Low-Carb Cookbook, The: The Complete Guide to the Healthy Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle–with Over 250 Delicious Recipes, Everything You Need to Know … the Pantry, and Sources for the Best Prep by Fran Mccullough

Description

Millions of people with weight problems have discovered that all roads to successful weight loss do not begin with the low-fat diet. For most overweight people, in fact, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate plan is the preferred regimen to correct a metabolic imbalance, the source of the problem. While this eating plan runs counter to all the proscriptions of government nutritionists, it has proven to be not only a safe but also highly effective method of weight reduction and the basis for a lifetime of good health. Because turning to low-carb eating is like learning a new kitchen language, McCullough begins the book with an invaluable checklist of pantry essentials as well as creative substitutes for foods you may be missing (like mashed potatoes), and tradeoffs for those times when you do crave a carbo indulgence. The heart of the book, though, is the dozens of wonderful recipes for every course, from appetizers like a Mexican Shrimp Cocktail to an easy and extraordinary Cream of Mushroom Soup, from a Middle Eastern Lamb Salad to Nut-Crusted Swordfish, from vegetable dishes like Roasted Potato Skins and Zucchini “Pasta” to desserts like Berries with Trembling Cream and a made-in-moments Chocolate Mousse.

Editorial Review

Written by a James Beard Award-winning author who's also a writing teacher at the revered Culinary Institute of America, The Low-Carb Cookbook presents a colorful approach to the low-carb, high-protein diet so many people swear by. The author, Fran McCullough, has herself lost 60 pounds by following a low-carbohydrate diet, so you know you're in good hands. With more than 250 recipes, including appetizers, sauces, sides, main dishes, and delectable desserts, it'll keep you cookin'.

She's definitely taken a gourmet approach to the recipes. While they're all tempting, notables include Three-Grain Pancakes with Raspberry-Orange Sauce, Nut-Crusted Swordfish with Romesco Sauce, and Crème Fraîche Ice Cream. Unlike the many other low-carb cookbooks out there, McCullough gives advice for tracking down the best prepared food products and additional tips for healthy food preparation (for example, she recommends organic meat and dairy products whenever possible and cautions that “free-range” chickens are allowed to stick their heads out of their cages–not necessarily given the chance to frolic freely on the farm). There's also an interesting comparison of low-carb books, including Protein Power, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, and The Zone, which boils down to this: they all emulate many aspects of the Overeater's Anonymous recommended diet. But where the diet books that started the low-carb craze may not be all that original, The Low-Carb Cookbook certainly is, with its wonderfully creative and classy recipes. The perfect choice if you want to rise from a food-boredom rut or entertain for friends–and not let on that you're counting carbs. –Erica Jorgensen