Giada's Feel Good Food (Giada De Laurentiis)

Giada De Laurentiis has certainly proven herself time and time again as a food force to be reckoned with. Between her many appearances on the TV circuit, her regular shows on the Food Network, and her many bestselling cookbooks, she's gained and earned a very loyal following.  In fact, my husband has stated that Giada’s Short Ribs with Tagliatelle would be his pick for last meal if ever he needs one. However, as she is a proud Italian, she covers many of her dishes with rich sauces and fills them with fatty cheeses. 

In Giada’s Feel Good Food, she turns the tables around, putting it out there that you can't eat these fatty dishes all the time and still expect to stay trim. While everything is fine in moderation, sometimes you just need to take care of your body by eating right. The book is filled with those recipes that she feeds herself and her family (including dessert), with little vignettes interspersed along the way about when she usually cooks them. She also puts in pages about how she packs when she travels, how she takes care of her skin and hair, and what she eats when she needs a sweet treat.

I always keep many of Giada's cookbooks on the counter, and this one will be no exception. The only nitpick I have is that I wish pictures were included for all the recipes because I always need to see what the finished product looks like. However, I realize space in these books is at a premium. All in all, I would definitely recommend Giada's Feel Good Food and look forward to making many dishes from it.

MY RATING - 4

Comfort Food Fix (Ellie Krieger)

I am an Ellie Krieger fanatic, so reviewing this book is really a no-brainer for me. Ellie is the star of the Food Network's Healthy Appetite. On a TV network where you have the likes of Paula Deen and Guy Fieri, finding recipes for healthy, delicious food can be hard to come by. Ellie is a welcome respite in the land of supersizing fries for 39 cents and eating meatballs the size of your head. She has a knack for putting together simple everyday ingredients you can find at any grocery store to make something delicious.

Ellie's third cookbook, which should be another bestseller, is Comfort Food Fix: Feel-Good Favorites Made Healthy. In it, she takes Grandma's dishes and other foods that normally have a very high caloric count, and makes them healthier. From breakfast to dessert, and everything in between, Ellie's 150 recipes will have you salivating. I have already made the Lemon-Dill Pita Chips for a snack, the Quick Marinara Sauce (If you are still buying Ragu, you don't know what you are missing.), and the French Bread Pizza. Tomorrow, we are having the Garlic Breadsticks with spaghetti. How does Double Chocolate Bread Pudding sound? Ever think Chicken Parmesan could be healthy for you? It can! And it can be crispy too!

If you are thinking that you could not make the above without some sort of "disgusting" health-food ingredient, you are incorrect. The only think you need to do to make Double Chocolate Bread Pudding healthier is use half whole eggs and half egg whites, use dark chocolate, and use whole-grain bread. There is no tofu in sight.

I do realize that color cookbooks are expensive to make, but I would have preferred to see a photo of all completed recipes. You do not get a picture with every one. Those you do get are beautiful. However, even without a picture, if you follow the recipe to a "T", I guarantee that you will come out with something absolutely delicious. Thank you again, Ellie!

MY RATING - 5

This review can also be found on www.bookloons.com.

The Food You Crave:Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life (Ellie Krieger)

I decided to expand my repertoire a little when it comes to reviewing and every now and then, review another passion of mine...great cookbooks. For someone who used to mistakenly put cabbage, instead of lettuce, on her nephew's sandwich, and stuck a whole can of tomato soup in the microwave without water, something finally clicked when I moved to Philadelphia. No longer does my poor husband get a 3-course meal of meat, potato, and vegetable served 15 minutes apart. Now I pride myself on being able to put a delicious, healthy meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Ellie Krieger's "The Food You Crave:Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life" is by far, my favorite cookbook. Ellie is a Food Network personality, but first and foremost, a nutritionist. She believes that food can be healthy and full of flavor if you just make some minor adjustments. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store, and revel in all of the delicious fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, seafood, and dairy. Who wants to eat the "chemistry experiments" in the middle of the store? If you can't pronounce it, don't put it in your body.

My favorite recipes include Apple-Pecan Muffins (with applesauce substituting for butter), Scrumptious Scramble, Blueberry Blast Smoothie (which my husband asks for all the time), the Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip (which I use with chicken), Lemon Pepper Grilled Shrimp, Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce, and Vanilla Hot Cocoa (once you taste this, your days of drinking the powdery stuff will be over).

Many recipes include a picture for easy following. Here's to your health. You will not be disappointed.

MY RATING - 5

Currently reading..."The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" (Katherine Howe)