Customer Reviews

The Best in the World: Fast, Healthful Recipes from Exclusive and Out-Of-The-Way Restaurants

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It gets a "so-so" for me. On the down side, the recipes are not that exciting - nor is it the "BEST burrito in the world." I was looking for something more than cooked mashed pinto beans and chopped canned jalapenos in a flour tortilla shell (that's REALLY all the burrito was stuffed with!) covered with a red enchillada sauce. On the plus side - the chocolate cake recipe is very good - and is the same as one found in Regan Daley's "In the Sweet Kitchen." Many of the dessert recipes contain more sugar than is probably healthful, but they are lower in fat. There are better vegan cookbooks out there. I recommend some of the books by Robin Robertson (Vegan Planet) or Donna Klein (Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen), or even recipes from Dr. John McDougall's website www dot drmcdougall dot com, which are free!

I bought this book hoping to explore the possible vegan options out there. When I read through a great deal of recipes it was overwhelming how many vegan dishes sounded good to me. This book gives recipes for appetizers, vegetables/grains, soups/chili, main dishes, breakfasts, and desserts I did not even know where to begin. I just picked one and started. So far everything has been tasty, not to mention filling! My favorite so far is the Veggie Fajitas. There are also helpful tips on where to find obscure ingredients and what substitutes you can make to lighten a dish.

Since this book is authored by a physician who reccommends strict compliance to a healthy vegetarian diet as a means to treat obesity and/or diabetes, I expected some useful recipes. The book is a farce. First it is minature. Sort of like a tavelog indulgence on his part. And the recipes are for the most part either riduculous: "dip bread in olive oil and eat", an appetizer that is irrelevant, or an entree that isn't even within his normal dietary guidelines. Forget this book, it is useless if you are looking for recipes as a serious effort to change habits and eat well.

This is a beautiful, elegant little volume with easy and delicious recipes. As as long-time vegan, I consider it one of my favorite cookbooks. I often give it as a wedding gift.

I picked up The Best in the World cookbook - and its companion The Best in the World II - a number of years ago when I was having trouble with lactose intolerance and needed recipes that would accommodate my lactose-intolerant vegetarian self. Years later, my milk problem has subsided, but I still find myself turning to these little cookbooks when I want healthy meals that are easy to make but taste like something you would get at a 5 star restaurant. Case-in-point, the beautifully simple Butternut Squash and Cinnamon Cream Soup (in book II), which I made for this year's Thanksgiving Day feast with a group of friends (none of whom are vegetarian or lactose-intolerant). Only 9 ingredients (and that includes the oil), but wow - what a taste punch! Everyone raved about the soup, and I didn't tell them it was vegan and healthy - why spoil it? I just saw on the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (the editor Neal Barnard's non-profit) that there is indeed a The Best in the World III, so I ordered it from that site since it is not available on Amazon. I have no idea if these meals taste like the originals in the fancy, international restaurants that inspired them because I haven't had the good fortunate to go to any of them, but If you want to impress while remaining healthy and sane, I highly recommend this cookbook.