This sequel to the bestselling Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen
, from the host of the Food Network's popular show of the same name, is as much of a self-help book as a cookbook. Chef Kathleen's secret to losing weight is a matter of behavior modification rather than self-deprivation: set a goal, meet it, reward yourself and repeat. The good news is that many of these dishes are so appealing that eating a healthy dinner can be a risk-free reward in itself. Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw, Chinese Chicken Salad and Pan-Fried Pot Stickers rely on Asian staples like ginger, soy, chili paste and rice vinegar that deliver flavor without fat and are easy to keep on hand. (A word of caution: readers who don't like cilantro will be turned off by almost half of the recipes in this book.) Daelemans targets busy moms trying to satisfy finicky husbands and kids, and includes plenty of recognizable crowd-pleasers like School-Night Family Chicken Burritos and Skirt Steak Fajitas. The trick is smaller portions of protein on a plate loaded up with creative fruit and vegetable sides, and Daelemans makes a strong case for time-saving tools like the microplane grater for ginger, garlic and citrus zest and a thin-slicing mandoline for quick slaws. She also recommends judicious use of the microwave for steamed rice and fish, no-stick frittatas and even homemade jam. Although the book's chatty, pep-talking tone can be a bit much, it's so full of great ideas readers won't mind what it's missing: extra calories. (Mar. 25)
Forecast:
Daelemans chronicled her own weight loss (from a size 22 to a size 6) in
Good Housekeeping, so readers might recognize her name. She'll go on a national author tour and will copromote this book with the President's Council for Physical Fitness and the American Diabetes Association.
