Although I do think this is a worth while addition to a good diabetic cookbook collection, I'm a little bit disappointed with this book.

First, the good.  The recipes vary from somewhat traditional to what many would consider daring combinations of flavors to try.  There's also a small, but appetizing diabetic desserts section. The flavors in this section vary from double chocolate and rocky road to  key lime and ice cream pie.

I like that the book is so well illustrated, with beautiful photography accompanying each and every recipe.  There are also a few useful tips in this book, like differences between sugar substitutes and how to watch carbohydrates.

What I would like to see are more recipes for dinners that are a bit less intimidating and more "home style" flavors.  Also, although the author makes a point when writing that sugar isn't the cause of diabetes and that diabetics can have some sugar, I don't think it's a good idea to encourage the average diabetic cook or caregiver to go ahead and use sugar in their food.  While it's true that one can probably have some sugar in moderation, the perception of moderation varies from person to person and severe diabetics should probably not be encouraged to use sugar.

I'll give this one 3 spatulas.  For a gift, this book would be appreciated.  As I mentioned above, the photography is beautiful, and many of the recipes are worth trying.  It's just probably not going to be your "go to" cookbook for daily meal preparation.

-Elaine Russo, TopCookbooks.com

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