The Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking, Cookbook of the Day

by Nicole Weston, Posted Feb 5th 2007 @ 8:04AM

Most healthy cookbooks are written for home chefs by home chefs - or at least by those who specialize in writing for home chefs. Few are written from the perspective of professionals and even fewer are marketed towards them. The Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking is an exception, then, as it was prepared by the Culinary Institute of America to give pros a "grounding in nutritional principles" and a base of healthier recipes to work from. That being said, home chefs and pros alike can benefit from this particular volume. The recipes cover a huge range of dishes and come off as being more elegant - and often more flavorful - than your standard low fat fare and the photos that accompany many of the dishes are sure to tempt even the most reluctant healthy eater. Fat does, of course, equal flavor in most restaurant dishes, so there is a lot of detailed discussion about enhancing the flavor of foods by choosing high quality base ingredients and working with spaces and fresh vegetables. For those who aren't just interested in cutting fat, there is plenty of information on using less sugar and salt, as well. The recipes rage from very basic sauces to complex main courses, and include Veal Stock, Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Artichoke and Mustard Sauce, Broiled Swordfish with Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Garlic, Tropical Fruit Parfait with Honey-Vanilla Yogurt.