Description:
When chef Louis Lanza opened Josie's in New York City in 1994, he created a new breed of restaurant. Since then, this smart-looking eatery serving dairy-free food has been crowded with both health-conscious, food-loving yuppies and more mature and mainstream diners pleased by the comfortably sophisticated menu. In Totally Dairy-Free Cooking, Lanza explains that he avoids using dairy products to cut back on fat and cholesterol. Also, it helps people with allergies and other health problems. To ensure you get sufficient calcium on the dairy-free diet he espouses, Lanza provides a chart demonstrating how easy it is to get the all the calcium recommended by health authorities by eating green vegetables, grains, tofu, and other foods. Lanza is a broadly talented chef. He prepares a wide range of dishes, creating novel choices and giving new twists to familiar favorites. His Spinach Salad is enhanced with ginger and roasted beets--add the marinated tofu or not, as you prefer. Margarita Chicken Paillard, marinated with lime juice, tequila, and Triple Sec, is sure to be a classic for grilling. Or try the Yellowfin Tuna Burger, enlivened with soy sauce and sharp wasabi. Less expectedly, there is Hummus-Crusted Salmon with Cucumber and Tomato Salsa, the hummus topping the fish made with black beans. Meatless dishes are hardly bland in Lanza's hands--witness his creamy, puréed mushroom soup, seasoned with tarragon, and Baked Corn Macaroni with Soy Jalapeño Jack, studded with sliced zucchini. To ensure best results for cooks unfamiliar with dairy-free cooking, he lists specific brands of ingredients he favors. Most are organic and can be found in supermarkets as well as at natural food stores. In all, Totally Dairy-Free Cooking provides nearly 200 recipes, from fish and chicken dishes to meatless choices that are easy to make even when a bit off-beat. --Dana Jacobi
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