative yet easy recipes. Please write another!
Rating: Summary: Too Fancy Review: This book has some good receipes, but if you want an easy simple low carb cookbook, keep looking. I found it difficult to find a meal that I could just "whip up" after a long day working. Call me plain and boring, but I want receipes that are simple to make and require items that I can buy at the grocery store or I already use. This cookbook is for someone who has the time and desire to make fancy dishes.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing deserts - good otherwise Review: This a very good book that fills a huge void in the cookbood section. The deserts, however, were disappointing in that Fran uses Splenda in most of them. Being someone who is very mistrustful of man-made additives (aspartame anyone?) I can only wonder what the long term effects are going to be for people injesting sugar which has had chlorine atoms injected into it. The book would have been better with natural ingredients like Stevia.
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