Essential Best Foods Cookbook or Month of Meals

Essential Best Foods Cookbook

Author: Dana Jacobi

Which foods offer the most nutritional value? Which supposed smart choices actually fall short of their promised good? Expanding the scope of her popular 12 Best Foods Cookbook, Dana Jacobi explores the micronutrient benefits in over 60 common foods and provides a wealth of recipes that prove, as Gourmet Retailer has previously written: "we are in the hands of a wonderfully creative and talented cook."

Did you know that green beans are a nutritional lightweight compared to the green soybeans called edamame? Or that zucchini is a weakling when rated against winter squashes packed with carotene, fiber, and more? For each "good food" she lists, Jacobi explains the science behind her selection—and shows how to exploit each ingredient’s inherent "goodness" with her original, innovative spins on classic dishes like Turkey and Spinach Mini-Meatloaf or new combinations like Red Lentil and Apricot Soup . Always mindful of the home cook’s need to get meals on the table quickly, Jacobi includes many dishes that take 30 minutes or less.

As cookbook author Jack Bishop has written of her 12 Best Foods Cookbook: "Dana Jacobi proves that good nutrition and pleasure are not mutually exclusive. Her inventive, simple recipes satisfy our desires and keep our bodies healthy."

Publishers Weekly

This thorough collection of recipes keeps health-conscious eating simple by making the most of fresh vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Author Jacobi (12 Best Foods Cookbook) focuses on classic preparations with inventive twists: egg salad is brightened by curried onions, and citrus and capers turn that self-righteous standby kale into an appealing side dish. Main courses are wholesome, hearty, and frequently vegetarian, like Crisp Buckwheat Polenta with Mushroom Topping, which transforms humble ingredients into a decadent, crisp-salty treat. However, the book does include several meat and fish recipes, including Persian Chicken with Sour Cherries, a whole bird stewed in an exotic mix of fruit and spices, and Roasted Salmon with Moroccan Tomato Compote, which benefits enormously from the addition of fresh summer tomatoes (the sauce that pools at the bottom of the plate begs to be mopped up with a thick piece of bread-whole-wheat, of course). Since virtuous does not always mean abstemious, Jacobi concludes with a nice assortment of desserts, including offbeat options like Nutty Popcorn Bundt Ring and Tropical Fruit Salad with White Tea Syrup. Nutritional information at the bottom of each recipe assures that even these tempting indulgences won't end in regret.
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Judith Sutton - Library Journal

This follow-up to food writer Jacobi's 12 Best Foods Cookbook focuses on 60 "best foods"-the original dozen, of course, plus other healthful ingredients from avocados to red wine (in moderation). An introductory section that provides information on buying, storing, and using each ingredient as well as "Why It's Best" is followed by dozens of simple but imaginative recipes that use at least one but usually more of these healthy foods. Nutritional analyses are given for all of the recipes, and most of them include serving suggestions, variations, and "food facts" as well. Highly recommended.

Book review: Five Spirits or The Caregivers Survival Handbook

Month of Meals: Old-Time Favorites

Author: American Diabetes Association

Millions of ways to mix and match! Here's how it works:

Each menu planner has 28 days worth of new menu choices; pages are split into thirds and are interchangeable. There are 20,000 menu combinations in each book. No matter which combination the reader chooses, carb counts and nutrients are correct for the entire day­­automatically. Readers can mix and match among all of the menu planners if they want; millions of combinations are possible!

Updated third editions of the Month of Meals series feature:

• Complete nutrient analysis and carbohydrate count for every meal
• Every meal includes the same number of carbs, no matter which choice is picked­­45­60 grams for every breakfast, 60­75 grams for every lunch, and 70­85 grams for every dinner­­this helps keep blood sugar levels stable
• Covered spiral binding increases bookshelf visibility