Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook

In 1972, Atkins became a household name with his bestselling book, The Diet Revolution . In it, he claimed that to induce rapid weight loss one need only follow a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet--carbs were the culprit in keeping people overweight. Twenty years later, he published Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution , continuing to maintain that weight gain had little to do with fat intake--a controversial conviction. His latest work is a cookbook designed as a companion to the 1992 volume, and promising to provide the most ``mouth-watering meals for the most effective diet ever devised.'' In case readers are unfamiliar with his weight-loss program, Atkins describes its four stages and offers a selection of sample menus. Recipes range from the simple (hard-boiled eggs) to appetizers, salads, meats and poultry. No-holds-barred desserts call for heavy cream, eggs, sour cream and butter; despite Atkins's claims, his is not always light cooking. In the end, it's the desserts that illustrate the absurdities of the Atkins program: a recipe for cheesecake is chock full of cream cheese, eggs and creme fraiche, yet the final ingredient is 12 packets of a sugar substitute. ``Good cuisine has always rooted itself firmly in luxurious fat,'' writes Atkins in his introduction. Really? (June)