Amazing Soy: A Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking This Nutritional Powerhouse With 240 Recipes

From Publishers Weekly
The FDA has announced that consuming 25 grams of soy daily may lower blood cholesterol, and other authorities claim that soy reduces the risks of breast and prostate cancer and osteoporosis, and can alleviate menopausal symptoms. Meanwhile, Jacobi, a spokeswoman for the United Soybean Board and Vitasoy USA, admits, "Soy foods vary noticeably, both in taste and in texture, from one brand to another" and "Soy cheese is another touchy question." Jacobi (The Best of Clay Pot Cooking) helps cooks navigate the array of soy flours, soy filets, tofu, edamame (soybeans in the shell) and soy dairy-replacements now available. The most useful sections are "Sources and Ingredients" and "Techniques," which cover everything from soy nuts to how to press and freeze tofu. Meat lovers with high cholesterol can find solace in California "Bacon" and Avocado Wrap, but may be perplexed by White Pizza with Prosciutto, which uses real prosciutto. Vegetarians will enjoy the easy Jamaican Cook-Up with Black Soybeans and Greens, but those watching their fat intake will need to avoid the coconut milk that gives it flavor. Laotian Lemon "Pork" with Green Beans and Smoked Tempeh Pate with Walnuts will expand a vegan's repertoire if said vegan can overlook the many other dishes using eggs and animal products. Recipes, while reliable, won't astound with their flavor, and the "hidden pill" approach is favored in Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Edamole. But all that soy can't hurt, and companies "keep working to improve products." Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Jacobi (The Joy of Soy) is an expert on cooking with tofu, tempeh, and all the other soy products that are increasingly popular and available today. She begins with a discussion of health benefits (the American Heart Association, for example, recommends making soy protein part of a daily diet to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease), then moves on to a guide to soy foods from edamame (the fresh soybeans served as a snack at sushi bars) to yogurt and soymilk to tofu and its relatives. She recommends specific brands when applicable; however, staunch advocate though she is, even Jacobi does not recommend soy "cold cuts" and "hot dogs," at least not those currently on the market. These introductory sections are followed by dozens of recipes, from Cloud-Light Blueberry Pancakes to Smoked Turkey and Arugula Wrap to Burmese Tofu Curry. For most cooking and health collections. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description

Dana Jacobi, the undisputed "Queen of Soy," revolutionizes the art of cooking with soy -- the amazing, versatile power food.

This definitive cookbook on soy includes

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
We know soy is good for us. But who wants to eat gloppy, flavorless muck? In this book, Dana Jacobi shows us how to prepare soy foods that are nourishing and tempting. "I would rather have food that is 75 percent healthy and 100 percent delicious than the other way around," Jacobi insists. "Taste rules!" And here, Jacobi's good taste guides readers through a widening world of soy products, so that we can prepare the best-tasting bean stuff around.

Jacobi begins her recipe collection with a thorough look at the soy products -- cheeses, milks, "crumbles," flours, and curds. She instructs us in the ways of the bean, showing us how to brown textured vegetable protein for a rich savor, and how to prepare edamame beans as pop-salty as restaurant versions. "Do not follow the cooking instructions on bags of the frozen beans," Jacobi warns. "Drain the beans. Spread the hot pods out on a baking pan or cookie sheet in one layer. Cool by fanning them vigorously with a sheet of cardboard, or set them near an electric fan or air conditioner until they are room temperature." Also included in this book is a catalogue of soy food purveyors, so that we can all get fresh soystuff, no matter where we live.

Jacobi adds to these hints some truly inspired soy recipes, concoctions that make the most of texture and tang. Try Jacobi's soy-infused Deviled Eggs, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, and Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette. Each one proves that soy is not only good for our bodies, it's also a good meal. (Jesse Gale)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dana Jacobi, the undisputed "Queen of Soy," revolutionizes the art of cooking with soy — the amazing, versatile power food.

This definitive cookbook on soy includes

240 great-tasting recipes for every occasion and eating style, including instant break-fasts, energy-boosting snacks, working lunches, elegant entertaining dishes, authentic Asian meals, and luscious desserts A comprehensive guide of soyfoods — from familiar foods like tofu to lesser-known ingredients such as soymeat, soy cheese, miso, tempeh, and much more — with helpful tips on how to buy, prepare, and cook with 36 of them Nutritional information for each recipeA directory of more than 105 soyfood companies with their websites and mail-order addresses.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal