November 2005
Like most cookbooks of this kind, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook is likely a valuable reference for those who subscribe to the magazine and appreciate a collection of the publication's best recipes. Unfortunately, for those who are looking for a cookbook that offers more, it is a disappointment.

The recipes do include useful features such as notes on prep time, start to finish time, and "make ahead" tips. And because the magazine in which they were first published is devoted to healthy eating, each dish is annotated with the calories, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein, fiber and sodium content. And for the reader searching for dishes appropriate for specific diets such as low carb, high fiber, etc., there is a handy "Healthy Weight-Loss Index" that enables the reader to easily locate dishes that match their dietary goals.

The appearance of the book offers nothing to entice the reader to explore further. The colors are dull and uninteresting. The stars on each recipe denoting the particular dietary highlights of the dish make the pages appear as though they were produced by a photocopier.

This archive of EatingWell magazine recipes may prove useful to regular readers of that periodical. To others, this is a lackluster collection of recipes with no cohesive theme or compelling presentation.

Review by: Jane Boaz