Enlightened Chocolate: More Than 200 Decadently Light, Lowfat, and Inspired Recipes Using Dark Chocolate and Unsweetened Cocoa Powder Review

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(More customer reviews)I went on to Amazon looking for exactly such a book as this. I've read article after article on the health benefits of chocolate and cocoa, but rarely any good health-inspired recipes (with the exception of the ubiquitous hot cocoa made with skim milk).
Then I stumbled across Enlightened Chocolate. It's a goldmine. This is a brilliant book, and I do not use that description often. The author has created a modern classic here: comprehensive (yet clear and concise) explanation of the science news on the healthfulness of dark chocolate and cocoa (I should add an incredible, detailed bibliography on the subject, too), and stellar recipes that reflect both classic and modern tastes.
The chapter on using chocolate and cocoa in savory dishes is groundbreaking. I have only seen such attempts by the most skilled of chefs (think Iron Chef), but here are fresh interpretation that anyone can make with ease. I made the vegetarian chickpeas with spinach and Indian spices, which also has a bit of cocoa powder to enrich the flavors. Outstanding! And so simple to make. The chocolate yogurt (so simple: cocoa powder and honey mixed into plain yogurt, then topped with fresh berries) is now one of my regular breakfasts--such a light a healthy, not to mention incredibly delicious way to get so many healthful ingredients into a simple-to-make breakfast. And the baking--well, lets just say that the double chocolate cookies and chocolate cheesecake are beyond compare; taste anything but "light" and are rich with chocolate flavor.
The book has meticulous instructions that are invaluable to any level of home cook. The photographs that begin the book are gorgeous, and will tempt everyone in to baking and cooking up a storm. If you follow her directions exactly, you will have success. I love this book.
This is by far the best chocolate book I've come across in years. Cutting edge and delectable in every way. A winner in every way!

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Enlightened Soups: More Than 135 Light, Healthy, Delicious and Beautiful Soups in 60 Minutes or Less Review

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(More customer reviews)Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (12/08)

I am a finicky cook. I have very specific requirements when it comes to cookbooks and recipes: I don't like recipes that take too long (if I get tired just reading the list of ingredients, then I know I will not be making that recipe); I don't like recipes that require too many pots and pans and, of course, the recipes must be extremely easy to prepare - impressing everyone around me and making them think that I have just spent hours and hours slaving in the kitchen, when I know that I was lucky enough to find a great recipe book that just makes me look like a wonderful cook!!!!
Well, the Enlightened Soups cookbook is the perfect answer! Its absolutely freezing here in my part of the world, and I can think of nothing better than a wonderfully hot, homemade soup to warm me up. This cookbook offers over 130 different types of soups - each one containing only healthy ingredients and requiring a minimal amount of time in the kitchen.
I love the way the book is sectioned off, either by groups of food such as poultry soups or seafood soups then further broken down by "soups by total time" with the longest taking 60 minutes to make. There is also a handy little section at the back detailing the vegan soups, the low-cal soups, the spring and summer soups, as well as a table of contents with the soups listed alphabetically. This is probably one of the best-referenced cookbooks I have ever used.

As for the recipes themselves? Well, I have not been able to work my way through the entire 135 recipes yet, but I have tried a total of 10 so far and each and every one of the recipes have been wonderfully easy to make and extremely easy to eat! The directions are easy to understand and the ingredients used are common to everyday kitchens.
Soups always make me feel secure and content, and this cookbook is an absolute treasure! The only little thing I would have to mention is that I really like accompanying photos in my cookbooks and this book has a few shots at the beginning of the book but that's it. It would have been nice to have some pictures to go with the actual recipes.
Other than that little comment, I loved this cookbook. Perfect for a cold, wintry day


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With Enlightened Soups in hand, home cooks have more than 150 quick, delicious, and innovative soup options from which to choose. From new takes on classics like Butternut Squash Soup with Sage & Thyme and Seafood Cioppino, to innovations like Moroccan Chicken Soup with Chickpeas & Lentils and Roasted Vegetable Minestrone, Enlightened Soups is filled with choices for any day of the week, any time of the year. The recipes are straightforward and well-tested, the ingredients commonly available, and the techniques geared toward the home cook; further, all of the soups follow well-recognized "enlightened" guidelines for healthy eating, with no more than ten grams of fat per serving, and plenty of superfood ingredients. In other words, each recipe is as good for you as it is good to eat. For ever-pleasing soups that are equally at home in the dining room or the kitchen, home cooks need look no further than Enlightened Soups for fast, healthful, delicious soup. Soup's on! Includes 30 small color photographs.

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