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Fresh Start contains a month of no-fuss, calorie-conscious daily menus along with a wealth of dietary information and calorie-cutting tips.
This, from the same woman who brought us to serve up rich, fancy foods?
What gives?
If you don't happen to have one of the 5.5 million copies of her older books in your kitchen, in the 1980s Rosso and former partner Sheila Lukins set new standards in eating and entertaining with their best-selling books, The Silver Palate Cookbook, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and The New Basics Cookbook.
Since then, the partnership dissolved, and Rosso has moved to Saugatuck, Michigan, where she continues to write her own cookbooks. She and her husband also own the Wickwood Country Inn in Saugatuck.
What happened to the Julee Rosso who brought us Decadent Chocolate Cake and Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms?
I think a lot of people have come a long way, including me. The Silver Palate books were appropriate at the time, and there are times when they're still appropriate. Don't think that I'm never going to eat foie gras again in my whole life! But I'm certainly aware now of what it contains.
In the Silver Palate Days, your weight was at an all-time high, and you felt sluggish and logy. How much weight have you taken off?
I'm down about 45 pounds.
You've tried lots of different "gimmick" diets, but say none worked. How did you drop those pounds?
I don't want to eat cottage cheese and celery for the rest of my life. So I try to cook as I normally cook, but cut down of fat and use things like cooking sprays, chicken broth, and herbs to add flavor. For instance, I never cook rice in water anymore; what a waste of an opportunity to add flavor. It's amazing how good things taste, how much clearer and cleaner. And thank goodness garlic doesn't have any fat in it!
What's your newest discovery?
Panko. It's a Japanese bread crumb coating that increases crispiness and texture without adding a lot of calories. It's worth a trip to an Asian grocery store just for that. It comes in a cellophane bag with the word "Panko" written on it.
What are a few of your favorite recipes in Fresh Start?
Try the Blossoming Onion, which is a low-fat alternative to the deep-fried restaurant appetizer. It goes well with Oven-Fried Coconut Shrimp with Orange Sauce, which uses Panko. And there are several custards in the book, and a creme brulee-custards are some of my favorite comfort foods.
Custards don't sound like diet fare?
Some days you want to indulge. In the daily menus I try to give choices-between yogurt and cake for dessert, for example-and let readers clearly see the calorie consequences of each choice. I think we need that information so we can make our own judgments.
How long does it take to cook these recipes?
Never more than an hour. Cooking can be very therapeutic, but I also get tired of being in the kitchen. It used to intrigue me to spend hours on one dish . . . Now I'd rather have company over more often than spend hours on one meal. There are other things going on in life.
2 large egg whites
1 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs or Panko (a Japanese bread crumb coating)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
24 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Orange Sauce
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg white lightly with a fork. In a small plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs, cumin, coconut, garlic and pepper.
3. One at a time, dip each shrimp into the egg white and then into the plastic bag and shake to coat with bread crumbs. Lay the shrimp on the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the shrimp are golden and cooked through, turning once with a spatula halfway through cooking. Serve immediately with Orange Sauce.
Orange Sauce (makes about 1/2 cup, serves 2, 112 calories per 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup low-sugar orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon molasses
4 to 6 dashes of Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of cumin
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients and blend well.
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