Review of Rose Reisman?s Family Favourites cookbook.

Rose Reisman’s new book, Rose Reisman’s Family Favourites, contains 270 easy recipes that aim to deliver good, fresh flavour while also being healthy. The book features a wealth of advice for helping family members maintain a balanced diet, with subjects including planning family meals, weight control, restaurant eating, grocery shopping, vitamins and food safety.

I made a few recipes from this book and they were both amazing. The book has great photos and really healthy recipes. She suggests alternatives to many ingredients you may commonly use.

For example, I love Mexican food. Traditionally, mexican food is loaded with fat, calories and cholesterol. With the easy substitutes (canned evaporated milk, chicken stock, lean beef, baked tortilla shells, my wife and I had a Mexican feast.

Here are some pictures from that meal ? Beef enchiladas with aged cheddar cheese sauce.

Here is a sample recipe from the book:

Lemon Meringue Custard Pie

(Excerpted from Rose Reisman’s Family Favourites , copyright Rose Reisman 2010. Reprinted by permission of Whitecap Books. )

This is a twist on a lemon meringue pie ? the filling has a creamier, custard like texture. The meringue I have developed doesn’t leak and holds its shape for at least two days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients (makes one nine-inch pie)

Crust

Filling

Meringue

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a nine-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

To make the crust, combine the crumbs, water and oil a small bowl. Pat into the sides and bottom of the pie pan.

Lemon Meringue Custard Pie

To make the filling, combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks until well combined. Let sit for 10 minutes until thickened. Pour into the pie pan and bake for 20 minutes or just until the mixture is set.

Meanwhile, make the meringue. Combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and water in a clean bowl. With an electric beater, whip at the highest level for about six to eight minutes or until stiff peaks form. Spread over the lemon filling. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 10 minutes or until just lightly browned.

Chill until cold and cut into 14 small slices.