3 comments about Gloria's Gourmet Low-Fat.

1. I'm back for another copy of this book, to send to my 12-year-old nephew, who enjoyed baking from my copy. The recipes here are not just low-fat, but also make an effort to be healthy in other ways. For instance, every recipe includes some variety of whole flour, and there is a section on the pros and cons of nuts and seeds, discussing both their fat content and their nutritional plusses. The only warning I would give anyone contemplating buying this book is that you are likely to find yourself looking for exotic varieties of flour for these recipes--barley flour, brown rice flour, and the like. There are certainly a number of recipes that use just white and whole wheat flours, but for the most benefit and the least disappointment, make sure you can find at least whole wheat pastry flour.



2. I compared this book with the original "Gloria's Glorious Muffins", which was printed in 1993, and I find that the original one is much better. "Low-fat" is not always good. The author says in this new book that she re-thought of using whole wheat flour, since it contains more fat than white flour. And thus more white flour is used. And for almost every recipe, more sugar was used, while in her original book I rarely found a recipe which used sugars (mostly fruit juice, honey, or maple syrup was used). In her original book, good oils such as canola oil was used properly, while in the new book, it wasn't. I would use more "good fat" and nutrient-rich whole wheat flour, than pure sugar or white flour. This book still uses good amount of whole wheat flour. But in my opinion, this is just an effort to try to follow the trend of "Low-fat" popularity, even though the author disclaims. I prefer her original "Gloria's Glorious Muffins: Easy-to-Make Easy-to-Bake Gourmet Muffin RECIPES". It provides recipes of healthier and more delicious muffins.

   I am not sure, maybe it was because of re-arrangement ? Or maybe not ? The new book contains totally different recipes. That is, it does not conain the "low-fat" version of recipe of the old book. They have just different recipes. Only the "Helpful Hints" section (about 30 pages) are almost same. The author, Gloria Ambrosia, claims that this book is the result of making (experimenting) thousands of muffins. And from her previous book, I trust that she is an expert in muffins. So, this new book should be a good one too. If you want to buy both, that is fine. If you want just one, I would recommend the original version, not this one.




3. This is one of the best cookbooks I've ever used. The recipes are easy and don't require "exotic" or hard to find ingredients. And the muffins are delicious; you'd never know they were lowfat! It also offers a wide variety of muffin recipes from traditional breakfast muffins to dessert muffins to muffins to accompany dinner.

   Wish she'd write another one for diabetics.

No comments about Ainsley Harriot's Gourmet Express.

No comments about Gran Libro de La Reposteria.

No comments about Wine & Dine: California Fine Wines Matched With Gourmet Recipes.

2 comments about Gourmet Preserves Chez Madelaine.

1. It's a real shame this book is out of print. It's a collection of terrific recipes--everything from everyday Strawberry Preserves, to No- Sugar Cinnamon Nectarine Jam with Pineapple. The collection covers jams, jellies, marmalades and preserves, plus recipes to use them in anything from cheesecake to souffles. The best part, though, is that Bullwinkel's technique uses much less sugar than most recipes, and either no pectin, or homemade pectin using green apples. This allows the true fruit flavor to come out, unmasked by all the sugar most recipes call for. Recipes are made in small batches to allow the natural pectin to develop, so it may take a bit longer to make the same amount of jam you're used to--but the taste is worth it. Some of my favorites are Blueberry Jam with Mint, Rhubarb Ginger Jam, and Spicy Blueberry Preserves. If you can find this book, grab it!



2. FINALLY! A book that has fabulous jam, jelly, preserve recipies that are not sickeningly sweet! You actually taste fresh fruit flavor instead of tooth-numbing sugar. Madelaine has perfected a method that, while it takes a little bit longer to produce a bath of jam, actually works with the fruit's natural pectin and sweetness and the results are a product that is far superior to the "fast food" tasting recipies of today. I am really bummed this book is out of print - I have been checking it out regularly from our local library for years and finally decided to buy my own copy!

No comments about Hungarian Cuisine A Gourmet's Guide.

No comments about The International Mail-Order Gourmet: A Sourcebook of Select Delicacies from Around the World : Where to Find Them and How to Use Them.

No comments about The Master Chefs of Britain Recipe Book: Over 250 Recipes From the Great Chefs of Britain..

3 comments about The Two Burner Gourmet: The Cookbook for Cooking Far from Home.

1. The author provides a guide to everything from improving refrigeration, to disposal of waste. A very helpful guide for the weekend, and the one, to two week cruiser, small boat cruiser. Topics include packing, buying, acquisition, and cooking of great food, on a small boat. Complete 5-day meal plans are a definate plus.



2. This book is invaluable when planning a cruise for two days or two months. One of the best features is a shopping list jthat goes with a set of meals. Penny



3. I never read this book but my wife has. I am the recipient of the good tasting and filling meals. My wife saw this cookbook at the Cleveland boat show and had to have it. This past summer we cruised Lake Michigan for eight days and never had to go for supplies. Most meals are easy to prepare, out of cans, cooked in one pan, cook in less than 30 minutes and cleanup is easy. Terry gives you the guidance for excellent meals on the run. His secret is the planning and he makes it easy.

3 comments about Cheapskate Gourmet: Creating Fabulous Meals for a Fraction of the Cost.

1. I tried a couple of recipes after getting this book from the library, I cannot find the savings in this book. She wants you to invest in some utensils that normal people just would not have in their kitchen. The type of things used in the recipes are neither cheap, nor do they hardly ever go on sale. I would reccomend sticking to the complete tightwad gazette, or not just beans before I would this!!!!



2. I am a huge fan of Mary Hunt, but I was not overly impressed with this offering. There are better ideas for saving money on food in some of her other books. If you don't have any idea on how to prepare less costly meals, this might be a good investment. Otherwise, stick to your BHG or Betty Crocker all purpose cookbooks. I do enjoy Mary's style of writing, though, and I especially enjoyed the section on the formal tea. But I am a pastor's wife, and often have to entertain--for a family trying to cut their everyday costs, that portion would be less than useful.



3. Not sure where the editors were on this one, unless they were just trying to get one more sale out of the "cheapskate" franchise. Just what do you get here? Purportedly basic information on how to set up a kitchen (with recommendations for equipment that is decidedly not budget level and without any guidance on ways to cut costs on any of the items) and purportedly basic "gourmet" cooking instruction with repeated warnings to never cut corners on ingredients or make adjustments to methods (and then we get a recipe for a sauce that includes canned concentrated cream of mushroom soup and lots of extra butter). To top the whole thing off, we get an example of "the ultimate in cheapskate (??) hospitality," a high tea for 35 people. The menu suggested would cost hundreds of dollars, and she admits to needing several "friends" serve as waitresses for the whole ordeal. There is absolutely no reason to buy this book, but there are lots of reasons to register unhappiness with the publishers for letting this one hit the market.