Conference rocks::weight_control

    I went to Barnes & Noble to look at low-fat cookbooks.  I found one
    called Buter Busters.  It's great!! Has low-fat/no-fat recipes.  It has
    all kinds of substitutions for cooking and baking.  It is quite bigger
    than the Oprah cookbook (and was only $17).  I love to bake; my family
    loves sweets.  This book is my answer.  Now I will be able to cook with
    "real" food (not tofu) and be able to enjoy some of the things that I
    bake.
    
    It has a shopping list ideas, "Must" foods for low-fat cooking and
    baking, new fat-free products and substitutions -- Promise Ultra
    Fat-Free Margarine, a new egg substitute called ENER-G that you can
    purchase in health food stores.
    
    The recipes seem quick, easy, and look good enough to eat.  Not only
    that, I am excited that me and my family will be eating more of a
    variety.
    
    It is written by Pam Mycoskie.

    I bought "Cooking with Rosie" last weekend.  The cost is somewhere
    around $10 (At Barnes and Noble).  I've only tried two of the recipies,
    the "grilled chicken salad" and the "unfried chicken".  I really liked
    them both, in fact my husband, who is notorious for NOT eating salads,
    loves the grilled chicken salad and has asked for it twice!!
    
    The recipies are easy to read and follow, they don't contain unheard of
    spices and/or ingredients - if they do, she'll point you towards an
    easier to find spice (I've seen this in one of the recipies).  All in
    all, I'm glad I bought the book, the only drawback I see is that it's
    hardcover and doesn't have a ring binder.
    
    J.
     

    the "unfried pototoes" are great too!!
    

    why doncha post a coupla recipes?
    
    D!

    Hi,
    
    I wrote the original note.  I just purchased recently the cook book
    mentioned in .1 called "Butter Busters" - this is an EXCELLENT low
    fat/no fat cookbook - alot of recipes, alot of tips, alot of 
    everything needed to have that lowfat lifestyle.  I have to admit
    some of Oprah's recipes look good, but I was disappointed that there
    were not that many.  In my opinion, the Butter Busters cookbook is
    alot better.
    
    Nancy

    Do you have to use butter buds in those recipes.  I've only glanced at
    the book once (butter busters) and it seemed to use it alot.  I just
    don't like the taste of it.
    
    dh

    Hi,
    
    Alot of recipes do call for butter buds - I don't particularly care
    for butter buds on corn, etc., in the shake bottle but there is also
    packets of butter buds that you mix with water and put in recipes and
    I can't tell a difference.  I made a ziti casserole last week that
    had ziti noodles, tomato sauce, non-fat ricotta cheese, butter buds,
    etc., and it was delicious - tasted like lasagna but it all was low
    fat.
    
    Nancy

    Yeah, guess I'll have to try  the packets.  The only one I've tried
    comes in the shake bottle.  YUK!
    
    dh

    
    I've heard that the two great recipes in this book are the 
    unfried chicken and the unfried french fries.  Would some
    one who owns the book mind posting those two recipes?  I'd
    love to give those two a try.
    
    Adam

    Un-fried Chicken
    copied without permission
    
    Directly from book, typos are mine :^)
    
    "The secret to the success of this  recipe is to make sure that both
    the chicken and the yogurt are very cold (hence, soaking the chicken in
    the ice water). The preliminary soaking will help the breading adhere
    and produce a crisp coating much like that of fried chicken.
    If you're serving the chicken on a platter rather than on individual
    dinner plates, it looks smashing on a bed of flowering kale." Rosie
    
    Makes 12 pieces
    
    Light vegetable oil cooking spray
    6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
    3 whole chicken breasts, halved and skin removed
    3 1/2 cups ice water
    1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
    
    for the breading
    1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
    1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    Dash cayenne peper
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    1/2 teaspoon dried basil
    1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    
    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
      Coat a baking sheet with 3 sprays of the vegetable oil.
      Put the chicken in a large bowl with the ice water. Put the yogurt into
    a medium bowl. Set both bowls aside.
      Toss all the breading ingredients into a large, tightly-sealing plastic
    bag. Seal and shake well to mix.
      Remove 2 pieces of chicken from the ice water. Roll each piece in the
    yogurt. Put the chicken into the plastic bag, reseal and shake to coat
    thoroughly. Transfer the breaded chicken to the prepared baking sheet.
    Repeat the process until all 12 peices are breaded. Spray the chicken
    lightly with the vegetable oil.
      Place the baking sheet on the botoom shelf of the oven and bake for 1
    hour, turning the pieces every 20 minutes to allow even browning.
      Servce hot or at room temerature.
    

    Un-fried Frend Fries
    copied without permission
    
    "These look almost as good as they taste. The Cajun spice lends a
    bright red hue to the cruncy surface, while the soft inside is snowy
    white. At half a gram of fat per service (versus 16 grams for the same
    amount of the fried variety), you can munch away guiltlessly. Serve
    alongside a small bowl of reduced-calorie catsup". Rosie
    
    Serves 4
    
    5 large baking potaotes (about 2 3/4 pounds total)
    Light vegitable oil cooking spray
    2 large egg whites
    1 tablespoon Cajun spice
    
    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    
      Slice each potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch ovals, then slice each oval
    lengthwise into matchsticks.
      Coat a baking sheet with 3 sprays of the vegetable oil.
      combine the egg whites and Cajun spice in a bowl. Add the matchstick
    potatoes and mix to coat. Pour the coated potatoes onto the prepared
    baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer, leaving a little
    space between.
      Place the baking sheeing on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 40
    to 45 minutes, until the fries are crispy, turning them every 6 to 8
    minutes with a spatula so that they brown evenly. Serve immediately.
    
    Serves 4
    Fat per service = 0.5 gram
    Calories per serving = 291

    Nutritional info on un-fried chicken...
    
    Makes 12 pieces
    
    Fat per piece of breast = 2.2grams
    Calories per piece of breast = 185
    Fat per drumstick = 4.2grams
    Calories per drumstick = 195

    
    Thanks!

Any suggestions on where can I find Old Bay seasoning? 

Thanks,

    I'm in Maryland, so it is easily found here, but my folks live in N.J.
    and can get it there, and I've seen it when I travel across the US.
    
    first - try the spice aisle. It may be with other "specialty" spices,
    not the normal Mccormick/etc. stuff.
    
    next - try near the ketsup and barbaque sauce area. That's where I've
    found the Hickory Smoke flavoring and sometimes seen Old Bay.
    
    next - if you have a "specialty" aisle - ours has the twinning tea,
    specialty canned fish imports from Europe, and other various odd and
    ends.
    
    If that fails, try the fish section or a local fish store.
    
    And if that fails, send me mail offline. I can buy some and send it to
    you.
    
    janetb.

Thanks for your help! 

My wife and I have been looking for this spice for some time and were unable 
to locate it in any of the larger or specialty markets in our area. I followed
your suggestions and finally located a can in a market that has a large
selection of ethnic foods. 

I found it below the McCormick spice section. Since there were only two
cans on the shelf it is either very popular and sells out quickly, or, there 
is not much demand in this area.


Thanks again,

Michael