Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Books in Review

Baking with Agave Nectar

Ania Catalano, author of Baking with Agave Nectar, is a graduate from the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and is the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut. Catalano has come up with agave-sweetened versions of favorites like sticky buns, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, lemon bars and creamy cheesecakes for those who may have previously been unable to enjoy their sweets. Catalano makes agave nectar accessible and appealing to health-conscious bakers of all levels.

Skinny Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt, Vegan Raspbery Linzer Torte Cookies, Blueberry Pie with Almond Crumb Topping, Bread Pudding Soufflés with Bourbon Sauce and Pear Frangipane Tart are a few of the yummy offerings in this fantastic book.

These are very different recipes. They don’t simply substitute agave for processed sugar in ‘normal’ recipes. Catalano makes the assumption that if you’re switching to agave, you’re doing it because you want to be healthier in general, and I think that’s the right assumption. What amazes me, however, is the fact that she manages to do this without compromising the deliciousness of her recipes. In fact, these recipes are so utterly amazing that I wouldn’t hesitate to make something from this book instead of a similar recipe from a non-healthy book, even if I weren’t trying to be healthy in my eating.

2 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I opt for agave nectar in place of honey and other sweeteners all the time. That sounds like a great cookbook!!

Lizzie M. said...

I am so getting that!!!

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