GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – This is the day when hearts will wave at us from every corner and chocolates and flowers be pressed in front of us, mainly in the name of romance. But take a minute to think about your heart, the real one that is beating away and acting as a motor to keep the rest of you moving.
The Swiss Heart Association publishes three excellent books, available in French and German, that make an excellent gift for anyone who needs to give more thought to a healthy heart. Frankly, that is most of us and we would all benefit from having these excellent reference plus recipe books on our shelves. I decided to be kind to myself and have a heart checkup yesterday; waiting in the doctor’s office gave me the opportunity to have a good look at these three books and I can heartily recommend them.
Price for each: CHF28.90, plus shipping and handling, order online or print out their form and fax/mail it. The shop also has a few other fine gifts, such as wine and oil, a pedometer.
“La cuisine pour le coeur. Pauvre en sel – riche en épices”
62 recipes, 144 pages
Switzerland is making an official effort to reduce the amount of salt we consume, but it’s up to each of us individually to learn how to cut back without losing out on flavour in our cooking. The guide to using spices and herbs is one of the best I’ve seen, with a number of practical tips , such as when to use balsamic vinegar to replace salt (a tiny bit when cooking meat) or how to ensure you have basil year-round. It explains why you should be using sea salt instead of commercial table salt and why one of the worst things you can buy is packaged dry soup mixes.
“La cuisine pour le coeur – avec un test de risque”
116 recipes, 192 pages
Wonderful recipes, plus practical medical advice on how to lead a healthier life in terms of your heart, plus a risk test for heart attacks, strokes and other vascular medical problems.
“La cuisine pour le coeur – les bonnes huiles et graisses”
75 recipes with nutritional values noted, 158 pages
Taking its cue from Mediterranean cuisine, the book offers guidance on selecting the right ingredients to get the balance you need, with foods that help you reduce fats and cholesterol coupled with useful tips on balancing eating and the amount of daily exercise you need to stay healthy. This is a great source of information about good for you oils.