ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 1997 TAG: 9702120043
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: BOOK REVIEW
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
As a bright spot in the dead of winter, Valentine's Day amuses, entertains and beguiles. It's an occasion for special cookies and sensuous desserts that might spark a romance. Chewy chocolates, rich mousses and creamy cheesecakes immediately come to mind. What about a just-sweet-enough, moist and satisfying muffin to start the day? Mmmm.
If you haven't thought of these luscious treats since the first of the year when you vowed to eat healthfully, an award-winning nutritionist has your sweet tooth at heart. Evelyn Tribole loves desserts and knows you do, too. That's why she wrote her latest book, "Healthy Homestyle Desserts: 150 Fabulous Treats with a Fraction of the Fat and Calories" (Viking, $24.95/hardcover).
Tribole has no remorse when it comes to her specialties. She points out that "stressed" spelled backwards is desserts, so she has made her treats guilt-free.
Tribole's desserts are low-fat, but they're not tasteless or dry. "Taste is just as important as nutrition. If something doesn't taste good, you're not likely to eat it," she said.
Using today's tremendously improved reduced-fat ingredients, Tribole has remade standard recipes and created some marvelous low-fat and lower-calorie sweets that even the most jaded of hearts will approve. Each of her recipes gives the before and after calories, fat and cholesterol profiles, and she tells you how she achieved it, which ingredients she replaced and why she used what she did. Her low-fat, no-fat goals are attained even with the occasional boxed cake mix that appears in the recipes.
In addition to breakfast goodies, Tribole embraces gooey chocolate desserts (Three-Layer Fudge Brownies), holiday treats, pastries (Eclairs), cakes (Pumpkin Cheesecake), chewy cookies (Chocolate Turtle Pecan Cookies, Lemon Bars) and pies (Lemon Meringue).
The book is a grand resource. Tribole offers uncomplicated, straightforward recipes with interesting information you can apply to just about everything you make.
For example, whole wheat flour contains five times the selenium of regular white flour. Selenium interacts with vitamin E and, according to some studies, is believed to help slow the aging process and prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease.
Tribole also solves the pesky lump problems that arise when using fat-free cream cheese. She gives a troubleshooting guide with solutions, ways to enhance the flavor of your favorite desserts and tips for adding a little more richness sensibly without raising the fat and calorie counts. Tribole will satisfy your cravings from morning through night, and for Valentine's Day, too.
Recipes for:
RASPBERRY DAPPLE MUFFINS
CHOCOLATE TURTLE PECAN COOKIES
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB