cover image American Health Food Book: Nutrition News for the 90s

American Health Food Book: Nutrition News for the 90s

. Dutton Books, $29.95 (464pp) ISBN 978-0-525-24908-5

``More than 250 fabulous recipes--plus up-to-the-minute nutrition news!'' trumpets the subtitle of this compendium of columns from the pages of the magazine American Health . The book contains hundreds of recipes developed by food writers and health professionals that emphasize healthful ingredients and nutritionally correct preparations. After a quick overview of what constitutes a core diet for optimum health and cooking techniques to lower everything but food's flavor, organization changes. Each chapter covers a single topic, from such staples as wheat and rice to sugars and beverages. Every chapter has two authors, one to explain the category's contribution to health and the other to survey culinary techniques for the spot-lit foodstuff, with recipes (contributed by Marian Burros et al.) that follow. If too many cooks spoil the broth, then too many authors, each with a distinctive voice, mar the fluidity of the prose. Thus, this is an excellent book to browse. Recipes are accessible, many calling for just a half-dozen ingredients and a few quick steps to assemble the dish. What gives them a boost is, often, an unexpected key ingredient. For example, in latkes, chayote squash takes the place of potatoes. (Dec.)