Book review: Complete Book of Low-Carbohydrate Cooking

December 27, 2:32 PMDenver Low Carb ExaminerLinda Duffy

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When I saw "The Complete Book of Low-Carbohydrate Cooking" at my local Ross store, I immediately picked it up. When I noticed it was only $6.95 for the 256 page book filled with great pictures and interesting recipes, the book went right in to the shopping cart.

When I got the book home, I gave it a more thorough looking over and found a very unpleasant surprise. On page 8, this statement immediately grabbed my attention. "Foods high in saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels". This is completely false and has been verified through many studies, most recently by a study done in Israel. The study participants who ate the MOST saturated fat and the fewest carbs had the BEST improvement in blood cholesterol levels. This of course, leads you to the real culprit, carbohydrates. Since bad advice like this has been typical for the last 30 years, I was willing to forgive until I hit the next section. The entire chapter on fats starting on page 12 was full of more bad information. From recommending limiting fat intake to listing cream and butter as dangerous, I flipped back to the front cover to make sure I had not grabbed the wrong book by accident. When I then read the section touting the benefits of low fat cheese, I was ready to chuck the darn thing in the trash.

Fortunately, I decided to keep skimming and see if there was anything redeeming I could get out of my $6.95 investment. Turns out, that if you ignore the fist 69 pages, this really is a worth while book. The photography is excellent, the food looks delicious, and there are a few dozen recipes I am seriously interested in giving a try. From the Lime and Avocado Soup to the Scallops with Fennel and Bacon, there are plenty of low carb treats to choose from. A few recipes fall outside of what I consider low carb (like bean dish with mint yogurt at 41.2g of carbs per serving), but if you know your low carb basics, these are easy to avoid.

In the end, I consider the price I paid for this book money well spent. It is not a book I would give someone who is just getting started on low carb because there is a lot of misleading or plain wrong information. However, if you know your low carb basics, it is a book with a lot of usable, interesting recipes. As for how a book can have such a confusing mess of bad and good information? That question, which had been on my mind from moment I read the first few pages, was answered once I looked at the back cover flap. The author is a dietician.