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The Italian Diet - 100 Healthy Italian Recipes to Help You Lose Weight and Love Food
by Gino D'Acampo
Kyle Books
ISBN 978-1-906868-21-5
Published January 2011 - Softcover - 192 pages - $19.95

"Italians have the lowest obesity rate in Europe" says a quote on the back page.  It also says, "Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti!" which was uttered by Sophia Loren.  I love Italian food, and the thought of being able to lose weight and be healthy, sounds just too good to be true.  We have Breakfast; Antipasti; Lunch To Go; Soup & Salads; Pasta, Pizza & Risotto; Fish; Meat; Desserts, and Naughty Corner.  Mmmm, sounds good enough to me.  These recipes, and the Italian way of eating (part of the Mediterranean Diet), despite being able to eat lots of pasta, really seems to work.  Their eating habits include smaller portions, fresh, natural foods as opposed to processed food out here in the western world.  "Fruit, vegetables, bread, pasta, rice, beans, and nuts form the main part of the diet and fish tends to be eaten in good amounts, usually in preference to meat.  Olive oil is the main fat consumed and is used in cooking and as a salad dressing.  Read the Must-Have Italian Ingredients, none of which appear unreasonable.  On offer in the book is a 1,500 calorie plan and a 2,000 calorie plan, both of which have fish, meat, pasta, vegetarian meals and even a Three Bean Chile dish.  I fancied Baked Eggs with Ham in Tomato and Garlic Sauce (breakfast); Seafood Salad with Capers and Lemon (Soups & Salads); Spaghetti and Ground Beef Frittata with Arugula (Pasta, Pizza & Risotto); Jumbo Shrimp with Lentils and Leeks or Quick Mussel Stew with Saffron and White Wine (Fish); Pork Steaks with Mushrooms and Rosemary (Meat), and Broiled Vanilla Peaches with Butterscotch Sauce or Fresh Lemon Sorbet (Desserts).  These recipes, and indeed this "diet", sound so perfect.
Beautifully illustrated.  Nutritional guides given.
Conclusion - Yum, yum, yum!