The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great

I just took Pam's class based on this book the other day. She served a recipe from each of her daily meal categories and they were all fantastic -- delicious, colorful, and texturally satisfying. We had the open-face omelet (almost like a crepe with a healthy, vibrant filling mixture), Asian chicken soup made in a surprisingly quick and easy manner, apricot-cherry bars (so satisfying!), pre-dinner wine biscuits (easy to make ahead), and flatbread pizza that was so easy and deliciously crunchy. No bland diet food here! For many of the recipes, she offers several variations (e.g., different fillings, toppings, or flavorings). This is a lifestyle you can live with, which is her point -- if a "diet" makes you give something up, you better be prepared to do it for the rest of your life. I can't give up wine and desserts, so Pam's ideas make so much sense. She looks great in a realistic way--not Hollywood skinny, but very healthy and, even more important, happy and satisfied in her own skin. She's a great inspiration and has given those of us who love to cook and eat a wonderful guidebook!

I have been a subscriber to Cooking Light and Eating Well magazines but have always felt the recipes were lacking something. I am so impressed with the recipes I have tried in this book because they don't sacrifice flavor, are satisfying and quite easy to prepare (although they look quite elegant on the plate). I also like her idea of treating yourself each day with a treat/cup of tea. I have been having her fruit bar made with lemon curd and coconut with tea this week and I have not felt the need to splurge on calorie laden desserts (my weakness)! My husband has been showering me with compliments on my cooking since I've been making Pam Anderson's recipes. I haven't clued him in that he is actually eating healthier, that would spoil his fun:)

Organized beautifully, reads like you're chatting with your best friend. Today is Sunday, and I've just made the absolutely delicious Crustless Quiche with bacon, leeks and goat cheese, for lunch today and pre-portioned breakfast the rest of the week -- I can decide each morning whether to eat at home or at my desk at work! The recipes offer tons of flexibility, and the encouragement, sprinkled throughout, offers a real plan for real people in their very real and busy lives.

You might think it's strange that I'm writing a review for a book that I don't yet own (I just placed an order for it!), but I have been waiting for this book since I read somewhere last fall that Pam was writing a book about losing weight. We have a great cooking school here in San Antonio and I've been to Pam's classes three times over the last few years. I nearly fell over when she walked into the classroom last year to teach from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over - she looked fantastic! I had seen her twice before and she was quite heavy. After that class I went home and looked at her picture on the flap of How to Cook Without a Book and could not believe the difference. She looks 20 years older in that photo. I own all of her cookbooks and love each one so I feel comfortable giving this one five stars after "witnessing" the change in her. I can't wait to devour every word and piece of advice in this book!

I have been a huge fan of Pam Anderson's other "Perfect" cookbooks. Especially "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over," and "How to Cook Without a Book." She is just a great chef and writer. Her insight is always invaluable. However, it is not really practical for me (or anyone) to eat most of these foods on a daily basis because many of them are high in fat and calories. In her new book, Pam shows you how you can eat really good food, but cook recipes that are not to caloric or fat laden. The recipes are really do-able for everyday cooking and eating, even if you have a busy schedule. And, in typical Pam fashion, she gives variations on almost every recipe to suit your tastebuds and the ingredients you have on hand. A calorie count is also given for every recipe. Just as valuable as the recipes, is the information Pam gives you about how she lost almost 50 pounds. Her biggest tip is that she changed her lifestyle. She added exercise and created kind of a meal plan and guidelines that she feels (and I feel) are liveable. She has a nice breakfast, a nice lunch, teatime with a sweet, a before dinner "nibble" with a glass of wine and a reasonable dinner. And the truth is, if you eat like this day in-day out, you will slowly lose weight (or stay the same). What makes most of us gain weight is the over-indulgent stuff, eating too much on a daily basis, and constant yo-yo dieting. I am not doing her writing justice, please get it and read it. I am so excited to implement her strategies and recipes in to my life. I love to cook, and I love to eat, but I hate being fat! Edited to add: I have been cooking from this book all week and love, love, love it. Rare to find a cookbook that you can instantly cook so many recipes out of it right away. These are recipes for everyday living.