The Culinary Institute of America

This 6th edition, completely updated and revised, has many more recipes (712 pages worth) than earlier editions, but I prefer the older editions, such as the 4th revised edition (1974) for its excellent coverage of the basics of professional cookery (why should an egg be simmered, not boiled?)

Elaborate recipes that don't seem possible to cook for one person. The cook book is a thing of beauty. The pictures of the various dishes look mouth watering. The directions are clear. The downside is that there will be a lot wasted food during the preparation. The authors don't seem to be budget minded. This book is not written for anyone wanting good food in single sized portions. This book is for the gourmet / foodie interested in exploring exotic dishes.

I originally bought this to have a "how-to" reference for cooking skills (knife usage, how to identify ingredients, how to make proper stock and sauces, how to properly prepare meat, fish, and fowl, etc). If it had done just that excellently, this would have been four star book. However, I give this a 5-star rating because, in addition to the excellent how-to reference sections, all of the recipes that I have tried have turned out to be exceptional.

Includes excellent full colour show more illustrations, great step-by-step explanations, and two indexes: a subject index and a recipe index (having two indexes is more useful than it sounds, especially if you refer to this book often). The price is steep but if you've got the motivation and kitchen tools, it's a great investment. show less

Healthy Cooking comes from a line of cookbooks created by the Culinary Institute of America for home cooks. Its a beautiful hardcover packed with gorgeous, full-color photographs. The recipes are all very manageable, nothing too complicated or time consuming and no exotic, impossible to find ingredients. To keep the recipes relatively simple and still provide fresh and interesting flavor combinations is a real accomplishment! I tried many recipes from this cookbook, here are some show more reviews:

Artichoke Seviche in Belgian Endive - I love the idea of a vegetarian seviche! This came together easily and makes a very unique and light appetizer. I found the endive a little too bitter with the artichokes and lime, but it was great with baked tortilla chips.

Moroccan Carrot Salad - This was a huge hit! The date and onion puree gives it such a sweet, rich flavor and the cayenne and lemon balance it out nicely. I will make this recipe again.

Chinese Long Bean Salad with Tangerines and Sherry-Mustard Vinaigrette - I used regular green beans in this salad and it turned out well. A nice variation and the perfect side dish for a hot summer evening. I love the bright green and orange colors together.

Fedelini with Broccoli Rabe, Pancetta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Toasted Bread Crumbs - I really liked the bright lemon flavor and the toasty breadcrumbs on top. This is a light pasta dish that is quick and easy enough for a weeknight. Very good!

Ratatouille - Easy and delicious side dish. Nothing unusual about this particular ratatouille, but it was nice to be reminded of this simple way of using up zucchini.

Spinach Souffle - Wow was this good! Its amazing what you can do with such humble ingredients. We ate this as a side, but I would be happy with a big dish of this souffle for dinner or breakfast. It was extremely light and fluffy with a wonderful spinach cheese flavor.

I haven't tried any of the meat recipes, but there are many tempting ones here - Turkey Tenderloins with Ancho Sauce, Cocoa Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, and Loin of Lamb with Blood Orange Sauce to name just a few. This is a great cookbook for healthier cooking with all the flavor and ease you could ask for! show less