[.ca] Healthy 1-2-3: The Ultimate Three-Ingredient Cookbook, ... (ISBN 1584790407)

From Amazon.com:
Simplicity as an art form creates the intrigue and attraction of Healthy 1-2-3, a nutritional cookbook that utilizes only three ingredients per recipe. Award-winning chef and author Rozanne Gold continues her 1-2-3 series with this "Healthy" entry, made with the calorie-conscious cook or host in mind. Though three ingredients quickly can be construed as a restriction, Gold cleverly maneuvers around her own concept, all the while abetting her healthy cause. If, for example, she has a recipe featuring a particular vegetable, she uses that vegetable's own broth to create the sauce for the dish. The Roasted Asparagus and Orange Salad with Asparagus "Fettuccine" uses a fresh orange vinaigrette (tossed with roasted asparagus) and a fettuccine that is not pasta, but rather actually shaved asparagus stocks. Gold also gives nutrition lessons throughout--teaching that all foods groups have an important place in a balanced, nutritional diet. Even foods that are high in fat and calories, such as Brie cheese, contain important nutrients that the body needs, even though they've been stricken from many diet plans. The recipe selection addresses the full range of potential users, from the average hungry guest to the most assiduous, observant vegan. For example, the beverage combination of watermelon, pineapple juice, and fresh mint for a Watermelon Splash is simple in both preparation and the expectation of the pallet, while Immune Tea, made of kombu, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh cilantro, will probably be a stretch for the average American tastes. The quality of food photography and bold colors of this book add an extra flair to the healthy recipes. --Teresa Simanton

Good if you can obtain the exotic ingredients:
This book would be good if I had a bigger food budget as many of the recipes call for more exotic foods and spices than I generally keep in my kitchen, or can afford to buy. Lots of good pictures to drool over though.

I've had fun with this.:
I found it in an upscale furniture store, set out as a coffee table book. The dissonance was enough that I had to buy it. I'll vouch for garlic mashed potatoes (p.132), and the pickled beets (p.109). The latter is simple enough that I've told lots of people in grocery store lines (what are you going to do with those beets?) about it. Some aren't nearly as simple, like the pasta cooked with broccoli florets, with a broccoli-butter sauce. If you make any of these for a pot-luck, which is my usual experimentation mode, double them.

Delicious Food, but not Easy or Cheap:
This is one of my favorite cookbooks. However, because there are so few ingredients, you need really good quality ones to pull these recipes off, which makes them relatively expensive. There are some cheap meals (Pasta in the style of Sardinia, one of my favorites, about $10.00 for a 3 person meal) but expect to spend between $30-$50 dollars for every entrée serving 3-4, with appetizers a little less. Nor does the number of ingredients guarantee speed or simplicity - most of theses recipes take 45 min - 3 hours. However, if you have the time and money, I have made some fantastic dishes with this book. They're so good they don't even taste healthy.

Culmination Of A Culinary Style:
This book represents Gold's masterwork. It takes the simplicity concept to its best application, namely a cuisine that is sustainable across every night of the week. By simplicity, I mean singularity of taste, not ease of preparation. The majority of dishes here are probably more suited to people who like to spend time in the kitchen and enjoy new challenges, although many recipes are not difficult. Gold does not present a "one pot" style of cooking, but the results are worth it. Her palate is sophisticated and her books have educated my own taste buds and appreciation of food stuffs. These dishes are healthy but not restricted in ingredient types. Cheeses and oils are frequently found, satisfying the diner but not overwhelming the meals in fats or calories. To eat from this cookbook is to enjoy a wide range of foods, including hints of rich ones, but to be health conscious and to adhere to smart consumption guidelines. Gold presents produce-plentiful dishes, gorgeously photographed and presented. She also provides her most personal, intimate writing, abandoning any connoirseurship of the well-connected New York chef in favor of telling her private motivations for writing this book. She gives us a most interesting point of view in the crowded cookbook arena.

A Must-Have Cookbook:
Overall, this is the best cookbook I've ever used. Every recipe I've made is absolutely delicious, and for non-veggie eaters like myself, it is a God send. This is because the book encourages one to try different types of vegetables cooked in different ways and with different sauces & accompaniaments. Don't be fooled though--while some of the recipes are quick and simple to make, some take quite a lot of time--all the better to savor the finished meal, however. This book has truly taught me to enjoy the entire process of cooking, from shopping for the best ingredients, preparing the meal, then enjoying it with a nice glass of wine.