The French Diet: Why French Women Don't Get Fat
Eating the right foods in the proper order leads to pleasurable and healthy living, promises Michel Montignac, inThe French Diet. His urgent message to Americans: scrap the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and embrace the Glycemic Index (GI)--a standard ranking system he uses to separate "good" carbohydrates from "bad," based on how quickly foods release glucose into the bloodstream. Montignac theorizes that pairing low-GI foods with good fat (like olive oil), and eating foods in a specific order, is a habit that the famously lean French have long practiced. Says Montignac, this diet is neither low-carb nor low-fat; instead, it is "the right-carb and the right-fat diet."Consider the logic: eat three square meals a day, based on the food-combining rules provided; make lunch—not dinner—the biggest meal (don't worry about calories); avoid sugar, regular coffee, and the wrong fats. Snacks? No need. Snacking is a poor habit practiced by those whose regular meals don’t contain sufficient metabolic staying power; following Montignac's system should solve that problem. Drink wine or champagne--but only in moderation, and only after meals. Montignac's sample menus and 80 recipes feature smart breakfasts, indulgent lunches, dinner entrees, and fruity or chocolaty desserts. He also includes meatless options, but double-check the ingredients before launching into a dish marked "Vegetarian Appropriate;" one such recipe begins with 1/3 pound chopped slab bacon.--Liane ThomasAmazon.com Exclusive ContentMichel Montignac shares a mouth-watering entrée and two decadent desserts from his personal weight loss and weight maintenance recipe book, exclusively with Amazon.com customers. Bon appétit!Chicken with Apples and Cider CreamPhase 1 and Phase 2 (appropriate for both weight loss and weight maintenance)Serves 5Preparation: 20 minutesCooking time: 1 hour 40 minutesOne 3-pound free range chicken2 teaspoons cinnamon2 pounds apples, peeled and coarsely chopped3/4 cup apple cider1 cube chicken bouillon3/4 cup heavy cream2 tablespoons goose fat or olive oil (See Note)salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne, and ground cinnamon, to tastePreheat the oven to 425ºBrush the chicken with a tablespoon of goose fat (or olive oil). Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and place in a roasting pan. Roast for approximately 1 hour 40 minutes, or until juice runs clear.Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of goose fat (or olive oil), and sauté the chopped apples, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until the apples are softened. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Reserve.To make the cider cream sauce, boil the cider in a saucepan and reduce by three quarters. Add the chicken bouillon cube and dissolve well. Then add the heavy cream. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Correct the seasoning if necessary. After the chicken has roasted for about 1 hour 15 minutes, arrange the apples around the chicken in the roasting pan.When ready, cut up the chicken, coat with the reheated cream of cider and serve with the  cinnamon apples.Note: Goose fat is available in some specialty gourmet shops and can also be ordered from gourmet supply stores online. If you are unable to find it, substitute olive oil.Chocolate MoussePhase 2 (appropriate for weight maintenance)Serves 6–8Preparation: 25 minutesChilling time: at least 6 hours14 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao content)4 teaspoons instant coffee1/2 cup water2 tablespoons rum (optional)zest of 1 orange (organic preferred)8 eggs1 pinch of saltBreak the chocolate into pieces and place in a double boiler. Mix the coffee with 1/2 cup of water and the rum, and add to the chocolate. Melt the chocolate, stirring constantly over low heat. If the mixture is too solid, add a bit of water. When the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, remove the saucepan from the stove.Add half of the orange zest to the pot and stir. Separate the eggs into two mixing bowls—the egg whites in one, the egg yolks in another. Whip the egg whites, along with a pinch of salt, until stiff. Add the chocolate to the egg yolks, stirring until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Gently fold this mixture into the egg whites. Make sure the egg whites are well incorporated and no chocolate is left at the bottom of the bowl.You can either leave the mousse in the mixing bowl, first cleaning the rim, or transfer it to a serving bowl or to small individual bowls. Sprinkle the remaining grated orange peel over the mousse and cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.Raspberry–Yogurt Ice CreamPhase 1 (appropriate for weight loss)Serves 4Preparation: 15 minutesFreezing time: at least 8 hours1 cup low-fat yogurt1 1/4 cups (about half of a pint basket) raspberries, fresh or frozen1 large egg white, beaten until stiffIn a blender, puree the yogurt and raspberries. Pour the puree into a large ice-cube tray and leave in the freezer for at least 8 hours.Cut the frozen mixture into small pieces with a knife. Puree again in the blender.Add the stiffly beaten egg white and mix thoroughly.Serve immediately.