Complete Idiot’s Guide Review

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to DASH Diet Cooking is packed with over 150 recipes for adding some variety and fresh spring taste to any dish – while sticking to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The guide also includes DASH meal plans and exercises specifically tailored to enhance the effects of the diet. ISBN: 9781615641666, May 2012, $19.95  Chief Blonde Remarks:  As crazy as it seems, many Americans don’t know how to eat to keep their blood pressure low reduce the effects of hypertension and diabetes.  Many people won’t/don’t take the time or want to make the effort to eat right.  For those of you who are ready to make the first steps toward health, this book provides 160 recipes to get you on your way via what is known as the DASH diet. Versus focusing on calories, the DASH diet focuses on nutrient-dense whole foods.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Eating Paleo provides insight into a fresh, but ancient, style of dieting, which focuses on the foods of our Paleolithic ancestors. They feasted on lean meats, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The book includes over 100 recipes and meal plans for sticking to and making the most out of the Paleolithic diet. ISBN: 9781615641499, April 2012, $18.95  Chief Blonde Remarks: I had not expected the detail of this book.  I thought it would just be a book full of recipes, not true.  It goes into indepth detail on the diet, what to eat, what not to eat, and most important..WHY!  I had always assumed this diet was all about the meat but the recipes are chock full of veggies and fruit as well!  Well okay then…like in cheese, sour dough bread, pickles, wine, sour Kraut…Okay…never mind..I am hooked..fermented foods are actually the foods I enjoy most.  Why wouldn’t I want to make them???

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Smoking Foods is the go-to guide for this year’s BBQ season with detailed instructions on smoking with a variety of flavoring and fueling techniques. More than smoking traditional meats, celebrity chef and author, Ted Reader, smokes out unusual food recipes. ISBN: 9781615641550, April 2012, $18.95  The Chief Blonde Remarks: Have you ever smoked anything before?  I haven’t.  Recently on Food Networks “Chopped” they used a stove top smoker…and it made me realize their was a whole other method of cooking that I had not delved into before.  This book is just perfect for the newbie who is truly interested in learning about and implementing Smoking of food.  This book discusses what kinds of smokers there are and what you should and shouldn’t buy.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Green Smoothies is filled with hundreds of green recipes that increase energy, boost metabolism, burn fat, and cleanse body toxins. It is an easy to follow guide for the “green smoothie movement,” and is vegan and vegetarian friendly, with additional content on growing and foraging green ingredients. ISBN: 9781615641642, May 2012, $14.95 Chief Blonde Remarks: I see the words “Green” and “Smoothie” in the same sentence and instantly think Yuck.  I mean…I just don’t drink green think things..it’s EEWWW!!!  But as I thumbed through this group, I realized that I was being a big baby because these smoothies were energizing but they were formulated to cleanse my body and boost metabolism.  A there were a number of recipes that caught my eye and I could actually imagine drinking:  Pineapple tart smoothie (pineapple, golden berries, camu powder, chia seeds, sorrel, and water) or Blueberry Buzz Smoothie (water, maple syrup, blueberries, celery, and apples).  Okay…I could drink either of those with ease.  How about you? With 150 recipes to choose from I am sure you can find flavors that appeal to you too and make you healthier.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Fermenting Foods covers the amazing health benefits of fermented or “living” foods and the techniques for safely fermenting all food types from pickles to sourdough bread at home. ISBN: 9781615641505, April 2012, $18.95  Chief Blonde Remarks:  Can you believe it?  I didn’t ever know what “fermenting” meant.  It turns out that it occurs when microorganisms break down food, giving off gases and producing beneficial acids and/or alcohol.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Sausage Making gives readers the tools to prepare a variety of delicious sausages with easy-to-follow recipes and instructions ranging from traditional game meats to seafood, and even vegetarian sausages. Sausages bought at grocery stores may contain some unwelcome surprises: fillers, artificial preservatives, and extra salt. Skip those store-bought mystery ingredients and learn how to make a healthier homemade sausage. ISBN: 9781615641451, February 2012, $16.95 Chief Blonde Remarks:  Having lived all over the world, I was curious to see if this book captured the unique sausages from the various places I had lived.  In fact, there was almost 100 pages of  foreign and exotic sausages.  I really felt that all the sausage types that I could hope to make, were captured here along with condiments, menus and sausage making techniques!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Meals in 30 Minutes or Less contains over 500 delicious recipes—from appetizers to full entrees—that will help anyone in a hurry make fresh and healthy meals that are satisfying and delicious. ISBN: 9781615641468, January 2012, $21.95 Chief Blonde Remarks:  I thought this book would be all about mixes, canned products and high calorie meals.  I was quite impressed.  Actually, recipes did occasionally called for some canned/prepared foods but often just for convenience  (example: canned mushrooms versus fresh).  With 500 recipes to choose from anyone can find a set of recipes to add to their repertoire that will ensure they can whip up a whole slew of menus in 30 minutes or less.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Starting a Food Truck Business explains how making good food is not the only key to success in the food truck industry. This guide breaks down the business into understandable terms with food, marketing, and money saving tips.  ISBN: 9781615641628, April 2012, $19.95 Chief Blonde Remarks: My daughter actually works on a food truck.  She looked over this book and said the tips were spot on.  She noted that many restaurateurs actually start their restaurants from a food truck before opening a restaurant.   I liked how they actually discussed the physical rig that you would need.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Low-Carb Meals, a cookbook focused on the art of delicious recipes with a low-carb twist. With everything from quick or leisurely breakfasts to late-night snacks, this guide offers over 350 recipes for both the dieter and the health-conscious cook.   Chief Blonde Remarks:  I have been on a low carb diet on and off for 10 years.  I love the approach and the way “NOT” eating carbs or reducing carbs makes me feel. Switching to Low-Carb can really be quite tricky..you actually skip more than half of the aisles in the grocery store when you shop!  This book walks you through all of that from menus, to rationale for the diet, and then items that work instead of the traditional carby items you still crave.