Customer Reviews

The Diabetic Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 200 Healthy Recipes from Homestyle Favorites to Restaurant Classics

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3 star:		(1)
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I was so excited to learn that Diabetic Gourmet Magazine had a cookbook! Not only did it turn out to be a great cookbook, but it also starts off with a few chapters that talk about diabetes, healthy cooking, and meal preparing that are very easy to read and understand. The first chapter about diabetes is perfect for anyone that has just been diagnosed (and their family members) because it really takes the confusion out of diabetes. The other chapters will help just about anyone in the kitchen because it talks about the best cooking techniques to use, good foods to choose, and things to make your kitchen more health-friendly. I guess to me it read more like a book than a medical manual or some stuffy, unapproachable 'gourmet' book, and I really liked that.

As a cookbook, it's packed with recipes that should appeal to everyone. We loved the Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna and the recipe for Marinara Sauce is better than mine (or my mother's) ever was (sorry mom). The Grilled Halibut topped with Vidalia Onion and Raspberry-balsamic Sauce was delicious and incredibly easy to make. As a matter of fact, all of the recipes I've tried so far were easier to make than I expected. I loved the Shrimp Scampi over Linguine and the whole dinner came in at only 22 grams of carbs and under 5g fat.

I don't have much tolerance for spicy food, so I wasn't going to touch the Cajun Pan-Grilled Catfish, but I made it for my husband and he thought it was fantastic. I used the Cajun Mix from the cookbook and he didn't even notice there wasn't any salt in it (and I wasn't about to tell him). I actually used the vidalia onion sauce from the halibut recipe on my piece of catfish because it was so easy to make and it worked great.

I've tried about a dozen recipes so far, and I could go on and on about all of them. Everyone devoured the Pizza Tomatoes and the chicken marsala was better than the one at our local restaurant and definitely better than the one they serve at Olive Garden.

My favorite recipe so far is the Chicken Souvlaki Plate. It is low in fat, calories, and carbs, it's simple to make and more filling than you would think by looking at it, and the cucumber sauce that goes with it is wonderful. I've made this recipe at least 5 times in the past week and I swear it's one of the reasons I've lost a little weight.

I recommend this cookbook to anyone with diabetes and anyone who just wants to eat good food that is healthier for them and that their family can enjoy right along with them. It has lots of different recipes that are easy to follow, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, it's easy to read, and it's easy to prop open on your counter when you're cooking.

-S.S.

I was very pleased with this cookbook and recommend it as it is an exceptional value for the price. It offers a nice bit of information about diabetes and healthful cooking before it jumps into scads of enticing recipes. So far, I've tried grilled chicken parmesan over penne, grilled vegetables, Greek style orzo with spinach and tomatoes, soho sirloin salad, and shrimp jambalaya. All of them were quite good and the recipes were easy to follow. The shrimp jambalaya was really easy as it's done as a casserole, but it may be a bit spicy for some people so watch out. The soho sirloin salad was really good, too. I think most people will enjoy this cookbook as it offers such a wide range of recipes.

Very glad I ordered this book. Many good recipes that are easy to read and follow. The first few chapters are informative and I found them very useful. Definitely has a wide enough selection of recipes so there is something for everyone. The refried black beans are great and so is the fiery curry tilapia. The mock mashed potatoes were so good I though I was eating mashed potatoes!

This recipe book succeeds more as a diabetic cookbook than as a gourmet one. As a newly diagnosed diabetic, with a love of good food, I was eager to find ways of accommodating my diabetic restrictions while still having delicious food. As in any cookbook, the reader may find a few recipes worth adding to their personal repertoire, but for me it was not what I was looking for.

Lovely concept. Beautiful pictures. But I'm such a lazy cook and I am not sufficiently diabetic (yet) to worry overmuch about the occasional treat. Still, I'm glad I have it as a reference for later, or for entertaining diabetic friends. One wonders how many of these cookbooks one must have to entertain these days - I have friends with celiac problems, lactose intolerance, hatred for green peppers, allergies to odd things. I am beginning to feel it's just best to go out, so everyone can pick their own poison.
I don't remember there being such a need for special diets years ago.
In any case, for those who want to eat gloriously and or adapt recipes, this book is well worth examining. As with most cookbooks, it's best to look at the contents before buying to ensure these are things you would actually eat. I must say this cookbook uses familiar ingredients and ends up with food that is tasty and not too far off the normal range. It is good.