cover image Cook Right 4 Your Type: The Practical Kitchen Companion to Eat Right 4 Your Type

Cook Right 4 Your Type: The Practical Kitchen Companion to Eat Right 4 Your Type

Peter J. D'Adamo. Putnam Publishing Group, $24.95 (450pp) ISBN 978-0-399-14437-0

Should people's blood types dictate the kinds of food they eat? Naturopathic physician D'Adamo thinks so, and, in the first section of his follow-up to l997's Eat Right 4 Your Type, he outlines his reasons and offers a diet plan with recipes. ""Certain foods complement certain blood types,"" he writes. ""Other foods antagonize and debilitate"" them. He believes that meat is good for people with blood type O, whose ancestors were Cro-Magnon hunters; vegetarianism suits type As, who descended from agrarians. Type Bs (once nomads) should emphasize meat with a few vegetables and fruits; ABs ought to do just the reverse. Clearly organized tables outline food requirements for each type. The recipes range from main courses to desserts and include information indicating how beneficial the dishes are for each blood type. While some of the selections are appetizing (Veal Stew with Fennel; Pineapple Upside-Down Cake) many of the recipes--due to dietary limitations--are uninspired and call for very specific quantities and types of ingredients (kelp powder lurks in the Great Meat Loaf and spelt flour is called for in baked goods). The last section provides 30-day menu plans for each blood type and mail-order sources for hard-to-find ingredients. (Jan.)