Chocolate And The Art Of Low Fat Desserts: Amazon.ca: Alice Medrich: Books

Product Description

From Amazon.com

There are considerably fewer calories in Alice Medrich's latest book than in Cocolat, her first, award-winning cookbook. In Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts, Medrich presents recipes that cut fat without compromising texture or flavor--a chocolate lover's dream come true. With offerings like Black Bottom Bananas Napoleons (made with chocolate custard) or Double Chocolate Layer Cake (with less than a third of its calories from fat), Medrich proves that wonderfully indulgent treats don't have to add to your waistline. The book won the 1995 James Beard Cookbook Award.

From Library Journal

Medrich is the author of another beautiful cookbook, Cocolat: Extraordinary Chocolate Desserts (LJ 2/15/91), which showcased the indulgent desserts from her California pastry shops. Her low-fat book is not, as one might expect, at the opposite end of the spectrum; there are rich-tasting, elegant creations here too. Some readers will be disappointed to find that, despite the book's title, not all of the recipes are for chocolate desserts, but many are, and the nonchocolate recipes are just as enticing. It's impossible to cut the fat drastically in some desserts without ruining the taste, and Medrich, rather than compromise on flavor, chose 30 percent calories from fat as her limit-which some readers will find too high for their liking. Nevertheless, these are at least "lower-fat" desserts-and they are far more tempting than the recipes in most low-fat dessert books. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars Ho-Hum, Jun 13 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Chocolate And The Art Of Low Fat Desserts (Hardcover)

I have read all of Medrich's books so far-this being the last one. I know that this book has recieved accolades from the critics and fans alike, but I disagree.
For one thing, with the word chocolate highlighted in bold print in the title, it would seem to suggest that the book is primarily about chocolate; (the author writes books about chocolate after all), but half of the recipes in this work are not made with chocolate at all.
As I have written in other reviews of her books, the self-congratulatory text in her books are tiresome and it is evident in this one as well...when you look at the paragraphs in her introduction, it seems every third one starts with "I" and then follows with something like "my stuff was so fantastic..everyone was amazed!" You know, there is such a thing as humility, but it is certaintly not evident in these books. I prefer cookbooks with a forward written by someone else; a person with "know-how" to stand up for the author-to show examples why the author should earn our respect..this is what feels comfortable to me as a reader.
Also, the photos were not as good as shown in her other works and I had expected the same quality and consistancy, so this was a disappointment.
The techno-culinary babblings (informational writing) got pretty stale too, although some other readers may like this. Obviously the critics did...this book recieved an award.
Personally, I don't think this is her best work.I have seen several authors offer excellent low-fat recipes for desserts (Steven Raichlin is a good example) so the fact that Medrich has a few recipes that work here is not really that noteworthy. I know this review reads like I am a sourpuss but rest assured, most of my other reviews are not as harsh as this. It is only one opinion-mine.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An ingenious cookbook, Mar 25 2004

By

thesu - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chocolate And The Art Of Low Fat Desserts (Hardcover)

I have yet to make something in this book that isn't delicious. So far, I've made the marble cake, brownies, tiramisu, chocolate chip biscotti (mmm, tasted just like a real cookie!), and chocolate souffle torte. Everything is easy, clearly explained, and RICH. Like another reviewer said, these are great recipes that happen to be low-fat. And there's no gimmicks, like "Oh, just substitute half the fat with apple sauce." Medrich teaches you how to maximize the flavor of your full-fat ingredients so you use less but taste more. I am so sad this book is no longer in print. If I lost my copy, I would die!

BTW, everyone thinks I'm a kitchen god. It's not me; it's the book!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Don't think of this as a low-fat cookbook..., May 15 2002

By

Anne - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chocolate And The Art Of Low Fat Desserts (Hardcover)

These are not excellent low-fat desserts. They are excellent desserts that are also low-fat. Whether or not I am watching what I eat or cooking for people who are watching what they eat, I always look here first, and no one ever, ever misses the fat and calories. Alice Medrich has done a fantastic job of lightening the dessert tray without resorting to artificial sweeteners, fat-free dairy products, "light" margarine, etc. She emphasizes ingredients of the highest quality, but stretches the fatty stuff (for example, she decreases the amount of nuts in a biscotti recipe, chopping them coarsely to make them go farther and toasting them to maximize flavor). If a recipe can't be lightened successfully, it's not in the book (for example, you won't find shortbread, although somehow, miraculously, she has found a way to lighten whipped cream!).

I have made many of these recipes and have never been disappointed. I'll recommend the Kahlua Fudge Cake, Frozen Hot Chocolate, Lime Cookies (yes, even the handful of non-chocolate desserts are heaven), Michael's Brownies, Fallen Chocolate Torte, Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti, Genoise, Hot Ginger Cookies, and Buttermilk Chocolate Sauce. I have not tried a recipe that I cannot recommend. You will not be disappointed.

The book is illustrated beautifully and divided, helpfully, according to recipe type (fancy desserts, everyday desserts, individual desserts, etc). It includes nutritional information. The desserts obtain 30% or less of their calories from fat, and although not all are low-calorie, most are (Michael's Brownies, for example, have around 150 calories each and are sinful).

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Wonderful!
Clearly Ms Medrich has turned creating low fat, high flavor desserts into an art form! Many low fat recipes taste low fat, but not the ones in this book. Read more

Published on Oct 26 2001 by Valerie Strilko

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing!
I bought this book recently and was initially a little daunted because everything in it look so very gourmet -- it was intimidating to a novice baker. Read more

Published on Aug 28 2001 by BG