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Mealleaniyumm!
All That's Missing is the Fat!
by Norene Gilletz
Hardcover - 414 pages
Gourmania Inc.; ISBN: 0969797222
Reviewed by Mimi Hiller
MealLeaniYumm! is a most unusual title for a unique cookbook. The more than 400 pages of the spiral-bound volume is packed with more than 800 recipes geared for the kosher kitchen, plus tons of ideas and suggestions for turning your food consumption into a delicious, healthy lifestyle. Ms. Gilletz has assembled a refreshing collection of hints. tips and strategies which, if followed, are sure to help anyone succeed in taking off the pounds...and keeping them off. Add a hefty dose of flavor, and the recipe is complete.
Let me first explain what I don't like about this book. It's actually the thing I dislike about so many cookbooks that profess to build a weight-loss system by lowering fat intake: the use of what I call "fake foods." You probably know what I mean what I talk about those fat-free dairy products and pseudo-mayonnaise-based ingredients which look like the real thing, but that's where the similarity ends. I don't pass judgment on those who can find satisfaction in foods prepared with these items, but they're just not for me. I don't like the way they taste, and I don't like foods that are cooked with them. To my way of thinking, there are enough natural ways to enjoy good, healthy meals without bastardizing them, and in fact, this book contains many, many of them. [/Rant off.]
I was ecstatic to find many eggplant recipes in this book. Several years ago, I consulted with a dietitian who was an enormous help to me. Before leaving for a long trip to the Middle East, we discussed ways I could enjoy myself without gaining a lot of weight. One of the things she pointed out was that I should probably steer clear of eggplant as it was most often cooked in lots of oil, and turned into an oil sponge. No wonder it tasted so good. Ms. Gilletz takes a new approach to this wondrous vegetable by baking, not frying it, then adding just a bit of oil or tahini, even mozzarella (lowfat, of course, which I can tolerate), and heightening the taste with the use of highly flavored ingredients, such as balsamic vinegar or liquid smoke.
With so many recipes to choose from, even after eliminating the ones which called for "fake food," I selected several to try. From the appetizers, I made Molly Naimer's Green Pea Mock Liver. Okay, I love chopped liver, the real thing, but this was pretty good. Though the recipe called for a can of green peas, I don't use canned vegetables, if I can help it, so I substituted frozen peas which I blanched briefly. I also followed the author's suggestion to use only two of the yolks from the four hard-boiled eggs. It was very tasty, and the whole chopped onion sauted in only a single tablespoon of oil had enough of the flavor reminiscent of traditional chopped liver that I didn't miss the things that were missing, namely the fat.
The Israeli Bean Soup is wonderful. I'm not totally sure how Israeli this recipe is, but it enjoyed a number of flavors typically found in that cuisine, namely cumin and thyme. What made the dish for me was the use of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, which I considered atypical when I first read the recipe, plus the addition of minced cilantro at the end of the cooking.
Chicken with Bulgur and Mushrooms was a real surprise. I tried it because I had all the ingredients on hand and was short on time. Not only was it unbelievably fast to put together, but it was really delicious. The chicken pieces are rubbed with minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried basil, then baked on a bed of onions, mushrooms and bulgur wheat, and topped with a tomato sauce.
And finally, I tried the Apple Strudel recipe. Phyllo dough is brushed with a mixture of 2 egg whites and a half a yolk and sprinkled with bread crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs) before being filled with the apple-brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Though it was tasty, I was less excited about this dessert; in another, phyllo was brushed with a mixture of egg whites and a tiny bit of oil. I can only wonder if this would have improved the taste and texture of the strudel.
Many of the recipes in this book are appended with suggestions to make them lighter, or to offer substitutions. In some cases, suggestions are made to convert dairy recipes into pareve, something which is ever-present in the mind of those who keep a kosher home.
In the center of the MealLeaniYumm! are 20 pages of full-color
photographs of a number of the dishes. Positively guaranteed
to make you drool.
