Low Carb Gourmet [Hardcover]

Considering that this is a low-carb cookbook and not a low-carb how-to manual, the author very clearly introduces and explains the basics of low-carbing. To name just a few examples, in the book, she explains the effects of caffeine, alcohol, and water on the low-carb diet, explains how to calculate true carb counts, provides excellent examples of low-carb shopping lists and ingredients, provides a list of ideal low-carb snacks, suggests low-carb substitutes for high-carb ingredients, demystifies artificial sweeteners, teaches us how to spot hidden carbs in foods, and lists essentials for low-carb baking. She has also made the book an excellent culinary how-to guide in general by scattering throughout the book little side notes and suggestion boxes where she covers topics such as useful kitchen gadgets, how to store parsley to keep it fresh longer, making flavoured butters, tips for stabilizing whipping cream, and how to peel tomatoes (and yes, she teaches us that there IS more than one way to do this!).

Besides providing us with a useful reference book for following a low-carb lifestyle, most importantly, however, Karen Barnaby shows us that low-carbing isn't just about eggs, bacon, and a big slab of steak - it's about healthy, tasty, and varied foods that are not just great for a low-carb lifestyle, but for a healthy lifestyle in general. No matter what your food preferences are, there is something in this cookbook for everyone. For example, among the many recipes in this book, she even includes recipes creatively influenced by international cuisines such as Italian ("Flat Roasted Chicken with Prosciutto and Green Olives"), Chinese ("Daikon Radish, Chinese Cabbage, and Tofu Soup"), Japanese ("Cucumber Salad with Umeboshi and Bonito Flakes"), Thai ("Simple Chicken and Coconut Milk Curry"), French ("Braised Fennel with White Wine and Parmesan"), and Middle Eastern ("Lamb, Feta, and Olive Meatballs"), just to name a few. And although the book contains an impressive number of recipes, what's more impressive is the fact that the author gives suggestions for modifying the recipes and their ingredients to make all new dishes, thereby making the low-carb possibilities endless (and all delicious!).

Readers will be happy to see that every recipe in the book includes a carb count and other nutritional details per serving and will be even happier to find at the back of the book a handy summary chart of nutritional information for every recipe, ranked from the lowest carbohydrate count to the highest count. There is no doubt that readers will appreciate this convenient addition to the book as it allows low-carbers to easily calculate at a glance carb counts of meals they are interested in making. As well, the chart makes it easier for readers to determine which recipes may be appropriate for them at a particular stage of low-carbing (e.g., for Atkins followers, the chart makes it super easy to figure out which recipes are best during the induction phase). And if that's not enough, the author even gives us numerous ideas for low-carb entertaining! And before all you NON-low-carbers raise your eyebrows in suspicion, I can tell you that I have impressed more than a few low-carb skeptics with Karen Barnaby's "Shepherd's Pie with Mushrooms, Smoked Cheddar, Bacon, and Sour Cream". Superb!

I've made numerous recipes from this cookbook, and all of them were easy to follow for the novice chef and were absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend Karen Barnaby's "Low-Carb Gourmet". If she doesn't win you over with her amazingly delicious low-carb recipes, she'll win you over with her engaging and entertaining writing style which made the book a joy to read (AND to use!).