Cookbook review: Cooking Light Global Kitchen

I was excited to receive my copy of the latest cookbook from Cooking Light: Global Kitchen. I loved the concept of this book, compiling the best international recipes from the archives of Cooking Light. The editor, David Joachim, did an excellent job of choosing recipes for Cooking Light Global Kitchen: The World’s Most Delicious Food Made Easy.

Layout and design:
The book feels a bit overdesigned, with as many as six different fonts on some pages. Because of the color of the varying backgrounds, some pages are very difficult to read, even in full light. It was hard to locate the serving sizes on the recipes. The recipes don’t include any icons to identify them as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, or any other categories. The serving size is also inconsistent: anywhere from 4 to 12 servings. I liked that they included the nutritional analysis.

The book is organized by geographic region, but honestly would make more sense if it were organized by appetizers, mains, and sides, as they are all mixed together in no particular order. The inserts (sidebars) don’t actually relate to the recipes on either side, which seems odd.

Photography:
The photos are gorgeous, full-color, and definitely make the book appealing.

Recipes:
A huge assortment from all over the world, giving the cook much to choose from. I was going to a Spanish tapas party, so I tried the paella with poblanos, corn, and clams and the patatas bravas. I had some trouble with the paella overcooking, and would make it on the stovetop next time to prevent burning. I was disappointed in the chicken tikka masala, as I expected it to have a lot more flavor. I would try it again, but simmer the sauce in the slow cooker all day instead. I also made the turkey pho, which was tasty.

What I liked about the book:
Huge assortment of global recipes will keep me cooking and renovating for a long time. Including the nutrition means I know right away if something is low enough in sodium for me or needs to be renovated.

I wasn’t so keen on:
While gorgeous, some aspects of the design make it less user friendly. Recipes are not marked gluten-free or any other special diet category.

Recommended for:
Anyone seeking to eat more healthfully who loves global flavors; anyone looking for inspiration in their cooking; anyone who needs new recipes for chicken; people on somewhat-reduced sodium diets (around 2000 mg/day) as most recipes fall in the 500 mg range per serving.

Not recommended for:
Migraine sufferers, vegans, gluten-free eaters (unless you’re very familiar with ingredients)

A note about my cookbook reviews: In the past, I worked very hard at testing at least three recipes from each book, snapping a photo of them, and telling you about my experience. Due to my dietary limitations (extremely-low-sodium for my Meniere’s Disease and trigger-free foods for migraine relief), it is no longer possible for me to test the recipes and do them justice. I’ll continue to review cookbooks without the recipe testing.

Required FTC disclosure: I received two copies of this book as part of my affiliation with the Cooking Light Bloggers Connection; one is for the giveaway on May 30th. I was not paid to write this post.
Here’s the book if you want to check it out: