POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

Do you feel guilty about letting your children eat snack food like Twinkies?  Well, in Organic and Chic by Sarah Magid you can learn how to make your own organic version (Magid calls them “Goldies”) of the famous snake cake.

Sarah Magid is a custom cake baker, and has a background in jewelry and shoe design.  Her organic desert creations are vibrantly colored, original, and above all delicious.  The cookbook itself is filled with beautiful photographs and would be great for gifting.

There are recipes for everything from cookies and cupcakes to rustic farmer’s market sweets made from seasonal fruits.  Magid gives detailed step-by-step decorating instructions, so even beginners can produce stunning looking and tasting cakes. The recipes are written clearly and are easily followed.

Any health conscious baker will appreciate this unique cookbook.

Everyone loves to eat and everyone loves to try new taste experiences. That is why cookbooks are so popular. Not only do they allow you to expand your daily cuisine, but they also help you learn how to eat healthier and lose weight. There are literally thousands of cookbooks for you to choose from, from old time favorites like “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook” first published in 1950 (45 million copies sold) and “Joy of Cooking”, published in 1931 (14 million copies sold) to “In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah’s Favorite Recipes”, published in 1994 (5.2 million copies sold).

Everyday new cookbooks come along that become new favorites. Here are a few of the new more popular titles that may appeal to you:

“Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook” by Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver from the worldly popular cooking show The Naked Chef has published yet another cookbook that appears to be his best book yet. (He also published “Jamie at Home” and “Jamie’s Italy” cookbooks previously). This book published by Hyperion (Sep 20 2007) is 448 pages and runs about $25.00.

There are over 175 recipes that focus on flavor and freshness, rather than labor-intensive meal preparation. The book’s emphasis is on educating readers on cooking basics. It has a conversational style and offers guidelines for cooking rather than strict instructions. The approach is friendly and extremely readable in Oliver’s typical enthusiastic manner.

Many of the recipes are up-dated versions of old classics, with everyday dishes that everyone can enjoy. The book caters to those cooks who are strapped for time and offers simple solutions to meals that range from chicken breasts to fried calamari, and even to old standards like shortbread cookies.

One of the up-sides to buying this cookbook is that every penny made from the proceeds goes toward the training of kids from rough backgrounds from all over the work into the food industry through Jamie’s Fifteen Foundation.

“Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food” by Jessica Seinfeld

It is well known how obesity has become quite the problem in kids today. Kids don’t want to eat healthy, but parents want their children to grow up with proper nutrition. That is where Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook comes in. This 208 page book from Lifestyle: 1 edition (Sep 20 2007) is more than just a cookbook with recipes. It is a guide to helping parents wage war on their children’s unhealthy eating habits. The book offers appetizing alternatives to fast foods and unhealthy food choices, disguising and hiding vegetables in dishes that kids love.

This cookbook also offers tips and advice on solving the overall problem of childhood obesity. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, Seinfeld discusses the importance of portion size, vitamins, and other nutrition important for children to grow and prosper.

It is an easy read cookbook that offers practical solutions for parents to help their children eat healthy for their lifetime growth.

“The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean” by Tosca Reno

This 344 page cookbook by Robert Kennedy Publishing (Oct 25 2007) has a price tag of about $14.00. The author, Tosca Reno, is not only a fabulous cook but is also a health and fitness expert, the book is filled with great, healthy recipes many of which are shown in 150 beautiful pictures. The clean recipes boast that readers will be transformed from sluggishness and overweight to being lean, clean and fabulous.

Tosca Reno, the author, guides readers to discover how to makes their bodies burn fat while still enjoying lots of food—just like she did when she lost 60 lbs. The book shows you how to rev up your metabolism and burn fat faster so that you can lose weight quickly and easily, without being hungry.

Other titles of interest from the “Eat-Clean” texts include: “The Eat-Clean Diet Workout Journal”, “The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health and Fitness”, and “The Eat-Clean Diet Workout Journal”.

“Eat, Shrink & Be Merry! Great-Tasting Food That Won’t Go from Your Lips to Your Hips!” by Greta and Janet Podleski

Yet another offering from the Podleski sisters, this cookbook is a great hit. Coming after their two previous cookbooks, “Looneyspoons: Low-Fat Food Made Fun!” and “Crazy Plates: Low-Fat Food So Good, You’ll Swear It’s Bad for You!”, “Eat, Shrink & Be Merry!” is a funny, health-friendly cookbook that offers tasty recipes. The health conscious selections concentrate on low-fat, portion controlled recipes that help you not feel like you are dieting. The recipes are presented in a light, fun-filled manner that allows the book to be read easily and enjoyably, and the recipes included are really delicious.

This cookbook is 208 pages, costing about $25.00 and is published by Granet Publishing Inc (Oct 1 2005).

“The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Heavy-Duty Revised Edition” by Test K Americas

This is a state-of-the-art cookbook with all the correct technical features, like a clearly tabbed binder and table of contents that allows you to find every recipe quickly. This 726 page book lies flat so you can read the recipes easily while you prepare them. The book retails for about $24.00 and is published by America’s Test Kitchen; Har/Lslf R edition (Sep 14 2006).

The easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes in this cookbook are based on the TV series airing on PBS. The book has many color photographs and is considered ‘everyday friendly’. There are all types of recipes from the best chocolate chip cookies and classic yellow birthday cake, to basics like meatloaf, pizza and homemade Challah bread.

“The Biggest Loser Cookbook” by Devin Alexander

Based on NBC’s hugely popular reality show, The Biggest Loser, this is one of the best-selling cookbooks out there today. The 224 page book published by Rodale; 1^st edition (Oct 3 2006) contains over 125 low fat, low calorie, gourmet-style recipes in an easy-to-read format. The recipes have been adapted from the nutritionist guides from the show.

Really the book promotes the anti-diet philosophy that encourages you to eat smaller portions and turn to healthier, more wholesome options when preparing meals. The author has maintained his 55 lb. weight loss using the same principles found in his book.

The recipes include a wide range of cuisines from Italian to American dishes, and even some exotic options. There are recipes for breakfast and snacks, main dish meals and desserts, with the nutritional information for each recipe included so you don’t have to calculate calories, carbs or fats per serving. The meals are quick to prepare and the recipes easy to understand.

The book also provides workout routines that were used by contestants on the show to further help in your dieting efforts.

Other titles in this series include: “Biggest Loser Family Cookbook”, “The Biggest Loser Fitness Program” and “The Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter”.

Whether you are trying to lose weight, need help in finding new and interesting recipes for tonight’s dinner, to trying to get your kids to eat healthier, there are many new and exciting cookbook titles available. Which one will you choose to make your dining more pleasurable—or help you in your dieting efforts?