COOKING THIN WITH CHEF KATHLEEN: 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss

It would be easy enough to hate Chef Kathleen—she's cute, thin and the founding chef of one of the world's most luxurious spas. But it's also hard not to fall in love with her sassy conversational tone, her genuine warmth and encouragement (believe it or not, she was once a size 22) and her terrific recipes. Chef Kathleen tells of her own battles with dieting, what finally worked and how she kept the weight off for good. In the same witty, warm tone, she offers up luscious lower-fat lower-calorie versions of such favorites as BBQ Chicken Pizza, Meatloaf and Fast Fried Chicken alongside other healthy alternatives such as Oven-Baked Salmon with Ginger and Lime, Lentil Lemon Soup and Karen's Angel Food Cake. One of the most winning features of the book is the sidebar that accompanies each recipe and includes everything you wish other cookbooks would: tips on variations, time-savers and what to do if "the Queen's coming to dinner." Best of these sidebars is the "Guy-ometer": honest comments from a typical guy (Chef Kathleen's father), ranging from "Well, it wasn't steak... " (Linguini with Zucchini, Basil, Mint, & Parmesan Cheese) to "Now, this is real food!" (Pasta with Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe). This is a must-have for anyone who wants to eat healthily, and an invaluable kitchen companion that puts fun back into cooking. Illustrations not seen by PW. (July 1)

Forecast:Coming from such a high-profile publisher, and addressing such a widespread need in an amiable fashion, Chef Kathleen's book is poised for commercial success.