cookbook

At the Nasoya Tofu U party, I enjoyed a meal fit for a vegan queen — thank you, The Plant Cafe Organic — and met Kim Barnouin, co-author of the popular Skinny Bitch book series.

Kim has made a career of teaching women the ins and outs of healthy eating in basic no-nonsense terms: if you eat crap, you're going to feel and look like crap, too. And for Kim, avoiding crap means sticking to a vegan diet. But that doesn't mean you can't eat well. In her new cookbook, Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook ($20), Kim keeps her familiar chick-lit tone to engage audiences in how to cook and live a healthy, happy vegan lifestyle.

At the demo, Kim showed us creative ways to turn tofu into tasty dishes; my faves were the spicy tofu tacos and tofu brownie bites. She also shared the items she always keeps stocked in her kitchen:

• Good olive oil is essential. It works in salad dressings, marinades, stir-frys, and adds flavor to bread.
• Legumes like beans and lentils are staples. Filling, full of protein, and perfect for main dishes.
• Spices and garlic are must haves. They add zest and flavor to all dishes, eliminating the need for a ton of salt, butter, or oil.
• Tofu — at least two varieties. Keep a silken tofu handy for sauces, soups, and desserts, and a firmer tofu for main courses.
• Whole wheat pastry flour is a go-to ingredient in desserts.

Vegan or not, I think Kim's list is full of must haves; what things do you always keep stocked in your kitchen?

This morning, Condé Nast announced a new series of special issues of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine. Quite simply, the three "limited edition" mags will be a compilation of recipes pulled from the Gourmet archives.

The first to be released is Gourmet Quick Kitchen; it features 81 fast and easy recipes with new photos, tips, menu suggestions, and wine pairings. The 128-page tome will have no advertisements and was edited by a Gourmet editor, Kempe Minifie. The public will be able to pick up a copy of Gourmet Quick Kitchen for $10.99 at newsstands starting on September 7.

While I've definitely missed Gourmet, I'm not sure I see the point in the recipe booklets.

Aren't most of Gourmet's recipes online at Epicurious and Gourmet? Still, I'm sure I'll be checking it out. How about you? Would you buy a Gourmet magazine cookbook?

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Bethenny Frankel isn't the only housewife with a penchant for healthy entertaining. Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice spent the weekend signing copies of her book, Skinny Italian ($12), at a bookstore in, of all places, New Jersey. Teresa, who's better known for flipping tables at dinner than serving it, shares all the classics — pesto and puttanesca sauces, veal piccata, and fettucine alfredo — but with a healthy twist.

I love Italian-American food but it's often carb-heavy with lots of cheese, butter, and beef. Teresa's recipes cut down on the fat but not flavor — there's less cheese, leaner meats, and a reduction of fats. Instead, flavors are boosted with herbs, garlic, olive oil, and peppers. Besides the recipes, Teresa offers lessons on making fresh pizza, canning your own tomatoes, and general cooking tips. Her mantra? "Eat spaghetti and still fit into your skinny jeans."

So, which "skinny" housewife's team are you on — Team Bethenny or Team Teresa?

Kick it up a notch! Though Emeril may be the most famous chef to come out of New Orleans's French Quarter, budding cooks who visited a movie theater this holiday season may be more familiar with another name. Princess Tiana, the heroine of Disney's hit The Princess and the Frog, had aspirations for a restaurant of her own in the Big Easy and used delectable recipes that made the viewers salivate.

Moms and dads hoping to introduce their lil ones to some new cuisine may want to check out The Princess and the Frog: Tiana's Cookbook: Recipes For Kids ($8). Loaded with traditional Cajun recipes, such as muffaletta, beignets, jambalaya, and red beans and rice, the book's large food photos and character drawings are sure to inspire lil chefs to branch out and try something new. The text's five-frog rating system is also helpful in judging which recipes need the most adult-supervision (such as the beignets that need to be fried in hot oil).

We know that eating less meat is a good thing — it reduces your carbon footprint, lowers your grocery bill, and makes sense for your heart. But does it taste good? Vegetarian diets are often associated with a bland menu of tofu, sprouts, and brown rice day after day. Chef to the stars Tal Ronnen sets out to bust this myth in his new cookbook, The Conscious Cook — Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat ($20).

The cookbook is divided into sections by meal courses that include starters, soups, entrées, and desserts. I'm most excited about the entire section devoted to sandwiches because of all the new lunches I get to try. There's a nice intro that covers Ronnen's must haves in the kitchen — from what items he always has in his pantry (agave nectar) to the chef tools he can't live without (food processor). Ronnen touches on the importance of a vegan diet but does it without making you feel like you're choking on someone else's politics. It's obvious the chef's main focus is making food that tastes exceptional.

To hear more about The Conscious Cook and see a killer quinoa recipe, read more