Pure And Simple

Editorial Review - Kirkus ReviewsAlthough that Additive Free qualifier in the title has us thinking of the stopped-beating-your-wife question, the phrase is the author's way of flagging her post-convenience-food consciousness, and the recommendations substituting brown rice for white, honey or molasses for sugar, and using less salt altogether further attest to the Seventies slant of her work. And if homemade equivalents of shake-and-bake, hamburger helper, and nachos don't quite take the chill off, other recipes, many with Oriental touches (tiger lily buds, tree ears), are somewhat perkier. The techniques are few-step and undemanding, the flavorings go light on the spices. But there is a chapter on meatless main dishes, a list of compatible dessert cheeses and fruits, and, for the addicted, something called Double Chocolate Threat.