LIKE anything to do with health, low-fat cooking has predictably become a trend in the United States. Individuals are adopting a new way of eating, the media are writing about it, and cookbooks galore are being published on the subject.
The books can be worth taking a look at. But, keep in mind, they are written for widely differing audiences. Some are written by serious chefs and recipes are excellent and have the added benefit of being healthy.
At the other extreme, some writers such as the American cardiologist Dr Dean Ornish, write primarily for heart patients. His is a strictly vegetarian diet, with virtually no fat, sugar, salt or cholesterol added. While some recipes are good, his book is something only a vegetarian, a fanatic or someone with heart disease would bother with.
Most people don't have to go to the culinary extremes Dr Ornish prescribes, but doctors say moderation in fat and cholesterol intake is beneficial.
One book in this category is Low Fat Pasta Cookbook ($99 Sunset Books). It is not a non-fat book - some recipes call for the likes of whole-milk cheese, bacon, beef and lamb. And it is not an Italian cookbook, despite the use of Italian names on some dishes.
But then it really doesn't try to be either. The recipes contain less fat than a classic recipe for a similar dish. They use both Western and Asian ingredients in a variety of light and interesting combinations and are written so an average cook can understand them. And, as has become the custom in the US with 'low-fat' cookbooks percentages of calories and other food values are given at the end of each recipe.