In Eating Well for Optimum Health, one of Amazon's bestselling health books of 2000, alternative-medicine maverick Andrew Weil revealed his version of the ideal diet (and backed it up with scientific proof): a variety of unprocessed, or "whole" foods; just-picked, organic vegetables; whole grains; "good" fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and nuts; fresh herbs and spices instead of heavy sauces; and a minimum of meat and dairy products. Eating this responsibly is certainly an admirable pursuit, but home cooking of this caliber can be intimidating, requiring much more energy than it would to pull up to the drive-through and order a burger and fries. In The Healthy Kitchen, Weil successfully teams up with Rosie Daley, formerly chef at the ritzy Cal-a-Vie Spa, to show how to cook with confidence within these dietary guidelines, creating dishes that are not only good for you, but are also fun to prepare, beautiful to look at, and delectable.

For those of you predicting a tofu-fest, have no fear: Weil stresses he's "unwilling to eat food that is boring, artless, and devoid of pleasure even if it's somebody else's idea of healthful." Indeed, the gorgeous color photography in The Healthy Kitchen will get you drooling over healthy entrées like Warm Chicken and Asparagus Salad and desserts like Lemon Yogurt Sorbet. You can be proud to serve these recipes to your family and friends--many of the appetizers and entrées are perfect party foods, sized to feed a dozen. Some recipes are notably more complicated than others--Cold Vegetable Pasta Primavera involves grilling five different veggies; baked Vegetable Wontons are time-consuming if you're not familiar with the folding process. However, Daley and Weil advise working your way up to these more complex dishes.

Sprinkled throughout the book are witty and wise health tips from Weil and cooking shortcuts from Daley. The two admit they don't agree on all cooking matters; Weil would substitute cashew milk for coconut milk and adds his two cents on making the Thai Shrimp and Papaya Salad spicier, for example. The Healthy Kitchen seems to be influenced a bit by Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook, with Weil's text shaded in that unmistakably Martha sage-green, and Daley's in what Stewart might call bisque. Both books emphasize seasonal fresh foods and boast sumptuous photography and tempting menu suggestions. However, Weil and Daley outdo her with calorie and nutritional breakdowns for each dish, shopping guides for easy meal planning, and tips on encouraging children to help out in the kitchen (and develop lifelong healthy eating habits in the process). --Erica Jorgensen


From Publishers Weekly
What might at first seem a jumble of nutrition facts and recipes turns out to be a stimulating invitation to healthy, pleasurable eating. Well-known for his holistic approaches to physical and mental health, physician Weil (Eating Well for Optimum Health) loves good food. Not one to settle for bland albeit health-promoting fare, Weil insists that not only are low-fuss, delicious meals and good health more easily attainable than most Americans imagine, they actually go hand in hand. Coauthor and former Oprah Winfrey chef Daley (In the Kitchen with Rosie), provides recipes that, for the most part, reflect Weil's conception of the optimum diet. (Where they differ, Weil offers options.) Weil's introduction is a concise version of his dietary philosophy, with more advice scattered throughout the book. All of the 135 recipes include nutrition counts (calories, fat, cholesterol, etc.). According to Weil, eating has become yet another stressful activity that must be fit into jam-packed days. To remedy this, Weil and Daley not only offer satisfying recipes that make use of nourishing, readily available ingredients, they give tips on stocking the pantry, preparation, reading food labels and daily menu planning. Recipes include tempting twists on classics (eggs, grilled fish, pasta), to more adventurous items (broccoli pancakes). While miso, tofu and yogurt may not be appetizing to the meat-and-potatoes crowd, others willing to spread their culinary wings will find in these recipes and the authors' enthusiasm for good food a serious incentive to get their daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.


From Library Journal
This appealing collaboration (first printing, 750,000 copies) between Weil (Eating Well for Optimum Health) and Daley (In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah's Favorite Recipes) is filled with healthful recipes and information on topics ranging from growing herbs to wine to the Mediterranean diet. Recipes contain nutrition information, but this is not "diet food": recipes include Smoked Fish with Horseradish Sauce, Roasted Cornish Hens with Roasted Garlic, and Thai Shrimp and Papaya Salad. There are "Tips from Rosie's Kitchen" and boxes called "Andy Suggests" scattered throughout the text, and the authors don't always agree (Weil often opts for "more spice"; he doesn't eat chicken, but Daley does). Obviously an essential purchase; most libraries will want multiple copies.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
A seasoned pioneer in alternative medicine and a popular cookbook author join forces to create a delectable primer on healthy food preparation. In audio, this is a nicely condensed mix of solid health advice and a colorful invitation to discover the pleasures of well-chosen foods. What makes it a delight for the ear as well as the mind is the graceful way their voices alternate along with the content. In just the right amounts, information on nutrition takes turns with exciting recipes and stimulating ideas about kitchen staples, spices, preserving foods, planning menus, and various cooking techniques. A great way to turn on to the possibilities of food, or a super gift for anyone whose eating habits have gone stale. T.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Next to the rigors of vegetarianism, the more general interest in healthful eating obsesses many people at present. Nutrition guru Andrew Weil and celebrity cook Rosie Daley have teamed up to offer ideas on running The Healthy Kitchen. They make a good team, Weil offering his nutritional advice and Daley being meticulous about practical cooking techniques and flavor possibilities within the recipes. To offset the dryness of low-fat ground turkey, Daley usefully recommends adding some chopped mushrooms. Not shy of ingredients, recipes include lobster, fish cooked in parchment, and lots of peppers. Nutritional analyses accompany each recipe. Both authors' popularity and their previous best-sellers will pump up demand for this volume. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Two of America’s most popular authorities on healthy eating and cooking join forces in this inspiring, easy-to-use cookbook. This is not a diet book. It is a lively guide to healthy cooking, day-by-day, packed with essential information and, above all, filled with enticing food.

Andrew Weil, M.D.—author of the best-selling Eating Well for Optimum Health—brings to this perfect collaboration a comprehensive philosophy of nutrition grounded in science. Rosie Daley—acclaimed for her best-seller, In the Kitchen with Rosie—brings to it her innovative and highly flavorful spa cuisine.

The recipes are eclectic, drawing from the healthy and delicious cooking of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Asia, among other cuisines. For starters, you might try Grilled Satay or a Miso Pâté; for soup, often a meal in itself, a hearty Mixed-Bean Minestrone Stew or a Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup with Cilantro Walnut Pesto; a special entrée could be the Savory Roasted Cornish Hens with Roasted Garlic or Baked Spicy Tofu with Bean Thread Noodles, Corn, and Mango; for a simple supper, Turkey Burgers or Portobello Burgers; and for the occasional indulgence, a dessert of Almond Fruit Tart or Peach and Blueberry Cobbler.

Andy and Rosie do not always agree. When Rosie calls for chicken, Andy offers a tofu alternative; she likes the flavor of coconut milk, whereas he prefers ground nut milk; when she makes a pastry with butter, he suggests using Spectrum Spread. There are no hard-and-fast rules.

Lifelong health begins in the kitchen, so this is a lifestyle book as well as a cookbook. In it you will learn from Dr. Weil:

• how to make use of nutritional information in everyday cooking
• what is organic . . . and how to buy organic foods
• the importance of reading labels and what to look for
• sensible advice about eggs, milk, cheese, salt, spicy foods, wine, coffee
• the facts about sugar and artificial sweeteners

. . . and from Rosie:

• how to get kids involved—from skinning almonds to layering lasagna
• ways to have fun in the kitchen—creating scallion firecrackers and radish rosettes
• low-fat and nondairy alternatives for those with special concerns
• smart menu planning—letting the seasons be your guide

. . . and lots more.

This revolutionary book will change forever the way you cook for yourself and your family.

With 58 photographs in full color.


From the Inside Flap
Two of America’s most popular authorities on healthy eating and cooking join forces in this inspiring, easy-to-use cookbook. This is not a diet book. It is a lively guide to healthy cooking, day-by-day, packed with essential information and, above all, filled with enticing food.

Andrew Weil, M.D.—author of the best-selling Eating Well for Optimum Health—brings to this perfect collaboration a comprehensive philosophy of nutrition grounded in science. Rosie Daley—acclaimed for her best-seller, In the Kitchen with Rosie—brings to it her innovative and highly flavorful spa cuisine.

The recipes are eclectic, drawing from the healthy and delicious cooking of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Asia, among other cuisines. For starters, you might try Grilled Satay or a Miso Pâté; for soup, often a meal in itself, a hearty Mixed-Bean Minestrone Stew or a Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup with Cilantro Walnut Pesto; a special entrée could be the Savory Roasted Cornish Hens with Roasted Garlic or Baked Spicy Tofu with Bean Thread Noodles, Corn, and Mango; for a simple supper, Turkey Burgers or Portobello Burgers; and for the occasional indulgence, a dessert of Almond Fruit Tart or Peach and Blueberry Cobbler.

Andy and Rosie do not always agree. When Rosie calls for chicken, Andy offers a tofu alternative; she likes the flavor of coconut milk, whereas he prefers ground nut milk; when she makes a pastry with butter, he suggests using Spectrum Spread. There are no hard-and-fast rules.

Lifelong health begins in the kitchen, so this is a lifestyle book as well as a cookbook. In it you will learn from Dr. Weil:

• how to make use of nutritional information in everyday cooking
• what is organic . . . and how to buy organic foods
• the importance of reading labels and what to look for
• sensible advice about eggs, milk, cheese, salt, spicy foods, wine, coffee
• the facts about sugar and artificial sweeteners

. . . and from Rosie:

• how to get kids involved—from skinning almonds to layering lasagna
• ways to have fun in the kitchen—creating scallion firecrackers and radish rosettes
• low-fat and nondairy alternatives for those with special concerns
• smart menu planning—letting the seasons be your guide

. . . and lots more.

This revolutionary book will change forever the way you cook for yourself and your family.

With 58 photographs in full color.


About the Author
Andrew Weil, M.D., a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona. He is founder and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at that institution, where he is training a new generation of physicians based on a model of health, not disease. Dr. Weil is an internationally recognized expert on healing, medicinal herbs, and mind-body interactions, and is the author of eight books, the last three of which have been million-copy, number-one best-sellers. He is the world's leading authority on integrative medicine, which combines the best ideas and practices of alternative and conventional medicine in order to maximize the body's natural healing mechanisms.

Rosie Daley was born in New Jersey. One of thirteen children, as a child she shared the responsibility of cooking for her large family. She has worked in produce stores, health-oriented cafés, major commercial restaurants, and for corporations such as Ocean Spray, exploring all aspects of her chosen field, eventually taking on the position of Head Chef at the acclaimed Cal-A-Vie spa just north of San Diego. It was at Cal-a-Vie that Ms. Daley met Oprah Winfrey, who was so impressed with her delicious, nutritional cuisine that she invited Ms. Daley to be her personal chef. Accepting the position, Rosie developed healthy, tasty and uncomplicated dishes for Ms. Winfrey while gaining notoriety in the food world. She worked as Ms. Winfrey's chef for five years, and in 1994 published her first cookbook, In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah's Favorite Recipes, which has sold more than 6 million copies in hardcover, making it one of the best-selling cookbooks of all time.


Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The (Healthy) Holiday Menu

Mulled Cider or Red Wine

This smooth and yummy beverage is perfect to serve in the autumn and straight through the holidays for a Christmas brunch or a cold winter evening by the fire. You can use either wine or apple cider. It depends on what you feel is appropriate for the occasion and your guests.

3 1⁄2 cups apple cider or 1 bottle red wine
1 cup purified water
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1⁄2 lemon, cut into slices
12 whole cloves
Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain and serve in cups or heat-resistant clear glasses.

Roasted Pepper Turkey with Orange Liqueur

I make this for a holiday dinner or when I’m planning to have a large group of friend and family over.

The outside of the turkey is encrusted with a baked-on pepper rub. Inside, the meat is juicy and tender. This is great served with the Serrano Chili and Cilantro Cornbread Muffins (page 253), a side of Pear Relish (page 252) or Fresh Applesauce (page 249), and/or Steamed and Roasted Baby Red Potatoes (page 242).

one 10-12 pound turkey
1⁄2 cup white whine
Pepper Rub
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Seasoning, 5 cloves garlic; 2 small onions, sliced; 2 carrots, cut in rounds; 1 bay leaf; 2 orange slices
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the neck and other organs from the turkey cavity and reserve to make stock at a later time. Rinse the turkey in the sink and let the water gush inside the cavity.
Mix all ingredients for the rub together with the Grand Marnier. Spread it over the outside of the turkey, reserving 1 tablespoon. Spoon the 1 tablespoon into the cavity of the turkey. Stuff the cavity with all of the seasoning ingredients.
Set the turkey in a roasting pan and pour in the wine. Cover the turkey with foil and roast. After 2 hours, uncover turkey and baste with the cooking juices. Continue to baste turkey with the juices every 20 minutes for the next 1 1⁄2 hours, until it is done. Total roasting time should be 3 1⁄2 hours.
Let the turkey cool for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Mashed potatoes make a hearty honest dish. It has sometimes been referred to as comfort food because it evokes memories of both big special-occasion dinners and the simple, family dinner intended for no other reason than to share a good meal. This version of mashed potatoes tastes good because it’s dense with the mildly sweet flavor of parsnips and just enough butter to please, but without the extra calories you usually find in mashed potatoes.
8 medium red or white new potatoes, washed and cubed.
4 parsnips, peeled and cubed
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Dash cayenne pepper
Several grindings of black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Put the potatoes and parsnips in a large pot with water, making sure that the water completely covers them. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon. Test the tenderness of the potatoes with a fork; they should pierce easily and be tender, yet firm. Drain any remaining liquid and mash the potatoes with a potato masher until there are no visible lumps. Add the milk and butter and continue to mash until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Stir in the parsley, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt, and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until all the seasonings are completely mixed in. Cover and serve warm.

Brussels Sprouts for People who Think They Hate Brussels Sprouts

I understand why Brussels spurts top the list of detested vegetable s for many people. When they are large, old, or overcooked, they tend to have an obnoxious, barnyardy flavor that some people are sensitive to whereas others are not. You can minimize this by choosing smaller, fresh-looking sprouts and cooking them just until they are crunchy-tender and bright colored. (Do not use frozen sprouts.) The secret of this dish is balancing ingredients to mellow the strong flavor of these miniature cabbages. Olive oil, garlic, red pepper, Parmesan, and, especially, nutmeg do the trick admirably.

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1⁄4 - 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste, preferably freshly grated
1⁄2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and remove and discard any discolored outer leaves. If sprouts are large (more than 1 inch in diameter), cut them in quarters lengthwise through the stem end. If smaller, cut them in half.
Bring 2 quarts of water to boil, add salt and the sprouts. Boil the sprouts uncovered until they are just crunchy-tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook them. Drain the sprouts well.
Wipe and dry the pot and heat the olive oil in it. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the sprouts and nutmeg and sauté for another minute. Mix in the Parmesan cheese and toss the sprouts until the cheese melts.

Pear Relish

This tastes wonderful on meat or poultry. It is similar to fruit chutney and it will change the way your meal tastes. My guests love this relish. I serve it on the side with the Roasted Pepper Turkey with Orange Liqueur (page 168).

1 whole pear
1⁄4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow bell pepper.
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper.
2 cups cranberry or apple juice.
2 sprigs mint, chopped
Half the pear and scoop out the seeds using a melon scooper or a teaspoon. Peel the skin off with a pairing knife, then chop into bite-size pieces.
Put the pear, onion, peppers, and cranberry or apple juice into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook until the onions and peppers become limp and the pear becomes soft.
Remove from the heat, add the mint, and drizzle over your favorite poultry dish.

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

Cranberries give this crisp a delightful color and tartness. A moderate amount of oil replaces the large amount of butter usually called for in toppings for this kind of dessert. It is served best warm.

12 large green apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
Juice of 1 lemon.
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour.
Topping: 1 1⁄2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats; 1⁄2 cup toasted wheat germ; 3⁄4 teaspoon salt; 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1⁄2 cup light-brown sugar, packed; 1/3 cup canola or grapeseed oil; 1/3 cup maple syrup
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Toss the sliced apples in a large bowl with the cranberries, lemon juice, brandy, 1/3 cup of light-brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the whole wheat pastry flour. Pile the apple mixture into an 8x10-inch baking dish.
Mix together the ingredients for the topping and spread over apples. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 minutes more until the apples are soft.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Food is one of the great pleasures of life, and in The Healthy Kitchen, Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley show us how to create wonderful meals that are as good for the body as they are for the soul. These two authorities on healthy living and cooking offer their expertise in a lively and engaging collaboration filled with 135 innovative and enticing recipes while delivering the latest cutting-edge information on nutrition. Under their direction, healthy food and wonderful food can be one and the same.

Weil contends that so many people have been scared by the last decade's seesaw food manifestos (Don't eat eggs! Eat margarine, not butter! Do eat eggs and don't eat margarine!) that they "think food is the enemy and the dining table a minefield." But Weil affirms that every time we sit down to eat, "we have an opportunity to nourish the body, delight the senses, and calm the mind. It is a shame to waste those opportunities by eating food that is neither healthful nor delicious."

Weil is a champion of the Mediterranean diet, a composite of the traditional cuisines of Spain, southern France, Italy, and Greece, all of which rely on olive oil, whole-grain products, and fresh fruits and vegetables, preferring fish to meat and cheese to milk. This diet delivers plenty of nutrition and energy, and is de facto lower in fat -- though Weil is not an enemy of fat. In fact, he thinks Americans have gotten fatter on low-fat foods in the last ten years because those foods do not satisfy the palate and thus prompt people to eat more.

Both Weil and Daley bring their tastiest dishes to the table. There's Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Salsa, Scrambled Tofu, or homemade Granola or Muesli for breakfast. For lunch or dinner, there are appetizers like Spinach Toasts and soups like Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup; entrées include Vegetable Lasagna, Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce, and Chicken Quesadillas; and for dessert, there may be Peach and Blueberry Cobbler or Poached Pears. Clearly, there's no deprivation here.

One of the best sections of the book features Weil's thorough review of the importance of protein, carbohydrates, phytochemicals, macronutrients, and micronutrients. He sorts out the confusing science of high-glycemic foods and the relative merits of sugar versus artificial sweeteners. He offers recommended vitamin and mineral supplements, too. His analysis of current nutritional myths and misconceptions is not only reassuring but worth the price of admission. (Ginger Curwen)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Two of America's most popular authorities on healthy eating and cooking join forces in this inspiring, easy-to-use cookbook. This is not a diet book. It is a lively guide to healthy cooking, day-by-day, packed with essential information and, above all, filled with enticing food.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

What might at first seem a jumble of nutrition facts and recipes turns out to be a stimulating invitation to healthy, pleasurable eating. Well-known for his holistic approaches to physical and mental health, physician Weil (Eating Well for Optimum Health) loves good food. Not one to settle for bland albeit health-promoting fare, Weil insists that not only are low-fuss, delicious meals and good health more easily attainable than most Americans imagine, they actually go hand in hand. Coauthor and former Oprah Winfrey chef Daley (In the Kitchen with Rosie), provides recipes that, for the most part, reflect Weil's conception of the optimum diet. (Where they differ, Weil offers options.) Weil's introduction is a concise version of his dietary philosophy, with more advice scattered throughout the book. All of the 135 recipes include nutrition counts (calories, fat, cholesterol, etc.). According to Weil, eating has become yet another stressful activity that must be fit into jam-packed days. To remedy this, Weil and Daley not only offer satisfying recipes that make use of nourishing, readily available ingredients, they give tips on stocking the pantry, preparation, reading food labels and daily menu planning. Recipes include tempting twists on classics (eggs, grilled fish, pasta), to more adventurous items (broccoli pancakes). While miso, tofu and yogurt may not be appetizing to the meat-and-potatoes crowd, others willing to spread their culinary wings will find in these recipes and the authors' enthusiasm for good food a serious incentive to get their daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. (Apr.) Forecast: With both Weil and Daley combining efforts, expect nothing but great sales. The book is a selection of BOMC, QPB, Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club, One Spirit Book Club and The Good Cook. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

This appealing collaboration (first printing, 750,000 copies) between Weil (Eating Well for Optimum Health) and Daley (In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah's Favorite Recipes) is filled with healthful recipes and information on topics ranging from growing herbs to wine to the Mediterranean diet. Recipes contain nutrition information, but this is not "diet food": recipes include Smoked Fish with Horseradish Sauce, Roasted Cornish Hens with Roasted Garlic, and Thai Shrimp and Papaya Salad. There are "Tips from Rosie's Kitchen" and boxes called "Andy Suggests" scattered throughout the text, and the authors don't always agree (Weil often opts for "more spice"; he doesn't eat chicken, but Daley does). Obviously an essential purchase; most libraries will want multiple copies. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/01; BOMC, Literary Guild, Good Cook, etc.] Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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