Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19557 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 528 pages

Customer Reviews

If you only buy one Cooking Light cookbook...
... this should be the one. The annual collections are great (and after using this for a while you'll probably wind up subscribing to the magazine and buying the annual collections, too), but they're definitely frustrating to search through.

This, as the title states, is a "complete" (ie general purpose) cookbook. It's organized by categories, making it easy to browse through and look for something appealing--as you certainly will with such a wide variety of recipes! According to the introduction, it contains the "top 10%" of the 10,000 recipes that the magazine published since its launch in 1987.

The book is well-illustrated in color, with lots of helpful step-by-step technique photos. Info boxes every few pages offer additional information on ingredients, equipment, tips and techniques, etc. Organization, typeface, and layout are as important to me in a cookbook as content, and I think this really scores on those counts, as well. Unlike so many cookbooks, it also boasts a well-laid-out, practical index (albeit with a few frustrating quirks, like listing Baba Ghanouj as "Ghanouj, Baba"). It took me just a minute to glance through and confirm that many of my favorite CL recipes are included.

I got 5 Star Recipes as a gift, but I really don't use it. I don't agree with a lot of their "5 Star" choices, and it's really limited in scope. Quite a few of those recipes are repeated in this volume. For just a few dollars more, this would have made a MUCH better gift!

Something for everyone
This is one comprehensive cookbook. Featured are 1,000 recipes within chapters such as appetizers/beverages, breads, desserts, fish/shellfish, grains/pastas, meatless main dishes, meats, poultry, salads/dressings, sandwiches, sauces/condiments, soups/salads and veg. side dishes.

In true "Cooking Light" fashion, there are complete nutritional breakdowns, serving size recommendations and prep times for each recipe. The additional handy chapters, which describe essential kitchen tools, pantry must-haves, and food substitutes help arm you with the knowledge you need to make healthy eating a lifestyle.

But best of all, there are many full-color photos throughtout the book which give inspiration to those of us who are visually-oriented. Most ingredients can be found in any supermarket and most recipes can be completed within 30-45 minutes (according to the prep and cooking times given).

The only qualm I have is that some of the recipes are repeats from previous Cooking Light cookbooks, and the number of desserts featured. There are too many for my taste, but for those of you who do make desserts often, you'll have plenty to choose from!

All in all, a worthy addition to your cooking library.

Simple, Delicious Recipes and Great Illustrations
This cookbook has become my standby. The recipes are surprisingly tasty, given the low fat content in most of them. With the exception of the roasted garlic potatoes, which do not cook in the time specified in the recipe and in fact did not turn out well at all, all the recipes I have tried from this book have turned out to be both scrumptious and impressively presented. I have particularly enjoyed the broiled Australian lobster tails, the Barbecued Oriental Flank Steak, and the Carribbean Style Rice and Beans. I agree that there is a heavy slant toward desserts, with more than half the book being devoted to such recipes; however, the remaining recipes consist of everyday items you could easily whip up for dinner in a very short time. Many of the recipes are accompanied by very helpful step-by-step illustrations. There are also inset boxes that give you tips on what to look for when purchasing a particular item, or how to cut an ingredient a certain way. In that respect, this book is both an instructional manual and a cookbook. I subscribe to the magazine and have found this book to be a nice extension of the magazine and its contents.