Low Carb Creations from Lauri's Kitchen: Recipes for Your Carb-Conscious Lifestyle

Rating:
Summary: Wow: Great Recipes!!
Review: I am so excited about this new low carb cookbook: so far every recipe has been incredible! I usually have to "tweek" recipes in most low carb cookbooks (including the recipes from the low carb queen Dana Carpenter). But so far with Lauri's new cookbook, most of my margin notes are simply a heart symbol next to the recipes that I love (which are so conveniently listed at the beginning of each section). Lauri's first cookbook was good but this one is great! I applaud how well this cookbook is organized. Each section has the recipes categorized as Induction, Weight Loss and Maintenance. This has been very helpful!

When I get a new cookbook, my first choices are the vegetable and chicken recipes. So far I have made the Chicken in Coconut Sauce with the Hawaiian Salsa (incredible!), Chicken Paprika (oh my god!) and the Aspen Chicken (outstanding). As for the vegetables, I've tried the Turnips Au Gratin, Poached Red Cabbage and Pepper Jack Cauliflower; all are super great. But the Mock Rice Pilaf is out of this world and brilliant! I can't wait to try all the wonderful looking variations offered.

Now let's talk about chili - the Slap Me Silly Chili is unbelievably delicious and what a cute name! This chili has a little heat (although not as much as Lauri seems to think it has) but it is the flavor that slapped me silly. Wow! It is so good! The blend of spices and textures is excellent. Perhaps it is the chorizo sausage that sets this chili above all others.

For breakfast I have tried two variations of the pancakes and love them. The spiced Pumpkin Muffins are delicious and so very moist. I had the Hot Cereal this morning which has 12g of fiber and it is wonderful too. However, I did tweek this recipe by omitting the psyllium husk (because I didn't have any) and substituting a bit more flax seed meal.

As for the desserts, so far I have made the Blackberry Yogurt Pie which was outstanding and a really healthy dessert option as well as the Ginger Pecan Cookies which never completely cooled as my whole family gobbled them up. I'm looking forward to making the other cookie recipes.

Although I have tried only a handful of recipes so far, I am astounished that each one has been so incredibly wonderful! Move over Dana Carpenter, it looks like you are going to be usurped by Lauri Ann Randolph as my new favorite low carb cookbook author.

Rating:
Summary: another winner
Review: if there were more stars for reviews this book would keep going. laurie really "gets" it. these recipes are awesome and i didnt think she could get better than the last book which i bought for friends for gifts. this book is the best of the best she gives us info on some of the things we have to buy for seasonings as well. i can now mix herbs to give to friends along with the book . picture a basket with the book and a packet of herbs de provance that you made up yourself i am blown away by all the additional info in this book as well this author approaches cooking from the perspective of making food with ingredients from the market,made without being time fussy and making enough to have additional meals. there are all different carb counts for all phases of the lifestyle and best of all many of the higher counts give choices to leave something out for the induction phase, while still being able to have the item now isnt that original... i can have pancakes many different ways and she has lots of breakfasts for those of us who dont ever feel like eating breakfast. she uses the new dairy beverage (hood countdown) for some recipes in place of cream and i find that the cream makes things very thick where the dairy beverage gives more of a custard texture.i have never had hicama going to try that soon. i reviewed all my other cookbooks and when the weather gets better ill be having a yard sale. if you can only afford one or two low carb books i can tell you my shelf has laurie's two books and george stellas and you dont need any others . that is until laurie comes out with number three.....

Rating:
Summary: Great for Low-Cal Diets Too; An Artitst with Herbs and Spice
Review: Since June 2004 I've lost 35 pounds on a low-cal medically supervised diet that used pre-packaged shakes and entrees. Going into the maintenance phase now I am looking forward to starting to cook again. After receiving this cookbook for Christmas, the third in a great series of cookbooks, I went through and dog-eared the pages of the recipes that fit my criteria of low-cal.

Tonight I made Beer-Braised Pork Chops, page 219. It was EXCELLENT and sooo easy and less than 30 minutes. Only 5 ingredients. The moistest pork chops I've ever made. I ate one serving, only 173 calories, and put the other servings into individual containters in the fridge and freezer for quick meals later in the week. Don't let the Low Carb title of this book limit you. Pick all the great recipes that can fit into any nutritous diet regime.

Now I do need to disclaim that Lauri is my sister. BUT, I have a BS degree in dietetics and would not endorse any cookbook I did not believe in. In college I lived with Lauri off and on and she is one of the most creative cooks ever. She taught me how to cook meals from scratch that were sooo tasty. A better learning ground than any food classes I took for my degree. She cooks with the passion of an artist, marrying herbs and spices just right is a real niche. And as an educated mechanical engineer she has refined the science of EACH recipe, testing them over and over in her kitchen before adding them to her cookbooks. If you've ever made a recipe from a book, magazine or the paper that obviously was incorrect in it's methods, timing or proportions, like I have, you will appreciate that Lauri tests EACH of her recipes to perfection so you know you can count on it coming out just right. ENJOY.