Customer Reviews

Healthy 1-2-3: The Ultimate Three-Ingredient Cookbook, Fat-Free, Low Fat, Low Calorie

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book because I hate shopping from long lists of ingredients. Some of the ingedients may be hard to find at a regular grocery store(ie tandoori paste or certain fresh herbs). I made the roasted onions with carrot puree, which was delicious. Although the ingredients are few, the preparation may be extensive. This is not a "quick and easy" cookbook. I liked the menu suggestions, complete with fat and caloric information. It would've been nice to have the nutritional information on the same page as the recipes instead of near the index, but that's a minor point. I know I'm going to use this cookbook a lot.

This book represents Gold's masterwork. It takes the simplicity concept to its best application, namely a cuisine that is sustainable across every night of the week. By simplicity, I mean singularity of taste, not ease of preparation. The majority of dishes here are probably more suited to people who like to spend time in the kitchen and enjoy new challenges, although many recipes are not difficult. Gold does not present a "one pot" style of cooking, but the results are worth it. Her palate is sophisticated and her books have educated my own taste buds and appreciation of food stuffs.

These dishes are healthy but not restricted in ingredient types. Cheeses and oils are frequently found, satisfying the diner but not overwhelming the meals in fats or calories. To eat from this cookbook is to enjoy a wide range of foods, including hints of rich ones, but to be health conscious and to adhere to smart consumption guidelines. Gold presents produce-plentiful dishes, gorgeously photographed and presented. She also provides her most personal, intimate writing, abandoning any connoirseurship of the well-connected New York chef in favor of telling her private motivations for writing this book. She gives us a most interesting point of view in the crowded cookbook arena.

I found it in an upscale furniture store, set out as a coffee table book. The dissonance was enough that I had to buy it.

I'll vouch for garlic mashed potatoes (p.132), and the pickled beets (p.109). The latter is simple enough that I've told lots of people in grocery store lines (what are you going to do with those beets?) about it. Some aren't nearly as simple, like the pasta cooked with broccoli florets, with a broccoli-butter sauce.

If you make any of these for a pot-luck, which is my usual experimentation mode, double them.

Overall, this is the best cookbook I've ever used. Every recipe I've made is absolutely delicious, and for non-veggie eaters like myself, it is a God send. This is because the book encourages one to try different types of vegetables cooked in different ways and with different sauces & accompaniaments. Don't be fooled though--while some of the recipes are quick and simple to make, some take quite a lot of time--all the better to savor the finished meal, however. This book has truly taught me to enjoy the entire process of cooking, from shopping for the best ingredients, preparing the meal, then enjoying it with a nice glass of wine.

I bought this as one of the first cookbooks I ever purchased while in collge. Ambitious is one word for that!
This cookbook is beautiful and inspiring. The photos are wonderful, it has suggested meals (with their nutritional analysis). I really love how original and unusual many of these recipes are. This is not the kind of cookbook that insists you substitue applesauce for butter and other such nonsense- rather, these are recipes that are inherently healthy but delicious in everyway nonetheless.
I made a huge 11 lb ribeye roast recipe from the cookbook (cured in salt, fresh dill) and served it with the wasabi butter asaparagus for a big family Passover meal. It was a HUGE hit, and the family wants wasabi butter on everything now.
I've also made the pink grapefruit with guava syryp and candied violets (which were a trick to find), many of the little salads, and even the 'laughing milk', a strange drink made of whipped egg whites and sugar. The fish recipes are simple and among my favorites.
My only complaint about this book is that some of the recipes are the author trying so hard to force a dish out of three ingredients that the recipe becomes cumbersome and over-complicated. I like the recipes that benefit from the simplicity of using only a few ingredients, rather than seeing how many different ways you can use broccoli in one dish.
Also, unless you live in New York City and know where to find the fish market or the produce market where chefs shop, there are some ingredients that you will simply never find.
Overall, I do adore this cookbook and I drag it out time and time again when I want to make something fun and a bit exotic.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. However, because there are so few ingredients, you need really good quality ones to pull these recipes off, which makes them relatively expensive. There are some cheap meals (Pasta in the style of Sardinia, one of my favorites, about $10.00 for a 3 person meal) but expect to spend between $30-$50 dollars for every entrée serving 3-4, with appetizers a little less. Nor does the number of ingredients guarantee speed or simplicity - most of theses recipes take 45 min - 3 hours. However, if you have the time and money, I have made some fantastic dishes with this book. They're so good they don't even taste healthy.

I've cooked almost everything in this book and it has all been over-the-top good. I especially love the walnut cake and the chicken with avacado and mango mousse. The swordfish with corn and chilie cream is also outstanding and a favorite when I entertain. I have all but one of her books and I'm going to buy that one now!

This book would be good if I had a bigger food budget as many of the recipes call for more exotic foods and spices than I generally keep in my kitchen, or can afford to buy. Lots of good pictures to drool over though.

I have over 200 cookbooks and this is one of my top ten. The author understands the idea that less is more when it comes to cooking. You have to wonder if a recipe has gone wrong when it list so many ingredients. You will find some recipes in this cookbook that are simple and easy to prepare, but most of them are more complex and I would not pick this book for someone that takes an hour to cook minute rice. When you look at the photos in this book, you just will not believe that the recipe only has three ingredients! If you are looking for another great book on healthy cooking please also consider The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley.

I pre-ordered this book well before it was published thinking that the "1-2-3" reference in the title meant it was related to Weight Watcher's "1-2-3" Success program. I was chagrined to learn upon its receipt that the book wasn't what I expected. The book does, however, contain some interesting recipes and some might rank high as part of a weight management menu.