5 comments about The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook.

1. A lot of great receipes to make and tasty to eat even you are not on a diet.



2. This is one of the best book in the series! Lovely recipes. Great for summer.



3. It may be South Beach, but it's simply good healthy food. The recipes are simple and don't call for a lot hard to find ingredients. We've only tried 4 or 5 recipes but have enjoyed them all.



4. The extra protein that you get with diet gave me significantly increased strength and endurance, as well as faster recovery time.
   I have been working out since I was a teenager. I am 56 now, and had been feeling less energy, and having sore muscles in gym and after tennis.
   I forgot how important protein is. This diet allows me to eat more!!
   Love the recipes.
   It is helpful to have your spouse assist.



5. I Love to Cook, and I love this cookbook, I use it often and it has made me try new spices I normally would not have.
   I continually loose weight following this plan. This is the healthiest way to get control of your weight and overall health

5 comments about The 1200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook : Quick and Easy Recipes for Delicious Low-fat Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, and Desserts.

1. I Bought this Book to eliminate the guess work out of what My Meals calorie counts were. EVERY recipie Has 4 Servings.!! So You have to Quarter every ingrediant, to make a Meal for One Person Or 1/2 It to make a Meal for Two. No Pictures at all either, which Make it Non exciting to me. I did not want to have get out my calculator, and figure it out.. to get a Meal for One. Plus every recipie is a BIG Production.. not going to eat FAST, either. Shopping, caluculating, etc all too much for a such a simple cookbook. Plus doesnt give serving sizes either and no sodium counts.! So if your into measuring, and shopping, and spending a Lot time in Kitchen.. this Books for You. If not- LOOK ELSEWHERE. This is Going on ebay to get some of My Money Back!



2. I really like this concept, that no matter what you make it is a 1200 calorie day. That said, there is no room for snacks because all 3 meals are suppose to equal 1200 calories. Some of the breakfast and lunch were not feasible simply because of my work schedule. The recipes I have tried have been tasty and easy to make. I do wish that they were easier to cut down since I am only cooking for 1 and all the recipes are for 4.



3. Don't buy this unless you have a lot of time available for meal prep and are okay with 15+ ingredients per recipe. Also, the nutritional info is skimpier than what's provided by some cookbooks; she gives you the calorie and fat-gram counts, but that's it - no saturated fat, trans fat, or sodium numbers. That said, there are some good 100-calorie dessert recipes, and a few of the others worked for me too. I guess I got my money's worth, but the cover says "Quick and Easy Recipes," and that they are not.



4. What I like:
   
   I have tried a few of the breakfasts, with tweaks since I do not use synthetic fats like margarine and can no longer eat dairy. Even with the tweaks, the breakfasts are tasty! I get a lot of food and it's only 350 calories.
   
   There are a few things I do not like:
   
   1. Oven temperatures and time to cook are not stated sometimes. I end up having to guess and I am notorious for over-cooking things.
   
   2. The lunch and dinner recipes do have a LOT of ingredients. Most are seasonings to make the food taste good. Sadly, I made a pasta chicken dish that took time and it still tasted bland. Plus, I do not have time to make food with so many ingredients every day or every meal. I understand that each recipe requires a lot of ingredients because, in order to meet daily nutrient requirements, you do have to eat a protein, starch carb, and fibrous carb so that leads to plenty ingredients when you add in the author wants you to actually flavor it.
   
   3. Because I do not substitute fake butter for real butter and mayo and such, I am probably eating more than 1200 calories.
   
   4. Because of the above, I do not think I am losing weight. All I know is this book is too busy for me to do every day of the week. But, the breakfasts are yummy so I am still happy I bought the book.
   
   5. I read some reviews on her 1500 calorie book and bought it as well. People say it has less ingredients. Well, it does...but what it also has is a side panel on each page telling you what side dishes to have. This may or may not create much extra work for the cook. I have not tried them yet.
   
   6. I eat 5 meals a day now, so I still have to put in a lot of leg work to try to get my calorie count right. Needless to say, I am going to eat simpler food after my groceries are gone this week. This book still makes it too much work for me.
   
   7. Fat per serving and calories are given. Protein count and Carb count are not. I wish they were.



5. Great selection of food choices and easy directions to follow. So far, the recipes have been very tasty...my family has enjoyed the variety of meal plans. Have been recommending this cookbook to co-workers & friends.

5 comments about Creole Made Easy.

1. Use this book and the acompanying CD and you will have a good dominion of creole for any work you might do in Haiti. You will not be a fluent speaker, but you will know enough creole to communicate and understand others.



2. Fantastic book. I had the book for a while then I found the CD that goes with it. I would highly recommend the CD with book purchase. It all makes sense when you see it written AND hear it pronounced.



3. This book has made learning the language easy. Would like to see more examples of how words are pronounced.



4. If you are generally exposed to the Haitian culture and/or frequently hear Creole's general language sounds and pronounciations, I highly recommended that you purchase this book. You will NOT be disappointed. This book serves as an excellent reference as it helps to put the words and sounds you hear into perspective. The reader quickly gains language skills, and before you realize it you're speaking Creole! I am living proof that this book works. I was given this book as a gift by one of my Haitian friends. After a couple months of hearing their conversations and studying the book, I am now able to both read and speak Creole even better than most Haitians! It always shocks my friends when they hear me speaking Creole. This book is well written and again I highly recommend it!



5. Ok, if you are going to travel to Haiti *and have Haitian friends*, this is the book you want. (I'll qualify that in a moment) Thorough dictionary in the back, the lessons are clear and if you do your homework, you'll be conversant on your first trip. Haitian Creole is a wonderful language, topped only by Haitians themselves.. and if you want to find out firsthand why those who know speak so highly of our Creole friends, learn the language and talk to the people in their own tongue!
   
   Here's the caveat, and also the reason for 4 stars: Very few phrases! This means that everyone will understand you but you may not understand them, simply because Creole is loaded with colloquialisms, layered meanings and humor.. which if you're not from that culture, you won't have much grasp on at first. However, if you have some Haitian friends, ask them for help and you'll be well on your way with this book.
   
   I also recommend (in addition to this) "Hidden Meanings" by Betty Turnbull. It is a book of Haitian proverbs-- first in Creole, then with a translation and interpretation (in English). A great window into the culture as well as vernacular.
   
   Bon Chance, zanmi mwen!

5 comments about George Stella's Livin' Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella Style.

1. I did Adkins back in 2002 and was able to loose 24 pounds so I knew low carb worked for me. I've tried several other ways to diet and low carb is best for me but I don't think I did low carb correctly back then. I also could not fathom living without some baked goods that would work with this diet. I happened to see George Stella on TV promoting his latest book and was curious and after checking out his cookbooks on Amazon and the rave reviews I was even more curious and ordered his very first cookbook. I am such a yo-yo dieter and want to find a different way to eat for the rest of my life and end all that up/down dieting. Last year I even tried one of those TV advertised diets where you get a different box of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks each month and while I did loose 15 pounds (took 3 months) I was not so crazy about the food. Plus it didn't really teach me how to cook in a way that would support my weightloss.
   
   This is why I love George Stella's cookbooks. The ingredients are easy to find and the meals a pleasure to prepare and eat. I'm in the midst of doing an induction for another week (I know Stella does not promote that but I wanted to give myself a boost to start out with.) Since Sunday I have lost 5 pounds and that is the honest truth. And yes I am exercising so I know that also helps. I'm just so happy I found a way to eat again that won't constantly leave me craving more food. I just ordered his 2nd cookbook "Eating Stella Style" and can't wait to get it. I will eventually buy the new one as well after trying more recipes in his first and then also in his 2nd book as soon as I get it. Thanks George Stella and also the rest of the family!



2. The recipes in the book are excellent. The cauliflower fried rice recipe is worth the price of the book as is the banana muffins (you can buy the extract on amazon!) I only gave it 4 stars because I own two of George's cookbooks and both are rather skimpy in number and variety of recipes. I have to suspect that that is a marketing ploy to sell more books and I resent it. I'd rather pay more and have it all in one place. That said, if you do the work and make your meals from these recipes you will feel like you are totally pigging out and the weight will come off healthfully and painlessly.



3. George Stella's story of he and his family and their ongoing battle with weight is one many of us can relate too. Whether 20 pounds or 300 pounds to lose, George inspires with his honest history of yo-yo dieting and health problems due to obesity. The recipes in this book are healthy and easy to prepare. The dishes are also tasty and simple to shop for. Common sense prevails and has made this a lifestyle I choose to live.



4. My husband is gluten intolerant and likes to eat low carb. This cookbook is great. I use sugar instead of splenda when I am cooking for the family (just 1/2 the amount), and the recipes still turn out great. It is definitely a keeper.



5. I bought this book on Friday, it is now Sunday night and I have spent the weekend trying out recipes. Muffins, snacks, pizza, mock potato salad. All simply sensational.
   I loved the introduction written by George, I found it very motivational and am now a firm believer in low carb living.
   The recipes in the book are easy to follow, the ingredients ar easy to obtain (aside from spaghetti squash which is nowhere to be seen in Australia!) and the results are tasty, healthy food. My one extremely small criticism is that it's only in imperial measure. I can cope with cups and spoonfuls, but having to convert oven temps all the time does my head in. If you do another edition, could you please include metric measures as well?
   The last word can be had by my slender, doesn't-need-to-diet 16yo daughter (she always has to have the last word anyway), who after eating low carb pizza and mock potato salad for dinner tonight said "Mum, this is YUM! Can you please pack the leftovers for my school lunch tomorrow?"

5 comments about Zone Meals in Seconds: 150 Fast and Delicious Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (Zone (Regan)).

1. This book is helpful to any one using The Zone way of eating. The recipes are good.



2. Great Diet, easy to follow. No counting calories just portion control. Feel great, eat well for the rest of your life.



3. Great companion book to "Mastering the Zone" some awesome recipes that are very very easy to make. You have to be a little bit "into the Zone" way of thinking to use it and get the most out of it. We are now using Stevia all natural sweetener (that is recommended in this book) no calories, low glycemic index and love it -- so do our kids. Well worth the small amount of money we spent on this book as we all have more energy and are alot happier (no sugar crashes). We look forward to Vol II.



4. we bought this book to add on to CrossFit workouts - lots of important information for those just starting out or looking to give the zone diet a try. we'd only be willing to try about 1/2 of the recipes, but to be fair, there are over 150 of them, so that seems reasonable! the 15 or so we've tried so far we've been VERY happy with. the slow cooker meals are GREAT and so convenient.



5. Great summary book if you've read other Zone books. Nice to have on the "recipe book" shelf for quick ideas or to put together grocery list for the week!

5 comments about The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, Updated and Revised: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet.

1. I love this book. In fact I have given all of my current copies away to families in need and will definitely be purchasing more. I love the variety of recipies and the descriptions provided in easy to read format for all audiences.



2. As a Nurse and someone who has been to ARI nutrition conference, this book clearly and easily explains the leaky gut theory and how diet,enzymes, vitamins and supplements should help. I browsed through the recipes although have not tried any yet. But the few I saw looked easy and possibly tasty! I am going slow on the diet, since I tried 3 years ago and was god-aweful trying to find carbs that tasted good. Now focusing on decreasing sugar, and casein products and trying MVI and fish oils 1st. Enzymes ill be tested in a week or two.
   Good luck to all you parents!



3. What I like about this book are the cooking hints for novices in the kitchen - like me. Lots of tables for substitutions, source of food products that are off limits - hidden in labels. Probably what I liked best were the suggestions on how to hide veggies in foods - as my little guy is a very picky eater. It is a nice complement to Barrie's book.



4. I have an autistic son and I wanted to see if by changing his diet he would calm down a little bit and start focusing and sure enough within one week I started to see a huge difference in my son. He is now speaking a lot more clearer and almost starting to say sentences. He is a lot more calmer and a lot more focus. I am so glad I purchased this book.



5. I find this book encouraging as a mother of 3 children. It's nice to have some ideas of how to introduce change into the family diet. It's tailored to parents of young childen, but I use it for children ages 5,8,10. The explanation of the theories is practical. I also bought Kenneth Boch's book, but this is the answer to the "what can I feed them?" question. He just says, eat meat and potatoes,no biggie.
   
   I live outside of the USA, so many of the recipies have to be adapted futher still. But just reading through the text with the blurbs on the side is so encouraging that I recommend the book to all parents, whether or not they are ADHD.
   
   The interesting aspect of the gluten-casein free diet is that although I'm not sure my son is acutally intolerant of gluten, the diet is acutally healthier than the traditional white bread meals that I often serve. Cooking this way may produce more wellness as a whole due to the fact that I'm using vegetables and whole foods as a base instead of highly processed items. We all benefit from whole foods and less "cheap calories."
   
   I'm glad I have this background information. It's a helpful start to those interested in alternative treatments. Perhaps all of it isn't true, but why not give it a shot?

5 comments about First Meals (New Expanded Edition).

1. I really like this book. It goes over all of your questions you would have from first weaning your baby to making their first purees. I've made several of the recipes and my son loves them all.



2. I bought this product after reading the reviews regarding how complicated the recipes were thinking that how much time and effort could baby food recipes take. After reading through the book, you realize that in order to make many of the receipes you need lots of spare time to food shop, prepare and cook. All unrealistic given the time constraints of caring for a 12 month old and working part-time.
   
   Also, the recipes call for taking time to make food look "cute" and eye-catching, even recipes for older babies and young toddlers. Children that young don't care that the veggies are shaped like animals, flowers, etc. The presentation called for in the recipes is over the top.
   
   Lastly, some of the recipes call for foods and spices that I wouldn't think to give a young toddler.
   
   Overall, this book has unique receipes, but the recipes are not as simple, quick and easy as they could/should be. I wouldn't recommend buying this book. Instead, think of some of the other less complicated cook books.



3. I've been cooking family meals since junior high school and have always been very interested in the culinary arts, so I'm a bit more experienced in the kitchen than my wife.
   
   She bought this book thinking it was "quick, easy, healthy" meals. What she found was a huge pile of frustration and angst with every recipe she's tried.
   
   The estimated times to make most of these is severely underestimated. In addition they don't consider any "sit time" required between certain steps. I don't know what planet the author is living on, but here on Earth, that "Beef Croquette" dish took well over an hour, not the 10 minutes they listed. The recipes also frequently call for change of bowls, etc so you end up with a sink piled high.
   
   I've had to step in several times to repair the meals and my wife's self esteem. These are NOT recipes you should be trying unless you know the difference between a food mill and a chinois, a mandolin from a mezzaluna.
   
   Even then, I'm not so sure these meals are all that healthy. Lots of pan frying, which to me is the same as deep frying. No real attempt to reduce sugar intake in these recipes. I think you'd do better buying a Rachel Ray cookbook and shopping at Whole Foods.
   
   We're very disappointed. By the way, our kids refused to eat anything from this cookbook. They will eat things like tacos, scallion pancakes, miso soup, MaPo tofu, plain yogurt, stuffed grape leaves, fried gluten, and lots of other unusual dishes that many kids wouldn't touch.



4. I love a cook book with photos, and this book you'll love to look at, as well as your little one.
   It pushes beyond the normal American fare of chicken nuggets, pizza, fries...
   
   I've begun with the baby food purees... and worked my way up to one year.
   
   So it began with apples, pears, melons... potatoes, yams, peas... and was very helpful at coming up with ways to make proteins and vitamin rich veggies edible and interesting to young ones new taste buds. Variety, variety... This is a book full of great ideas... Macaroni and cheese made with carrots and pasta stars, fresh cheddar...
   I enjoy the fish recipes as well... Cod AuGratin, And Tilapia with Root Veggies... Purees for 8 month olds...
   
   I like how balanced this book is... it really pushes me out of the norm.
   I've learned about NEW ingredients that can quickly become staples in my diet as well. I had never bought a LEEK or a AVOCADO... but when a recipe called for an ingredient that I just couldn't fathom... I just left it out.
   
   CHEAP--- did I mention that these recipes are very inexpensive and help you control what is in the food your little one eats. ALL GOOD THINGS.
   
   TIME--- the time to prepare these meals is a concept you have to consider. Freezing a months worth of "Tasty Beef"... and always adding new side veggies... YES, there is a consideration about TIME.
   
   I got this book from the library... and decided to buy it.
   I am very pleased.



5. THis book is amazing has more information particularly for first time Moms..I got the "Top 100 puree" from the same author which has the same recipe for puree as in this book. So if you get this book, don't buy "Top 100 purees" by the same author. I started preparing purees as given by the author and my baby loves it...

5 comments about The Everyday Low-Carb Slow Cooker Cookbook: Over 120 Delicious Low-Carb Recipes That Cook Themselves.

1. I bought this on the recommendation of a friend. Like others, my crockpot was stored away not getting much use with my low carb lifestyle. The pluses:
   * don't worry if your crockpot is a different size; there are good tips for adapting the recipes to whatever capacity your crockpot is
   * included are lots of really great tips throughout the book, and ideas to help specifically with a low carb eating plan
   * a great chapter called Double-Duty Recipes which contain recipes that produce leftovers to create another dish not using the crockpot. I don't think I've ever seen this in a slow cooker recipe book before--but what a great idea!
   * another great chapter of side dishes to go with the slow cooker recipes--again, this was an added bonus!
   
   The minuses:
   * no photographs of finished recipes - this doesn't really bother me, but some people might be disappointed
   
   Some of the recipes we really liked:
   - egg casserole with sweet onion and sausage - my husband raved about this one
   - any of the chili recipes - I tweak them to suit our tastes, but there's nothing like coming home to chili ready to serve up with a nice salad
   - chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes - wonderful flavor combination, a real change of pace from my too-familiar chicken repertoire
   - almost anything in the "foods for entertaining" chapter, especially the almonds diablo, buttered roasted almonds, the creamy bacon-horseradish dip and the super crab dip--OH MY!
   
   This is a great addition to my cookbook library and I'll definitely recommend it to friends.



2. This a good book but I think it needed pictures but maybe it is a personal preference but to me a cook book needs pictures.Other than that the recipes sometimes require too many ingridients.



3. I purchased this book about a year ago and I love it! I've tried a number of the recipes and have found them easy to use and delicious. My favorite recipes are Chicken with 40 Cloves, Creamy Coleslaw, and Mom's Classic Pot Roast. I honestly make the pot roast once a week. So easy! One of the great things about the book is though it is a slow cooker cookbook, there are a number of recipes included that utilize any leftovers you may have and also tons of great side dishes and even some deserts!
   
   One interesting thing I've noticed is a lot of the recipes call for quick-cooking tapioca. I haven't bothered to look for this ingredient in stores and always omit this in the recipes I've tried and I don't seem to miss anything. I'm assuming its a thickener of sorts but I haven't bothered with it and have had excellent results.
   
   All in all, this is one of my favorite cookbooks!



4. I received this book very quickly and it was in excellent condition. based on this experience, I would recommend this seller.



5. Out of the first five recipes I tried in this book, the first four were outstanding - real "keepers" and the fifth was not bad, just more ordinary. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves to use the slow cooker even if they are not doing low carb.

5 comments about American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.

1. Looked good 'on paper' in the ad but too much history and not well organized for good recipe keeping. One has to dig and sort out the recipes to get to the 'meat' of things. We really don't care where the recipes come from or how the experiments took place. Give us the basics and the alternatives in an easy and straighforward manner.
   We will not use this book on a regular basis. Thanks, anyway.



2. It's really MY 'pizza prejudice' at work here. This guy (author Peter Reinhart) is the top dog when it comes to all things dough! The first part of the book is a quick look at many of the 'famous' pizza places throughout Italy and the U.S. and how these pies compare. It really makes a pizza lover want to go check out some of these places. I found this quite entertaining and informative. I'm also very interested in the recipes for different pizza doughs and toppings because I built a backyard pizza oven and I could never get enough information on all things pizza! If you love either going out for (real) pizza or making it at home, you have to appreciate his quest for the real thing and the recipes that follow. If calling Dominos (sorry Dominos) or some other huge corporation for a delivery is your idea of pizza, don't waste your time with this book, you've already missed the point!



3. I am enjoying this book. I don't get to read anything in one shot these days so I really like to catch the story like a weekly show and without the associated noise. A bonus is a few new ideas for my personal persuit of making excellent home pizzas.



4. Mr. Reinhart,
   
   I have been researching New York City Pizza recipes for some time. After reading all the reviews of your book I was excited that you would have a correct approach.
   
   First off, I am an experienced baker, and bake almost daily. I turn out very good breads and I followed your recipe exactly.
   
   My heart sank as after I made the dough, and the sauce and then turned to assembly.
   Imagine my shock as a Brooklyn guy reading that you believe that Cheddar cheese belongs in New York Pizza. I followed through the recipe substituting the Cheddar with a bit more Mozzarella, and I can tell you that the pizza was terrible.
   
   We tossed it and went out for Chinese.
   
   You have no idea about pizza, and Cheddar in NYC Pizza proves it. I would sell your book on eBay except for the fact that some poor schmuck may follow your recipe.
   
   Do not order this book.



5. It wasn't too long ago that baking bread was a complete mystery to me. I started with the now very popular no-knead technique popularized by Mark Bittman and then began branching out into other types of bread. I now make bread on a weekly basis. But even after becoming our family's bread expert, I still left the pizza-making to my wife, who is by far a much better cook than I. But I knew her pizza technique was lacking (sorry, Honey), and decided, since crust is key, that I needed to put my newly-found bread-making expertise to work.
   
   I started with the recipes available in the cook books we own and with some online resources. Once I got rolling, I was hooked. I had been looking to buy Crust and Crumb (one of Reinhart's other popular books) and, being bitten by the pizza bug, I knew I had to check out American Pie. This book has truly inspired me to create the best pizzas I possibly can at home. In fact, I've begun thinking seriously about even opening a pizzeria. But I digress...
   
   If you want a fairly complete compilation of pizza styles available in the US as well as a perspective on Italian pizza, this book is a great addition to any shelf of cookbooks. The wonderful thing about Reinhart's style is that the book is not just a cookbook; rather, it is accompanied by his narrative on the process he went through in discovering great pizza. This book has everything you need to know to make great pizza at home. I have only two knocks against it (and results in the four- instead of five-star rating). The first is that there's not quite enough perspective on pizza-making from the professional pizzaiolo. I would love to know more about working with dough, sauce and toppings beyond 555 degrees. The other is that I think his perspective on sauce tends to be more is more. One of the reasons I am so attracted to pizza-making is because, like great design, less is more.
   
   All in all, this book is a good read (not something you usually hear about a cookbook) and a great jumping off point to learn more about making pizza. If you want to make good pizza at home, you'll need only this book.

5 comments about The 3-Hour Diet Cookbook.

1. The 3_hour Diet is the easiest diet I have ever followed! When you have a cookbook like this you have no excuses for not following the plan. The recipes are quick and easy...and delicious! And you can choose which plan you want to follow according to your likes. I chose the "Carb Lover's Plan" but there are also plans for meat lovers, vegie lovers and healthy heart watchers. What a delicious way to keep your metabolism revved up and burning calories!



2. I can not believe it. This is the first diet I ever tried and actually worked. I lost 7 pounds in the first week. I was so excited. It is so easy, if you are on the go just carry almonds in your bag not to miss your snack. I just started my 4th week and up to 11 pounds gone. I need to work this week on having smaller portions. I have been eating good but I feel I am still over eating.



3. A TON of recipes to choose from. A nice variety. Like other reviews, it would have been nice for Mr. Cruise to give the nutritional information. I'm sure he was assuming that we readers would know that his recipes give his approval as far as low sugar and carb content...using choice foods. His recipes allow for modifications. He provided a sound baseline for customers.



4. This is a fantastic companion to the Belly Fat Cure book. I strongly encourage the purchase of this book with the Belly Fat Cure.The recipes are great, the ideaology of healthy eating is so easy. Throw every other healthy eating/diet books away!



5. My Doctor recommended the Belly Fat Diet book to me and I decided to get the recipe book as well...I wish I would have read a couple of the reviews and saved myself the money. While the recipes look good, NONE of them contain any values - if he couldn't include all nutrition values, the least he could have done is give us the Sugar/Carb count per serving per recipe!