More personal and more enlightening than the typical celebrity cookbook,
this health-focused collection from Sheryl Crow and her personal chef
is a refreshing addition to an increasingly crowded field. When the
singer-songwriter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, she
reassessed her eating habits, which consisted of on-the-run tuna
sandwiches and catered dressing-room food. The self-admitted noncook
consulted with a nutritionist and hired chef Chuck White to cook for her
on the road. This collection of recipes represents his greatest hits a
warm hummus soup with cilantro pesto and garlic pita chips, and a tuna
salad freshened up with green apple. Though Crow has not adopted a vegan
lifestyle, many of these dishes are meatless, emphasizing colorful
vegetables and fresh preparations. Exotic inventions include a
sophisticated spin on peanut butter and jelly that incorporates cashew
butter and fruit. Other dishes swap out ingredients to make comfort
foods more wholesome and nutritious: a vegan reuben made with "corned
beef seitan" and a chocolate mousse made from whipped avocado. Crow's
nutritionist, Rachel Beller, offers tips throughout to educate readers.
White's easy-to-follow recipes, coupled with Crow's down-to-earth
narrative, make their collaboration a successful duet. Photos. (Apr.)
Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information. -- Publishers Weekly
