by Marilyn Helton
Henry David Thoreau advises us, "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."
Despite the fact this column is written before we change seasons from winter to spring, I remain the eternal optimist, with hope that by the time you read this, world peace will have prevailed.
Here we are in the month of April and there's a mighty load of new book reviews to bring your way. We have lots of celebrations centered on food this quarter, which can either be miserable news or eagerly anticipated by those of us with diabetes.
The parade begins with Passover and Easter in April, followed
by Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and Memorial Day in May, and then "Juneteenth"
(the Texas celebration of African American emancipation), Father's Day and graduation
celebrations in June. Don't forget to dot the landscape with birthdays, weddings,
festivals, picnics and other unofficial opportunities to do the
food-dance.
With so many food-oriented occasions ahead of us, it's wise to be ready with some great new food ideas, tips and recipes for looking forward to each and every one of them. Remember, your diagnosis of diabetes does NOT have to be a culinary death sentence!
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Good news! You were introduced to Mealleaniyumm! by Canadian cookbook maven Norene Gilletz a couple of years ago, and now the updated and revised edition, Mealleaniyumm! 800 Fast, Fabulous & Healthy Recipes for the Kosher (or not) Cook is available just in time for Passover.
You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy these healthy, home-style recipes, because this quick and easy cookbook focuses on low-fat, nutritious cuisine for everyone. Emphasizing the use of everyday ingredients, Norene's step-by-step recipe directions, time-saving tips, substitutions, and recipe variations are a real bonus. One of my favorite features is the complete nutritional analysis for each recipe, accompanied by healthful hints about fat, fiber, cholesterol, calories, calcium and more.
Whether you have diabetes, are a cardiac patient, vegetarian or just love good food, Mealleaniyumm! 800 Fast, Fabulous & Healthy Recipes offers recipes from family fare to bountiful buffets, perfect for today's time-challenged cook. Five out of five stars to this cookbook and its author, Norene Gilletz!
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You're gonna love the next two cookbooks, folks! Now you can literally have 1,001 Delicious Recipes for People with Diabetes and 1,001 Delicious Desserts for People with Diabetes in two separate cookbooks. Both books are published by Surrey Books and they are HUGE (the first having over 800 pages and the DESSERTS over 600 pages). Sue Spitler, a terrific cookbook author in her own right, teamed up with Linda Eugene, RD, CDE, and Linda R. Yoakam, RD, MS, to bring us this bonanza of delectable recipes. Wow! Just think, if you tried a new recipe from one of these great books every day, it would be almost six years of delicious dining!
Fat is what makes food taste good, and oh, how we all love those zesty pastas and rich gooey desserts! "For a person with diabetes and no healthy cooking experience, the larder may look a little lean," says co-editor and professional cook Sue Spitler (whose other books in the "1,001 Series" are bestsellers). "It's important to choose foods that are low in fat, moderate in carbohydrate, low salt, high fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. The key is the recipe . . . you need to cook with enough flavor to make you feel satisfied." And guess what? That's exactly what this cookbook-writing trio has brought to this magical set of cookbooks!
Promising "no more boring meals," imagine having Artichoke-Stuffed Appetizer Bread, Roast Chicken With Cornbread Stuffing, Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo, Vegetable Strudel With Cheese, Crab Melts or Sweet Stuffed French Toast on the menu. But wait, what about dessert? Well, how about Mississippi Mud Bars, Macadamia Nut Cheesecake, Pineapple And Double Cheese Upside Down Cake, Banana Cinnamon Cake With Powdered Sugar Glaze, or Deep-Dish Blackberry Cobbler With Lemon Hard Sauce? With over 2,000 recipes, these books deliver as promised!
I don't want to hear any more whining about "not being able to eat anymore" just because you've been diagnosed with diabetes. If your budget was limited and you could only have two cookbooks, invest in these two and never look back! Or, put them on your wish list; these books are fabulous! Five enthusiastic stars out of five!!
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Is time a premium for you? Then take a look at The Diabetes Double-Quick Cookbook, by experienced cookbook author, Betty Marks. Besides her involvement with ballroom dancing, photography, swimming and hiking, or pursuing her active career as a literary agent, Betty Marks has insulin-dependent diabetes.
Betty's secret for managing her time and her diabetes is the microwave! Sometimes I think we overlook using the microwave as a cooking tool and only use it to heat or reheat our food. If you're in that category, make time to check out this cookbook and let Betty show you how to create recipes like Attila's Beef Goulash, Chicken Crunch, Gourmet Cheese Muffins, Corn and Peanut Pudding, Nutty Sea Scallops and Orange Cheese Cake in your microwave. You'll get these recipes plus over 140 more! All are high in taste and low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories. All recipes have complete nutritional information, including breakdowns for the three types of fat, dietary fiber and diabetic exchanges (for those of you who still haven't switched over to counting carbs).
In addition to learning more about how to cook with the microwave, I liked Betty's Microwave Cooking and Kitchen Safety Tips. Here's another bonus: Did you know that Braille overlays are available for the visually impaired? Many microwave manufacturers offer these useful aids. I was amazed by how much useful information is packed into this little book. Betty Marks has written another winner for Surrey Books, which merits another Five-Star rating from this reviewer!
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Continuing on the fast-food roll, are you one of those people whose time is always premium? I know I am. Although I love to cook, I have to be practical since I'm always fighting a deadline. Usually, I just want to get in and out of the kitchen as fast as I can, which is hard to do if you have to be careful about what you eat.
Nancy Hughes has the answer in Last Minute Meals for People with Diabetes, a cookbook published by The American Diabetes Association. Last Minute Meals has more than 100 fast and flavorful recipes using just six ingredients or less. If the name of the book sounds familiar, the Voice has published some of the recipes from this cookbook in "Recipe Corner."
Chapters from Last Minute Meals include Stress-Free Starters and Snacks, No-Chop Salads (great for those of us with arthritic hands), Dump and Do Dinners (I love that chapter title), Speedy Sides and Easy-Does-It Desserts. Complete nutritional analyses and Diabetic Exchanges accompany each recipe. Hmmmm... I think I'd better adopt this cookbook and take it home!
Nancy Hughes is a veteran cookbook author, having six nationally published cookbooks to her credit. She's also worked extensively on more than 15 others, including several books for the American Heart Association, Cooking Light, Weight Watchers, Betty Crocker and Publications International. Her articles have appeared in Better Homes and Garden, Cooking Light, Diabetic Cooking, Heart Healthy, and Cooking Pleasures. She's currently working on another cookbook for the American Diabetes Association.
I guess that's a wrap for this session, so I'll catch up with you again in July. In the meantime, continue to stay on your journey to a healthier you in 2003!
Marilyn Helton, diabetic since 1993, is the publisher of Cinnamon Hearts: The Art of Living a Winning Diabetic Lifestyle, a positive-power E-zine for diabetics and their families. Visit the CINNAMON HEARTS Web site: www.cinnamonhearts.com