Saturday, January 9, 2010

HEALTHY BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
HEALTHY BREAD

IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY
by JEFF HERTZBERG, M.D.
& ZOE FRANCOIS



ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the authors of the groundbreaking Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day comes a new cookbook filled with quick and easy recipes for healthy bread

Their first book was called "stupendous," "genius," and "the holy grail of bread making." Now, in their much-anticipated second book, Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François have taken their super-fast method and adapted it for the health-conscious baker, focusing on whole grains and other healthier ingredients.

The method is still quick and simple, producing professional-quality results with each warm, fragrant, hearty loaf. In just five minutes a day of active preparation time, you can create delectable, healthy treats such as 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Grain Garlic Knots with Parsley and Olive Oil, Black-and-White Braided Pumpernickel and Rye Loaf, Cherry Black Pepper Focaccia, Pumpkin Pie Brioche, Chocolate Tangerine Bars, and a variety of gluten-free breads. And many of the recipes are 100% whole grain.

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you that there is time enough for home-baked bread, and that it can be part of a healthy diet. Calling all bread lovers: Whether you are looking for more whole grains, watching your weight, trying to reduce your cholesterol, or just care about what goes into your body, this book is a must-have.



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., coauthor of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, is a physician with twenty years of experience in health care as a practitioner, consultant, and faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. His interest in baking and preventive health sparked a quest to adapt the techniques of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for healthier ingredients.

Zoë François, coauthor of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients, is passionate about food that is real, healthy, and always delicious. She is a pastry chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to teaching baking and pastry courses nationally, she consults to the food industry and is the creator of the recipe blog www.zoebakes.com. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two sons.

AUTHOR ARTICLE:

Eating Well Should Be Healthy Too!
by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François,

After the release of our first book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, in 2007, we started hearing from our readers. Many of them wanted to share their experiences with our innovative, time-saving, based on long-term dough storage. Many others had questions, so we set up a website and blog that were designed for questions and discussion. Most of the questions directed at me sounded something like this: "You're the doctor, what's with all this white flour in the bread?"

Good question! The recipes in our first book were based on the traditional European repertoire, which meant lots of white flour. When people challenged me, I had to admit that I love a well-made white baguette, though I eat more whole grains than ever before. Variety is the spice of life, and I'm not ready to completely give up white flour. Every slice of bread doesn't have to represent a completely balanced meal. But, people asked for recipes with more whole grains, and they were backed up by some heavy hitters in the nutrition world. The American Diabetes Association now endorses whole grains as a preventive for the development of diabetes. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture is similarly pushing for more whole grain intake. We decided to write a second book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, to give people more nutritious alternatives to white flour.

Whole grain nutrition: So how does whole grain flour stack up against white flour? White flour is milled strictly from wheat's endosperm, the white part of the wheat kernel containing almost exclusively starch and protein (mostly gluten). There's nothing wrong with starch and protein, but you're missing all the benefits you get from whole grain's "germ," and all the fiber from the bran (the dark outer coating of the wheat kernel). Whole wheat includes the germ, which is packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants, and healthy oils. It's a particularly rich source of Vitamin E, which, when combined with Vitamin C-containing foods, make one of the most powerful anti-oxidant combinations known. Please pass the homemade orange marmalade on whole wheat bread!

Whole wheat also includes bran, which doesn't have vitamins and anti-oxidants -- that's wheat germ's chance to shine. But bran has its own very special role to play, and I'd love to tell you all about it. Unfortunately, it seems that food professionals have some sort of gentle-person's agreement about talking about the digestive tract, so if you're interested in learning more about bran's role in digestion, here's a great website for you: Fiber: How to Increase the Amount in Your Diet, from the American Academy of Family Physicians. The family doctors seem pretty clear that fiber from whole grains prevents a wide range of health problems.

The other frequent question from readers was whether our books are a good fit for vegans (those who don't eat meat or any other animal products, including eggs, and dairy). Most of our non-enriched recipes (that's the majority of both books) are vegan in the first place. While many other whole grain authors use skim milk powder in whole wheat bread to tenderize it, we decided against that, mainly to keep things simple (fewer ingredients = simple). For vegans, the second book includes alternatives to butter in the enriched recipes. In our first book, butter was the animal-based ingredient that appeared most often. In Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, we give alternatives to butter, including canola oil and zero-trans fat, zero hydrogenated oil-based margarines. We also talk about the new products being sold as "butter substitutes," usually made with vegetable oils, but also flavor-enriched with whey and other non-fat products of butter. Technically speaking, most of these are not vegan because of the whey, but check the ingredients as there are exceptions.

Fruits and vegetables in the bread: OK, who told the USDA to increase the recommended fruit/vegetable servings to nine (for a person whose ideal weight is 150 pounds)? I have a friend who says he can't even name nine fruits and vegetables! Those are half-cup servings -- is anybody really getting this much in their diet? I can tell you that I am not. There are some good rules of thumb, such as "two-thirds of the plate should be vegetable or fruit." That helps, but even so, I don't think I'm making my quota. That's why we included a chapter in Healthy Bread about breads that are fortified with fruits and vegetables, sometimes ground finely, and sometimes chunky. We were amazed at how well this works, despite our fears that this stuff would weigh down the bread. Every little bit helps.

Gluten-free breads: I once interviewed a prominent gastrointestinal specialist from one of the country's finest University hospitals, where his practice includes the treatment of celiac disease (intestinal allergy to wheat gluten). We talked about celiac disease, but I also asked him about people who aren't celiac, but simply don't feel well when they eat wheat. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 1 out of every 113 Americans have celiac disease. They become unpleasantly ill when they eat even small amounts of wheat gluten. The science is pretty clear on how to treat celiac patients: eliminate all gluten from their diet. Chapter 9 in Healthy Bread was written with them in mind. But the science is unclear on what to tell people who say they don't feel well when they eat gluten, but don't have celiac disease. My gastroenterologist friend has a very clear answer for those people. He tells them "don't argue with success." If you feel better when you avoid gluten, then decrease or eliminate it. So Healthy Bread is a book for those people well.

All this health talk makes me a bit wary. When I used to see patients, I turned over every rock to figure out how to reduce their risk of chronic disease -- quit smoking, get more exercise, do your routine screening exams, and eat a healthier diet. But I'd hate to see people become obsessed with their diet, and specifically, about the bread. If you can pack some extra nutrition into the bread, and you like the flavor, by all means, go for it. But don't let it destroy your appreciation for great bread and other foods. As we said in our first book, if you worry about the bread, it won't taste good.
© 2009, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, used with permission of the Authors, from FSB MEDIA (http://www.fsbmedia.com)

REVIEW:

If this book looks familiar to you, it is because it is one that I mentioned before around Thanksgiving but hadn't baked with it so waited to review and giveaway after that. I can do a really short review if you will take me at my word and that is I am not a baker of bread...yeast always scares me. Knowing that, I can tell you I made the most delicious breads from this cookbook!! Really!!

But, I think I must write more to be a "real review". The recipes were easy and simple and the process itself was no big deal but rather interesting. I will say it did take me longer than 5 minutes if I count the time to get the ingredients at the store as I didn't have them at my home waiting to be turned into bread (for sure), and the actual baking time. However, it does say you can make the dough ahead and even freeze it and then it really would cut your time down. The other great part is the recipes are very easy to follow and it is as if you have the bakers in your kitchen to talk you through it all.

Another nice aspect of this book is that most of the basic dough recipes then have recipes for a variation of the bread and even makes you think you might create your own bread from a basic dough (note I said "YOU might" as I am still sticking to the recipes but in time, maybe even I will do that). One example I liked is that you can take the basic brioche bread recipe and turn it into beignets, braided desert breads, rolled fruit breads, and even doughnuts I did the braided desert bread). Other breads included, (many that are gluten free), are a basic whole wheat (you can make pizza dough, cinnamon brioche and a crusty boule among others with that); an avocado-guacomole bread (I want to try next time I am in Texas visiting my son); bran muffin bread (we loved this one); 100% whole wheat with olive oil and also 100% whole wheat with flaxseed which can make a great pan fried bread known as Algerian Flat Bread; Pistachio Twist which I haven't tried but want to as it sounds yummo!; Carrot bread; and gluten free cheddar and sesame bread...did try that and it was another favorite. These are just some of the recipes that are included.

On that note, I could tell you more of the breads but trust me, I am too hungry now and with no bread in the house and all my posts due today, I am afraid there will be no posts if I take time to make bread...because I need supplies plus the 5 minutes. This also makes a wonderful gift for new or seasoned cooks. I hope you all enjoy these breads sometime as they are so good and most of them are healthy for you as well. Thank you FSB Associates and Anna for this one to review!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND MY GOOD
PALS AT FSB ASSOCIATES, I HAVE
1 COPY OF THIS INCREDIBLE
BOOK
TO GIVEAWAY!


--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!
HOW TO ENTER

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THIS COOKBOOK FROM THE DESCRIPTION OR THE ARTICLE INFORMATION

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND THEN COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 6 PM, EST,
JANUARY 15 FOR THIS BOOK!


HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO
ENTERED DURING THE BLOGIVERSARY
WEEKEND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
GRAND PRIZE TO COME ON JANUARY 16...
THAT IS THEY WIN ALL 12 BOOKS

NOTE: BLOGIVERSARY WEEKEND
GRAND PRIZE ELIGIBILITY IS OVER!

BUT YOU CAN STILL WIN THIS BOOK!

60 comments:

Benita said...

What I found interesting is that most of the basic dough recipes have additional recipes for a variation of the bread. So you can make brioche, throw in raisins, like in scones. The possibilities are endless.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

DarcyO said...

The book has a chapter on making breads with fruits and vegetables. It's hard to get my daughter to eat fruits & veggies so this is a chapter I'm definitely interested in reading.

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

bermudaonion said...

I find it interesting that you can make bread in 5 minutes.

milou2ster(at)gmail.com

Linda Kish said...

The white part of the wheat kernel containing almost exclusively starch and protein (mostly gluten). No wonder you are supposed to eat whole wheat.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Sarah said...

I think it's interesting that the book focuses on whole grains.

faithinhim(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I thought it was interesting that the authors used feedback from the readers of their previous cookbook.
amandarwest at gmaildotcom

Unknown said...

I tweeted. http://twitter.com/amandawk/status/7568006625
amandarwest at gmaildotcom

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't have thought I could get a serving of fruits or veggies in a bread.

Wendy
ebeandebe at gmail dot com

janetfaye said...

I found this interesting:
Variety is the spice of life, and I'm not ready to completely give up white flour.

janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

Debbie said...

I have been wanting this book! So much!
I really would love to have the ability to make the breads they describe with such interesting and healthful ingredients.
fourkidsrgreat(at)gmail.com

Linda Henderson said...

I am very interested in this book. I'm glad to see that it has a chapter about fortifying bread with fruits and vegetables. Sounds yummy.

seriousreader at live dot com

holdenj said...

I think the idea of incorporating fruits and veggies is very interesting. Esp. the veggies!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Kaye said...

One thing that caught my eye that I would love to have the recipe for- black cherry pepper focaccia bread. How good does that sound! 5 minutes a day. SOunds like a book I need.

florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Lacey said...

I think it is interesting that it is possible to make bread in 5 min

Lacey914@sbcglobal.net

rubynreba said...

I love homemade bread but don't like to take the time to make it. I find it very interesting that it can be quick and simple!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Lacey said...

http://twitter.com/HtxAstrosFan/status/7574492521

tweet!!

Lacey914@sbcglobal.net

Unknown said...

I discovered that wheat germ is full of vitamins, anti-oxidants, and healthy oils. A very good reason to eat whole wheat breads.

jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com

Angie said...

I have seen so many positive reviews on this book that I have determined if I don't win it I will have to break down and buy it. I like that the authors have a whole chapter devoted to gluten-free recipes.

aksimmo at brainerd dot net

Anonymous said...

I found it interesting (and very cool) that the book includes a chapter on fortifying breads with fruits and vegetables.

Sheila
skkorman@bellsouth.net

Unknown said...

I found it interesting that they had so many gluten free recipes as well as whole grain ones.

shopgurl101@gmail.com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/shopgurl/status/7578853870 tweet

shopgurl101@gmail.com

Jessica ( frellathon ) said...

I like that fiber from whole grain prevents health problems. What's not to love.

jessica(at)fan(dot)com

brokenteepee said...

I find it fascinating that you can keep a bucketful of dough in your 'fridge and just have bread whenever you want
thank you
kaiminani at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I like the sound of five minutes of active preparation and I would be excited to try Gluten free recipes. :)

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/miscmayzee/status/7584412270

I tweeted.

ashleymaymott(at)aol(dot)com

Alyce said...

I had no idea about others using skim milk powder to tenderize whole grain bread (and am glad they kept it simpler). :)

akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

I think it's interesting that there is a chapter about adding fruits and vegetables to the bread. I know my family does not get their recommended servings. Would love to try making some of these!

miller4plusmore(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Mitzi H. said...

Answer: White flour is milled strictly from wheat's endosperm, the white part of the wheat kernel containing almost exclusively starch and protein (mostly gluten).

I did not know this!!!

mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net

Mitzi H. said...

I'm a follower

mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I'm surprised that according to the Mayo Clinic, about 1 out of every 113 Americans have celiac disease. That is much more than I thought!

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

sharon54220 said...

WOW!! Making bread in 5 minutes just totally amazes me. Also about putting fruits and vegetables in bread is a great idea.

sharon54220@gmail.com

nfmgirl said...

I found that most of the recipes in the book are vegan-- no milk or butter. They give alternatives to dairy products. This is good for someone like me who is looking to do more vegetarian.

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

booklover0226 said...

I found it interesting that it took you no more than 5 minutes to to whip up the bread. Bread making from scratch can be quite a chore and time consuming.

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 At gmail dot com

Wickdogg said...

I like that you can make one basic dough and turn it in to lots of different things


wickdogg AT gmail dot com

Renee said...

I'm intrigued by the '5 minutes a day" and without using a bread machine?

reneesuz82(at)msn.com

Jill Buck said...

I love bread and am always looking for new recipes to try!
buckfamily at ptd dot net

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Just that there's so many recipes!!!! I'm a bread junkie and would love this book.

wolferock AT earthlink.net

L. Diane Wolfe said...

And just tweeted this giveaway - http://twitter.com/SpunkOnAStick

wolferock AT earthlink.net

Wendy said...

I'm really intrigued that the book has a chapter on incorporating fruits and vegetables in your breads! If I could do this (subtlety, of course)it would greatly benefit the health of my family. It's hard to get those nine servings in!


Thanks for the entry!

Wendy
wendysfictionaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com

CherylS22 said...

I learned that in 5 minutes a day of active prep time I can have some great homemade bread. The list of bread recipes looks wonderful & they all look to be pretty healthy.

Thanks ~ megalon22 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

I did not know that milk is used to tenderize the breads. I am glad that I can still learn something new everyday.

jrandtam[at]columbus.rr.com

traveler said...

This cookbook looks so enticing and healthy. It would be wonderful to learn from it. Making bread in 5 minutes would be a dream. thanks for this giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Cheffer said...

I thought that it was amazing that you can take a basic dough reinvent it with cherries, pistacios, and ect and make it healthy and also have the time to make it. I make bread but it takes hours for dough to proof and this book can make it simple and healthy bread in 5 minutes thats just a miracle!

Fourevermandm@aol.com

Cheffer said...

Tweeted about this givaway!
http://twitter.com/PastryChefSam

Fourevermandm@aol.com

Edna said...

Please enter me in this drawing, I follow Bookin with bingo



Mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

mrsshukra said...

I like that there's a basic recipe that you can use to make other types of breads!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

Rebecca Orr said...

I like that they also provide recipes for gluten-free bread. But I am really excited about the Whole Grain Garlic Knots the most!!
Thanks for the chance. bekki1820cb at gmail

Nancye said...

I learned that the book focuses on whole grains and other healthier ingredients.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!

http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/7606951733

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Libby's Library said...

I didn't know that it has been suggested that the recommended number of fruits and vegetables be increased from 5 to 9 per day!

I LOVE bread...white bread, whole grain bread, rye, wheat, garlic.

Excuse me, I have to go make a sandwich now.

libneas[at]aol[dot]com

Missa said...

I like that the book has recipes for breads that are fortified with fruits and vegetables. I love fruits and veggies, but know I'm not getting enough in my diet!
sweetmissa at gmail dot com

Missa said...

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/hunniebee724/status/7610975369
sweetmissa at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I love that the author discusses the differences in the parts of wheat, and the differences between white flour and whole grain. I also love that even as a doctor, he recommends a healthy variety. (I too cannot give up my white flour! But, I'm wanting to learn new methods and recipes.)

clctaube @ yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Tweet:
http://twitter.com/clctaube/status/7611191638

clctaube @ yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I want to learn how to make bread that is good for you.

Unknown said...

I follow with google reader.

RAnn said...

My family loves homemade bread and I'd love to learn how to make it in five minutes

Sue said...

I'd love to make bread more often but it's too time consuming for me. I love the idea of how quickly this healthy bread can be made! Thanks for the giveaway.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

Bonnie said...

I found it very interesting that there is a whole chapter in the book about gluten free breads. I've been reading more about this and celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

redladysreadingroomATgmailDOTcom

Bonnie said...

I blogged about this giveaway in my sidebar under Other Cool Blog Giveaways.

http://redladysreadingroom-redlady.blogspot.com/

redladysreadingroomATgmailDOTcom

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