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.

A Southerly Course (Martha Hall Foose)

With the exception of Paula Deen (butter, butter, and more butter), Martha Hall Foose is the queen of Southern cooking. So much so that the director of the upcoming film The Help (based on Kathryn Stockett's outstanding novel) used her in food consultation. Foose creates beautifully illustrated cookbooks of recipes that can really be found nowhere else.

From appetizers to desserts, Foose has the competent cook covered. Her recipes are easy to follow, but definitely not for the diet-conscious. One can find lard, shortening, bacon, and heavy cream in quite a few. There is not a "bacon cheeseburger" in sight in this cookbook. Instead, be prepared to find "Honey Pear Salad", "Dandelion Cracklings", "Venison Meatballs", and "Roasted Pigeons with Bread Sauce". If none of these sound appetizing, I would advise against this book, as it is definitely for the adventurous cook and eater.

My own gripe is that I need to see pictures of the finished product. While the illustrations that are there are beautiful, there is not one for every recipe. I need to know what my "Delicata Browned Butter Crepes" should look like, Martha! However, all in all, this is a book that would go nicely in a cook's cupboard.

MY RATING - 4

This review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.