A New Way to Cook

The text on the back of the (unique) dust jacket for this wonderful cookbook says it all. "A new way to cook is a redefinition of healthy eating, where no food is taboo, great taste rules, and the concept of self denial just doesn't exist."I note that some readers who have reviewed the book on this site appear to be disappointed because it didn't meet their "low fat" cooking expectations. When disappointment sets in, it is often because expectations and reality are out of synch, so buyers should not expect this to be a another "low fat cooking" tome. This book focuses on whole foods, wholesomely and creatively prepared while keeping an eye on using healthy fat sources in moderate amounts. It also has a wealth of instructional text for those who may be unfamiliar with the products or techniques referenced.I've been cooking since my childhood, nearly 40 years, and this is one of the best cooking references I have ever used. The recipes are simple to follow for all but the very inexperienced cook and very reliable. The range of recipes is also excellent...from seared Lamb with Morrocan spices and tomato jam to roasted vegetable soup. If you like this cookbook, you may also want to investigate Nancy Harmon Jenkins' "The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook" which, although not as extensive as this book, is also wonderful.

I love this book. I have to admit, it contains ingredients not normally found in the average low-fat person's pantry, and some ingredients not easily found in a standard grocery, but part of the point is that perhaps we haven't used these types of ingredients enough to get the flavor, instead of cheaper, fattier, more easily obtainable ingredients. In the meantime, I like her use (very much like Julia Child's "Master Recipies") of guides to improvising many of the basic recipies, techniques, etc. This is another book that focuses on technique, it teaches one how to cook as opposed to how to follow a recipe. I've found myself cooking from it often, substituting and making do when I can't find anchovy paste. (Although when I follow the ingredients to the letter, the food sparkles with flavors). Deceptively easy recipies such as "Red Lentil Stew with Carmelized Onions" are incredibly complex tasting, and filling to boot. Curry crusted shrimp, easy, delicious, nutritious. I've recommended this book to many friends, all have raved.

There have always been 2 different things, when it comes to cookbooks: on the one hand, cookbooks that focus on getting the maximum taste out of food. This usually means cooking rich, high in calories food, that tastes good because of the use of butter, lots of unrefined sugar, cream, etc. My cookbook shelf contains quite a few books focusing on this type of food, & they surely have a place in every cookbook collection. On the other hand, there have always been books focusing on "light" cooking, containing recipes that tend to use "light" ingredients & many vegetables & fruit. There's always been a need for a book that addresses the gap between these 2 types of cooking, & attempts to bridge this gap. "A new way to cook" is exactly this long-awaited book!Sally Schneider has put taste above everything else: she wants her food to look good & taste good. She also realises, though, that this cannot realistically be achieved through the use of lots of oil or butter or whatever else, since most people have health & weight considerations to take into account. So what she has done is this: she's experimented with lots of different cooking methods, trying to get the best possible taste out of a certain food, using the least possible calories. She does not exclude any ingredients: she just uses everything in moderation & proposes lots of inventive methods. Something that is important is that her book never gets anywhere near boring, "light-cooking" recipes. She has a whole chapter on colorful, indulgent desserts, where you can find everything from lighter desserts using fruits to decadent chocolate cakes & tarts. Schneider's basic premise is that moderation, the use of good ingredients, & inventive, creative cooking methods are the key to good, healthy & yes- in the end, light eating.

Schneider has spent the time many of us would like to: experiementing with various ingredients and techniques to maintain all the richness of the food we love to cook and eat and write reviews on. She achieves this not so much by abstinence from certain taboo foods or ingredients (e.g. sugar, fat, etc.) but with techniques such as pre-emulsification, glazing, etc.This book is mammoth, over 600 recipes. I look forward to delving more into her approach. What has been attempted to date has delivered what promised: rich food that is healthy: Seared Lamb with Moroccan Spices and Tomato Jam, Country Terrine with Pistachios, Risotto with Red Wine, Rosemary, and Champagne Grapes, Upside-Down Red Wine-Pear Tart, Chocolate Mousee Cake.Broad is the scope of this work, laced with Charts (e.g. one of the best detailed I've seen on rice and grains) and Sections on Rubs and Essences and Marinades. It is exhaustive and well laid out, with pleasing type font that is easy to read and pleasant to the eye. Also covered are techniques, glossary, index, and sources listing.A resource that will be used repeatedly to try out this new flavorful way to cook. Recommended for all levels of cooks.

If I had to live with only one cookbook, or were recommending a single volume for any contemporary cook, it would be this. While it does not cover in detail beginning cooking technique such as knife skills, basic cuts, and identification of tools, it provides substantive information and such an intelligent point of view that even a modestly-experienced cook could utilize it. Schneider's approach, not really new to readers familiar with the also wonderful Martha Rose Shulman and Rozanne Gold, among others, is nevertheless a practical way of eating healthy in delicious, sophisticated dishes.Schneider endorses the practice of replacing heavy and often unhealthy fats with herbs and spices. By using wholesome fats judiciously, by highlighting intrinsic flavors, and by using taste rather than slavish adherence to tradition, she presents a mighty range of wonderful recipes. The recipes also turn out fantastically. Her straight forward, first person writing reveals her love of food and is devoid of pretentions. The recipes include informative introductions, exceptionally helpful notes about ingredients, variations and extensions, and guidelines for advance preparation. The book is gorgeous looking, with a beautiful lay out and user-friendly format. The index is complete and detailed, and each section of the book lists its recipes for the convenience of a cook looking for, say, ideas for tonight's soup.The sections of the book include a great Vegetables chapter, Beans/Legumes, a wonderful Pasta chapter, Grains, Seafood, Meat/Poultry, Breads, a fantastic Soups section, Salads, Desserts, Flavor Essences, Broths, Oils, and Sauces. An appendix provides nutritional analyses of the ingredients and each dish (including calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, and sodium for dieters.) Large and weighty, the book would make a great gift and addition to any cook's library.