Jacques Pepin's Simple and Healthy Cooking

I have typically stayed away from books promoting "healthy" or low fat cooking, primarily because I always found the recipes dull. I don't like using no-fat ingredients, fake butter, artificial sweetener, etc. To me, they make the food not worth eating, much less cooking. What I like about this book is that Pepin shares creative, inventive recipes that incorporate butter and oils in moderation, and he shows that you do not have to use a lot of these for a dish to be flavorful. It is all in the seasonings and preparation. And this is a cookbook that you can use on an everyday basis, as the recipes truly are simple... some of them so simple that you wonder how good it will really be. I have made over a dozen dishes from the book so far, and have not yet found a bad one.

I have recommended this book to nearly all my friends...it is the best cookbook I own and I'm not exaggerating. Aside from the fact that it is very easy to follow, it is also a great way to make delicious, tasty meals that are healthy and low-fat. You won't feel like you're eating health-food or compromising on flavor. Pepin's tricks are so imaginative...he uses naturally low-fat ingredients that are also tasty to enhance flavor... onions, vinegar, herbs, etc. Plus, it's easy to follow without being too elementary and it still provides enough detail so that you don't have to guess. I recommend this book wholeheartedly... it makes cooking, eating, and staying healthy a pleasure instead of a chore!