George Stella (along with pastry chef-wife Rachel) have developed a wide range of recipes designed to compliment Atkins and other low-carb diet regimens. Rather than relying on packaged convenience foods that meet these dietary standards, they focus on home-cooked meals that satisfy the demands of low carb life without tasting like they were baked up in a factory. Flavors include Chinese (Szechuan stir-fry), Italian-American (clams casino), Southern (fried chicken), and American sweets (chocolate chip muffins and no-bake Key lime cheesecake). Snacks, salads, entrees, and desserts all see equal amounts of attention.

There's a heavy reliance on the sugar substitute Splenda, but in general this is real food for daily life. The condiment chapter contains homemade versions of ketchup, mustard sauce, barbecue sauce and even Thousand Island dressing, and makes a simple place to get started even if the only kitchen appliance you're comfortable with is a can opener. Each recipe clearly notes "special equipment" (like 8-inch square pans) as well as the yield, net carbs per serving, and separate times needed for prepping and cooking.

Because of the sugar substitute and number of recipes that alter classics in ways that compromise traditional textures in favor of lowering carbs (such as noodle-free lasagna), the book is most likely to be used by dieters, rather than all home cooks. Still, if you're looking for easy ways to tinker with your food intake that doesn't involve packaged mixes from the diet industry, Stella offers plenty of tasty options. --Jill Lightner

From Publishers Weekly
The low-carb diet may be a popular fad, but for Stella (host of Food Network’s Low Carb and Lovin’ It) it’s a permanent way of life. By the time he was 40, Stella weighed 467 lbs. and was suffering from congestive heart failure. On a whim, he and his wife decided to try eating a diet low in carbs. Much to their surprise, they both began losing weight while eating things they used to think were off-limits (like bacon, eggs and real butter). Stella never looked back after that. As a great food lover and professional chef, he wanted to make low-carb foods enjoyable and knew he had the ability to do so. Through much trial and error, he came up with what are now his favorite recipes, compiled in his very own cookbook. First, he explains his food plan, playfully stressing that he is a chef, not a doctor. He lists seven simple rules for following the plan, and then delves into his recipes. Each one has a personal introduction, and most also include helpful "Cook’s Tips" and useful inside info (like which brand names he prefers for certain recipes). Stella’s enthusiastic, friendly style is enticing, just like his food, and his recipes reflect his lively personality, making them doubly appetizing. Anyone who fears the dreaded diet deprivation will be delighted to find recipes such as Bald Calzone, Low-Carb Pizza, George’s Gorgeous Macadamia Banana Muffins and Stella Style New York Ricotta Cheesecake. Equally delightful is his claim that "when you’re low-carbing Stella Style, you don’t have to quit eating until you’re full."
Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The trick is, how do you do it? How do you master a cooking technique all but ignored in favor of fast and hot? The answer lies in Smoke & Spice. authors Jamison and Jamison provide all the information you're ever going to need to run a real barbecue. Tips and techniques abound on every page--accompanied with countless recipes that stretch the barbecue imagination. And seeing that one cannot live on barbecue alone (though that's a challenge well worth considering) there are just as many recipes included for all the good food that accompanies barbecue--from Scalloped Green Chile Potatoes to South-of-the-Border Garlic Soup to Buttermilk Onion Rings and even Bourbon Peaches. If smoke in your eyes makes your mouth water, this is the primer for you! --Schuyler Ingle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Nine years and a half million copies after its first edition, this handy resource for barbecue done the right way returns in an expanded volume. The Jamisons have added an extra 100 recipes as well as 20 new recipe variations. Classics like a Humble Hot Dog, which demands a bun of "squishy white bread," and Cajun County Ribs sopped in cider vinegar and Worcestershire share the pages with Jerked Salmon done Jamaican style in a sauce of tamarind, honey and ginger. Sometimes worlds collide as with Southwest Stew on a Stick, chili-powdered sirloin glazed in beer and molasses and served as a kebob. Given the proper amount of smoke and time, even the lowliest of meats find dignity, as with the Triple Play Tube Steak, wherein a two-pound chunk of bologna is draped in sauce and smoked for two hours; the sauce caramelizes, making for a sticky-sweet sandwich. An at-first-surprising inclusion is the Kentucky Burgoo, but it turns out to be merely a mix of chicken, beef and lamb, forgoing the possum and squirrel that sometimes turn up in the stew. The authors end the book with a selection of chilly desserts, such as Peach Melba Ice Cream, and cool drinks like Cold Buttered Rum.
Copyright 2003 Reed business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Chef Folse has hand picked the recipes for each chapter to ensure the very best of seafood, game, meat, poultry, vegetables, salads, appetizers, drinks and desserts are represented. From the traditional to the truly unique, you will develop a new understanding and love of Cajun and Creole cuisine. The encyclopedia would make a perfect gift or simply a treasured addition to your own cookbook library.

True, cast iron is old; it's been around since the Middle Ages. And it is heavy. No one can dispute that even a small, cast-iron pot has a heft to it that no other cookware has. Nevertheless, cast-iron cookware has a place in today's kitchens, and that doesn’t mean simply hanging on the wall for decoration. Cast iron has much to offer modern-day cooks; it's easy to use, easy to care for, economical, versatile, and durable, and let's face it, it has a nostalgic appeal that no other cookware has. But more compelling than all those reasons is that it's a great cookware that makes great food. In fact, most cast-iron cooks will tell you that food cooked in cast iron tastes better than food cooked in anything else!

Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies is for those cooks who may want to inject a little adventure and variety into their cooking. If you've never even thought of using cast-iron cookware, or you have a few cast-iron pots lying around, you'll discover all you need to know about making great food using cast iron. Here just a sampling of what you'll find in Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies:

• Selecting the right cast-iron cookware for you
• Seasoning a new cast-iron pan
• Caring for your cast-iron cookware
• Discovering techniques to enhance your cast-iron cooking
• Enjoying cast-iron cooking in the Great Outdoors
• Tons of delicious recipes, from main and side dishes to desserts and international dishes
• Top Ten lists on ways to make your cast-iron cookware last longer, the best dishes suited for cast iron, and tips for achieving success in cast-iron cooking

So, whether you're a cooking novice or an experienced chef, you can find plenty of enjoyment from cooking with cast iron – and Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies can show you the way.

Back Cover Copy
Packed with cast-iron cooking tips, tricks, and recipes

Become a cast-iron chef in no time – the fun and easy way®!

Unlock the secrets of cast-iron cooking at home or in the great outdoors with this easy-to-use cookbook and guide! You’ll find everything you need to buy and use cast-iron pots and pans, plus more than 100 tempting recipes – from classics like Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits to modern dishes like Apricot-Ginger Glazed Pork Rib Roast and more.

Discover how to:

• Choose the right cast-iron cookware for you
• Season, clean, and care for cast-iron pots and pans
• Whip up tasty cast-iron main dishes, sides, and sweets
• Cook with cast iron indoors and outdoors
• Rescue and restore old or worn cast iron

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun