Review of "Low Fat Express" by Jean Pare

Jean Pare gives us another superb cookbook. Everyone's trying to be health-conscious these days, and reducing the amount of fat in your cooking is a great way to control calories and cholesterol. Written with a nod to Raechel Ray's "30 Minute Meals", "Low Fat Express" presents an array of recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, including sides and snacks. So if your menu's already started, you can find recipes to complete the job.

In addition to the recipes, the book's forward outlines basic reasons why low-fat meals are healthier, including the differences between the "good cholesterol" and the "bad cholesterol". Ms. Pare also shows us how to read the nutrition information labels on foods and adds a brief list of high-fat and low-fat foods as a jumping-off point. Most of this is common-sense stuff, but it never hurts to go over them.

When it comes to the recipes themselves, you won't be disappointed. Start with a spicy Pepper Cheese Omelet for breakfast. Try the Grilled Basil Tomato Sandwich for lunch. And top off the day with a dish called "Not So Portly Pork" that combines port wine, rhubarb, and ginger for a flavorful dinner. I've been working on deep fried foods lately and trying to cope with the guilt, so the varieties of baked potato chips intrigued me. Lots of fun salads and baked desserts, too! All of the recipes include complete nutrition information, so if you're really counting fat and calories, you'll have that important information at your fingertips. Its a bounty of healthy meals in a handy spiral-bound cookbook.