cover image THE ESSENTIAL EATING WELL COOKBOOK: Good Carbs, Good Fats, Great Flavors

THE ESSENTIAL EATING WELL COOKBOOK: Good Carbs, Good Fats, Great Flavors

, . . Countryman, $29.95 (403pp) ISBN 978-0-88150-630-3

Food and diet fads come and go, but throughout its history, Eating Well magazine has maintained a singular focus: to promote the value of eating food that's both nutritionally sound and delicious. This collection of 350 recipes culled from thousands of well-tested Eating Well favorites is an excellent source of inspiration for health-minded cooks. Addressing the current conflicting weight-loss trends, Jamieson, who directs Eating Well 's test kitchens, makes the case for understanding (rather than eliminating) carbohydrates or fats, and provides guidelines for how to make healthy choices. Though not intended specifically as a "diet" cookbook, the volume includes per-serving analysis of each recipe for those seeking to monitor their intake. In addition, favorite comfort foods are subjected to the "Rx for Recipes" treatment, resulting in Updated Mac and Cheese, which substitutes whole-wheat pasta and low-fat cottage cheese and adds spinach, or Fettuccine Alfredo, which incorporates 1% milk and reduced fat cream cheese instead of cream. And vegetarian selections offer interesting, flavorful choices enhanced with fresh herbs and spices. Refreshingly, the "good carbs, good fats" subtitle is really just a hook that's explored only in the book's introduction. All the recipes are relatively low in fat and carbs, but that's nothing new for Eating Well cookbooks. 16 pages of color photos not seen by PW . (Sept.)