Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites : Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals

Rating:
Summary: Vegetarian That Even Meat Eaters Can Appreciate
Review: I have several Moosewood cookbooks, but have sometimes found that the recipes can be complicated and time-consuming, and can involve ingredients that are not always easy to find. This book, however, contains good recipes that are not only healthy, but also relatively easy and quick to make. From soups to salads to entrees, I haven't tried anything that I haven't liked, and I really appreciate the effort that was made to make the dishes low fat. Low fat or not, the recipes included here are for food that is both flavorful and hearty. A must-try for the vegetarian or even the meat eater who wants to try to include some vegetarian meals in his/her diet. I find myself turning to this book when I want to make a meal for friends who are not necessarily vegetarian, and they are always pleasantly surprised and ask for the recipe! These meals would encourage even the hard core carnivores to take a break and eat some veggies!

Rating:
Summary: Sometimes Disappointing but Often Right on the Money!
Review: I have to admit that I'm not a fan of all the recipes in this book. I do not find a pot full of mixed vegetables all that interesting. That said--there are some wonderful recipes mixed in with the less interesting ones that redeem the whole cookbook. The sweet potato black bean burritos are THE BEST! I make them for freinds every so often, and they're always a hit. The Tropical Gazpacho is the best gazpacho recipe I have. I am also a fan of the Jamaican Jerk Tofu. Maybe it isn't the very best cookbook in my collection, but it definitely has a place there.

Rating:
Summary: Adventurous cooking
Review: I have used this cookbook for a few years now and have found many of the recipes to be wonderful and a few not so great. But overall I am pleased to have it. My favorites have been the Asian Noodle soup, Sothwestern corn and potato soup, Black bean chilaquile, Penne with puttanesca sauce, Eggplant parmesan, Baked beets and shallots, Japanese sesame spinach, and my favorite recipe for banana bread-Banana bundt cake. These are all very flavorful and satisfying dishes. I plan to keep trying many more of the recipes in the future. I recommend this book highly but you may not like all the recipes. Some that other reviewers have mentioned they liked I did not care for (Jerk Tofu, macaroni and cheese) and some I thought were pretty bad (almost fat-free cornbread) but it is just a matter of taste. The recipes I do like I make again and again so I am glad I own this book.

Rating:
Summary: a favorite
Review: I love this cookbook! It is generally vegetarian but does include some fish dishes, also uses dairy somewhat. The recipes are easy to prepare, not too complicated for the busy cook, and the nutrition info would probably be extremely helpful for anyone who is trying to count calories. It is a large cookbook with several hundred pages of recipes, quite a good deal for the money. There are a variety of ethnic influences, including Indian and Middle Eastern--these are NOT bland recipes. The sweet potato and black bean burritos and thai baked tofu get high marks!

Rating:
Summary: The most used cookbook I own
Review: I own a lot of cookbooks, but because my family likes to eat healthy, this is our day-to-day favorite. Though we're not vegetarians, we don't eat a lot of meat. We do, however, like to eat fish. The fish section of this book is outstanding. Not only does it have fantastic recipes (almost all quite easy) for fish, it also gives ideas of what to do with different types of fish - i.e., poaching, broiling, etc. So if you've ever made a mistake by taking a wrong approach with a piece of fish, this overall advice is very helpful.

Though I've owned the original "Moosewood" cookbook for over 20 years, more and more I turn to this low-fat book, because it's a bit more up-to-date in its ingredients and approach. Also, the original book didn't include fish or seafood at all. The original Moosewood book didn't often call for fresh herbs, red peppers, whole wheat pasta, etc. - things that weren't available in the average supermarket in the '70s. This low-fat cookbook, though, strikes a balance between the exotic and the everyday. More often than not the ingredients are things I already have on hand, which is key when whipping up something quickly.

Also, this book is much more realistic about cooking time than the original Moosewood book. For instance, it calls for canned beans instead of soaking dried beans for an entire day.

I own at least 20 cookbooks, and for day-to-day cooking for the weight- and health-conscious, this one's the best.

Rating:
Summary: Full of flavors and easy to use
Review: I use this cookbook more than any other one I own. For the most part, the recipes are simple--I don't have to spend 2 hours making dinner. Also, I find the flavor combinations just a little bit different from my usual cooking, which is a nice change. I especially enjoy the soups, and as a non-vegetarian I appreciate the creative fish dishes, but I've made everything from the appetizers to the desserts. When I moved from New York City to North Carolina, I was a little concerned that some of the less common (to me) ingredients would be difficult to find--happily I found that with the advent of super-supermarkets, that's not a problem--I just haunt different parts of the produce area (and let me add that there are not THAT many strange ingredients--once you have a few herbs on hand, you're in business). This cookbook has really inspired me to be more creative in my own cooking, as well--the low-fat tricks the authors include can be used with many recipes I have in other cookbooks. I also gave this cookbook to my parents for Christmas last year, and have been delighted to learn that several of their now standard "company dishes" are from this book!

Rating:
Summary: I need a second copy!
Review: I went to make the wonderful mushroom barley soup and realized that I left my cookbook at my country home! I just ordered a second copy. I have sent this to both my adult children and to my mom. My daughter makes the black bean and corn chili and the peach ginger pie for dinner parties! I own over a hundred cookbooks and this is my favorite. Also with the nutrition information I am able to compute my Weight Watchers points.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!! Practical and Delicious!!!
Review: I will give this to everyone on my Christmas list this year! We eat out of this cookbook daily. The recipies are easy to make and so good. I took dishes out of this to both Thanksgiving dinners this year and received such rave reviews!

Rating:
Summary: Great for People Who Don't Like Vegetables
Review: I've been trying to get my family to eat more healthy, lowfat, vegetable-rich meals, despite their dislike for most vegetables. This cookbook has delicious combinations full of flavor and texture that they just can't pass up. Thank you Moosewood!

Rating:
Summary: Yummy Recipes and Lots of Useful Info
Review: I've tried several of the recipes from the book and haven't been disappointed yet. Granted, I do like my foods heavily spiced, so I feel free to experiment until each recipe is to my liking. The best part, though, is all the wonderful nutritional info included in the book: glossaries, food substitution suggestions, suggestions on how to cut down on fat, a dictionary of terms like "low-fat", "nonfat", "light" and so on. It's a useful book for anyone who is wondering how to be more creative and healthy with their cooking.