The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

There is nothing revolutionary about Ellie Krieger’s approach to food, but what she does very well in her cookbook is present a healthier way of cooking without getting sanctimonious. She doesn’t shy away from the nutritional do’s and don’t’s, evil necessities that they are, but more importantly, her philosophy is not based on deprivation or poor-tasting substitute ingredients. Krieger knows what she’s talking about as she is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She also happens to have brand appeal since she has her own show, “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger”, on the Food Network. Ironically, Krieger is one of the few cooking show hosts who comes across a lot brighter and more informative on the printed page than on the television screen.

This is the advantage of the cookbook as she provides her “no fear or guilt” philosophy in easy-to-follow terms that focus on moderation and frequency. No food is off-limits, not even the usual suspects like butter or cream. Instead, they are used strategically in small amounts for maximum impact. Krieger provides a helpful “New Way Pantry” list to help anyone get started on the right foot. With a generous quota of full-color photos, the layout of the over two hundred recipes is well done, and the steps are easy to follow for the most part. Nutritional information per serving is presented, as well as what particular nutrients the dish provides. I particularly like the sidebars and special insert pages that focus on dietary topics of interest such as the convenience of frozen and canned food, shellfish and cholesterol and even ordering salad dressing at a restaurant. Read more »

Weber’s Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling (Sunset Books)

With all the BBQ and grilling books that are published, it’s easy to formulate the attitude “Oh yeah, just what I need — one more grilling book.” However, if you’re a grilling aficionado, to bypass this one would be a mistake.

From the start, it has a couple of things going for it. First, it’s from Sunset books, probably the finest publisher of ‘how to’ style books in the country. Second, it’s written by Jamie Purviance, an excellent author who not only has the expertise, but also the right attitude towards grilling (very down-to-earth; not snotty in the least). As someone who has grilled for many Read more »