About 60 million Americans have high blood pressure, which increases their risk of heart disease. The two best ways to lower blood pressure without medication are lowering sodium in your diet and controlling your weight. The American Heart Association cookbooks always help you reduce the fat in your diet--now this one helps you reduce the sodium, too.

Don't think that reducing sodium means your food will be boring and tasteless. The American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook shows you how to use herbs, spices, and in some cases, spirits to keep your dishes flavorful. Learn how to make ingredient substitutions so that you can adapt your favorite recipes--"seasoning blends" like Herb Seasoning, Lemon Herb Seasoning, Salad Herb Blend, or Chili Powder Blend instead of salt, for example. The 175 recipes include modifications of familiar favorites, such as Tuna Macaroni Casserole, Arroz con Pollo, Beef Stroganoff, and Meat Loaf. There are also intriguing new recipes, such as Fish Steaks with Thyme, and Chicken with Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce. There are also sauces, soups, snacks, and salads. Thirty dessert recipes give you healthier versions of all your old favorites, including Peanut Butter Cookies, Fudge, Cherry Pie, Vanilla Pudding, and, of course, Chocolate Cake. All recipes include nutritional information: calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat (total, saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated), cholesterol, sodium, potassium, and calcium. --Joan Price

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Since we all tend to rely on a rotation of familiar recipes, it's possible to make a real change in your eating habits just by picking seven new ones as designated family favorites. With its emphasis on everyday cooking, from appetizers to desserts, this second edition of the American Heart Association￯﾿ﾽs classic low-salt, low-fat cookbook provides a big range of new recipes and alternate versions of old favorites to choose from. Those looking to reduce their daily salt intake have come to the right place.

As any cook knows, if you take out salt, you need to add flavor, or the dish will taste flat. These recipes add flavor by using herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients; different cooking techniques to boost flavor (like roasting tomatoes for a Tomato Basil Pesto Soup); and low-salt commercial products or homemade versions of high-salt ingredients like broth, mustard, horseradish, pickles, and chili sauce. Among its 175 recipes, you'll find plenty of all-American standards (Meat Loaf, Southwestern Beef Pita Tacos) as well as more adventurous international dishes (Spicy Chicken Saté, Mango Havarti Crepes, Caribbean Jerk Pork), plus a good selection of desserts.

In addition to 50 recipes completely new to this edition, the American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, Second Edition contains advice on shopping, dining out, ingredient substitutes, and cooking techniques. Every recipe includes a nutrient analysis; in this edition, fiber has been added to the usual lineup. (Ginger Curwen)

FROM THE PUBLISHER