[.ca] The New American Heart Association Cookbook: Sixth Edition (ISBN 0812929543)

From Amazon.com:
This 25th-anniversary edition of the classic, bestselling cookbook contains 600 heart-healthy recipes, 150 of them brand-new. The book has been updated to reflect the use of nonfat and low-fat ingredients that didn't exist just a few years ago. Recipes include appetizers, snacks, beverages, soups, salads, entrées (seafood, poultry, meat, vegetarian), vegetables, side dishes, sauces, breads, breakfasts, and, of course, desserts. Many are healthier versions of old favorites--such as Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken à la King, Sweet and Sour Pork, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Devil's Food Cake, and Chocolate Chip Cookies--with some new entries that reflect modern eating trends, like Portobello Mushroom Wrap with Yogurt Curry Sauce, Pad Thai, Curried Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and Almonds, and Artichoke and Chick-Pea Pilaf. Whether you want a quick meal, a nutritious dinner the whole family will enjoy, or a festive entrée to impress guests, this book has an array of choices. Most recipes reflect AHA guidelines: no more than 30 percent total fat, 8 to 10 percent saturated fat, less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day; plenty of vegetables and grains; and moderate sugar and sodium. Some recipes are higher in fat, but you balance those with lower-fat recipes on other days of the week. Nutritional information includes calories, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, fat (total, saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated), fiber, and sodium. --Joan Price

I've already ordered a second copy:
After my husband's heart attack, I immediately went on a search for heart-healthy foods and found the American Heart Association's "Big Red Book." (Yes, it's true. I took his heart-attack as a great excuse to buy more cookbooks.) So far, each of the recipes has been a hit, especially the "Chicken Curry in a Hurry." But the biggest hit of all was the "Easy Apple Cake" teamed with the Caramel Custard Sauce from the recipe for poached pears with the same sauce. So in an unusual move, I ordered a second copy of this cookbook, but this time the hard cover edition especially after I looked at the paperback and noticed the number of creases in the spine. And then I ordered nearly all of the other cookbooks from the Heart Association. The recipes are generally short, simple, and do-able on a weeknight. The use of spices is nice, although you may, as one reviewer suggested, want to add more spices (for example, I like a LOT more curry in my curries). But what's nicest is the wide variety of recipes, including quite a few vegetarian recipes that make a nice change. (Be sure to try the Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce. Delish.) In all, this one is a real gem and goes up on the bookshelf next to "The Joy of Cooking," "Brilliant," the old "Pillsbury Baking Book" inherited from my grandmother, and, of course, the Betty Crocker "Cooky Book," back in print after all these years.

Heart-healthy Sweethearts:
When a heart important to my heart was told by his doctor that he has high blood pressure, my own went up. All priorities suddenly shift, and you realize there is nothing but nothing more important than the good health of those that you love. I immediately went on a hunt for a cookbook that would satisfy the palate but also keep us heart-healthy. I quickly came across this cookbook. What better sense than looking to an association that deals specifically with the health of the heart? Yes, but.... what about taste? A good diet is only as good as the tingle of the tastebud; it won't do you any good at all if you don't eat what's good for you. I've made meals from most all of the sections in this cookbook. Fish, poultry, vegetables, even dipped into the desserts. We have both been pleased with the tasteful results. Low on salt and fat, but high on flavor. Good sense paired with good food - that works! From chicken with broccoli and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, to zucchini stuffed with spicy vegetables, to a rice pudding that was all comfort food, we did not miss what was missing: that nasty stuff that clogs arteries and hammers the heart and adds the slops to the waistline. My only negative is purely an esthetic one... I love to see a photo of what I am about to prepare for the first time. No photos here. But that's a small matter and not enough to keep me from going back to this cookbook again and again. Best of all? My sweetheart is a healthy heart. Blood pressure is right where it belongs. Bon appetit!

Great recipes:
I would highly recommend this cookbook to anyone. It's a great way to make delicious meals that are low-fat.

Good Book:
I bought this cook book to try and get started on a healthy eating track, but no picutes make it hard to get motivated. The dishes themselves are easy to make. Some dishes I have had to add some extra seasonings, because they were too bland. Some recipes were regular recipes just with substitutions ie instead of eggs use apple sauce etc. Other than that it is a good cook book, but you have to be willing to read through it to get an idea if it is a dish you would like to prepare.

A perfect balance:
I prefer to cook with just my imagination, but this is a terrific book when my inspiration and creativity needs a boost. I'd say that over 80% of the recipies are things that my family enjoys, while most of my other books rarely come in above 30-40%. The bredth and depth of each section is just right and the nutritional information is particularly helpful. Instructions are easy to follow.