Review: A smart approach to meals that are fast, delicious, and healthy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 1, 2013
"Smart Cooking for Busy People" teaches an approach to cooking simple but healthy and appealing two-course meals in about a half-hour.  Planning and efficiency are used to both save time and improve quality.  There are also a few dozen recipes for appetizers, main dishes, and desserts plus information on staple ingredients and kitchen tools.  The recipes will appeal to most tastes and are outstanding not for how unusual they are, but for how straightforward and sensible they are, as well as for the attention paid to the healthiness of the cuisine without actually advocating a "diet."The book itself is manageable in size and respectful of the intended audience's time.  In addition to providing the theory and method, the author is quite encouraging to those who don't believe that they have time to cook and would like to spend more time in the kitchen as well as for those who enjoy cooking but would like to spend less time in the kitchen.If any more convincing is needed, the photographs complement the text and show typical results from the included recipes.  Lemon Sauce Chicken with Broccoli and Strawberries and Whipped Cream in thirty minutes?  Oh, yes!  I'll have seconds, please.My only criticism would be that it is difficult to say with any certainty that a food has particular health benefits based on a single scientific study.  Most of the health benefits discussed are supported by multiple studies, while some have not been proved reliably.Overall, this is a helpful and easy-to-digest how-to cook book that fulfills the promise made in the title, "Smart Cooking for Busy People:  How to Make Healthy and Tasty Full Meals in 30 Minutes," and the information it contains complements, simplifies, and improves upon our contemporary lifestyle.An electronic copy was provided by the author for unbiased review.