French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano

The message of this book could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective. There is no hard science, no clearly-defined plan, and no lists of food to have or have not; instead, you'll find simple tricks that boil down to eating carefully prepared seasonal food, exercising more and refusing to think of food as something that inspires guilt. It's both a practical message and far easier said than done in today's no pain, no gain culture. n nAuthor Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch--or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the zipper test could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought. n nThe number of recipes are included, from a weight-loss enhancing leek soup to a lush chocolate mousse; they read more like what you'd find in a French cookbook rather than an American diet book. Most appealingly, these are guidelines and tricks that could be easily sustainable over a lifetime. If you agree that food is meant to be appreciated--but no more so than having a trim waist--these charmingly French recommendations could set you on the path to a future filled with both croissants and high fashion. n nCornish Hens nServes 4 n nWhen I grew up, the holidays always meant lots of visitors and a series of requisite celebratory meals, mostly at lunchtime. This easy dish was always on one of the menus. Mamie was usually busy (what else during late December?) and would make the stuffing in advance so lunch could be ready in less than an hour. The recipe serves a family of four for lunch in style, but double the ingredient portions and obviously you are ready for a full table with guests. n nIngredients: n2 Cornish hens (or poussins) n2 tablespoons butter, melted n3 tablespoons chicken stock nStuffing: n2 cups water n2/3 cup brown rice n1/2 cup mixed nuts (pine nuts, walnut pieces, whole hazelnuts) n2 tablespoons golden raisins n1/3 cup chicken stock n1 tablespoon parsley, freshly minced n1 teaspoon dry herbs (chervil and savory or rosemary and thyme) nSalt and freshly ground pepper n n1. For stuffing: Bring water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and mix well with remaining ingredients. Season to taste and refrigerate overnight. n2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse Cornish hens, dry the inside with paper towels, and season. Add stuffing loosely and truss hens. Reserve remaining stuffing in aluminum foil. n3. Put hens in baking dish and brush them with melted butter and other seasonings. Put in oven and baste 10 minutes later with chicken stock. Continue basting every 10 minutes. After the hens have cooked for 20 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and put the remaining stuffing in a small ovenproof dish. Roast the hens for another 20 minutes. Serve (half a hen per person) immediately with a tablespoon of stuffing on each side of the hen as garnish. nN.B. For a wonderful tte--tte romantic dinner, serve one hen each with a vegetable then dessert. I have prepared it successfully to my husband on Valentine's Day. While the hens are in the oven, you have time to concoct a little dessert, et voil, you can pop a cork of bubbly, sit for candlelight dinner and have your husband serve dessert. n nHot Chocolate Souffl nServes 6 n nDuring the season of overindulgencesChristmas, New Year and all the festivities in betweenthere is in our home a succession of store-brought, traditional goodies: Bche de Nol (yule log), marrons glacs (glazed chestnuts), the 13 desserts of Christmas in Provence. This is not to say that the holidays don't bring out the baker in all of us, but whether it is to give as gifts or to maintain tradition, people do load up with holiday sweets from pastry shops (as I can attest from seeing from the window of our Paris apartment the annual long lines of people outside the pastry shop across the street). When I grew up, however, come New Year's Day, and there was a home-cooked chocolate ritual. Our big festive meal was on New Year's Eve, which left New Year's Day as a quiet, family recovery day. (I appreciate some reverse the big meal day or have one both days.) Anyway, for us, breakfast was well late (especially for those of us who went partying after dinner), and limited to a piece of toast and a cup or two of coffee. Lunch was mid afternoon and usually made up of leftovers or an omelet, but the first dinner of the year was marked with a special dessert. The simple meal at the end of a week of overindulgences consisted of a light consomm, some greens, cheese, and the chocolate treat. There were no guests, plenty of time, and Mamie was ready for the flourless souffl. She is a chocoholic and it would be unthinkable to start the year off without chocolate. So, what better way to end the first day of the New Year than with one of her favorite chocolate desserts as both a reward and I'm sure good-luck charm? n nIngredients: n1 cup milk n1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder n1/3 cup sugar n4 eggs at room temperature n2 tablespoons butter at room temperature nPinch of salt n n1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 1-quart souffl mold by lightly buttering it, dusting the insides with sugar and tapping out the excess. Place mold in refrigerator. n2. Pour the milk, cocoa powder and sugar into a heavy saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over moderate heat while stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and cook while stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly. n3. Separate the eggs and stir the egg yolks into the warm chocolate mixture. Stir in the butter. n4. Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add the salt and beat until stiff. Whisk half of the egg whites mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites gently with a spatula. Pour the mixture in the souffl mold and smooth the top. n5. Bake in the lower-middle shelf of the oven until puff and brown for about 18 minutes which will give you a soft center. Serve at once with softly whipped cream. n nRed Mullet with Spinach en Papillote nServes 4 n nIngredients: n2 teaspoons olive oil n8 fillets of red mullet, about 2 ounces each n1 lb. spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner n4 teaspoons shallots, peeled and sliced n8 slices of lime n4 tablespoons of crme frache nSalt and freshly ground pepper n n1. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper (or aluminum foil) into squares large enough to cover each fillet and leave a 2-inch border all around. Lightly brush the squares with olive oil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. n2. Put the spinach in the center of each square and top it with a tablespoon of crme frache. Top with two fillets and add one teaspoon of shallots, two slices of lime. Season with salt and pepper. n3. Fold up the edges to form packets. Put the papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve at once by setting each papillote on a plate. nN.B. You can use sole or snapper instead of red mullet n nPappardelle with Spring Veggies nServes 4 n nIngredients: n12 ounces pappardelle n1 lb. green asparagus n2 cups fresh peas, shelled n2 tablespoons of shallots, peeled and minced n1 cup extra virgin olive oil n1 cup of pine nuts, toasted n1 cup freshly grated parmesan n1 cup roughly chopped parsley nCoarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper n n1. Cut off end of asparagus and blanch in salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes). Blanch peas separately for about 1 minute. n2. In a heavy saucepan, gently saut the shallots in olive oil until they begin to turn gold. Add peas and asparagus and cook for a few minutes. n3. Cook the pappardelle in boiling water, drain and pour into saucepan. Add pine nuts, parmesan and parsley and season to taste. Serve immediately. n nCroque aux Poires nServes 4 n nIngredients: n4 slices of brioche n2 ripe pears n2 tablespoons of sliced almonds n2 tablespoons of honey n1 tablespoon butter n1. Peel the pears and cut into small cubes. Melt butter in a saucepan and saut the pear cubes for 2-3 minutes. n2. Arrange pear cubes on brioche slices. Cover with honey and almonds. Put under broiler for two minutes watching carefully. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or crme frache. nA yummy dessert also wonderful for a weekend breakfast or brunch.