The Healthy Table : Ann Volkwein, Luiz Ratto (Hardcover, 2003)

For the past decade, Luiz Ratto, one of New York's most sought-after personal chefs, has won rave reviews for serving flavorful, healthy meals at intimate gatherings as well as at large dinner parties for the rich and fabulous. Using ingredients and techniques from his native Brazil, where color and presentation are important to eating enjoyment, Luiz has made both exotic and familiar cuisine simple for everyday cooks and healthy for their captive audiences.

By following his helpful tips and straightforward, uncomplicated recipes, you, too can transport your friends and family with the wonderful flavors of Seared Sea Bass prepared with ginger, gin, and cilantro; Green Grape Salsa; Caldo Verde; and Brown Rice with Cashew Nuts and Cranberries. Dazzle your guests with imaginative variations on tried-and-true favorites like chicken cacciatore, gazpacho, ceviche, pad Thai, and crunchy cole slaw. Luiz's dishes combine an abundance of fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, and grains, so every delicious bite is packed with vitamins and nutrients.

But even the healthiest eaters enjoy a culinary splurge sometimes, so Luiz also shares with us some of his favorite weekend recipes. These dishes take a little longer to prepare and are less likely to slim your waistline, but they are well worth both the time and the extra calories! Enjoy Ximxim, a sublime stew of chicken, shrimp, grated coconut, lime, and white wine, or Thai Chicken Cups, made with crisp wonton cups and served with a tangy homemade plum sauce. To finish the meal with something sweet, delight your guests with Light Floating Islands accompanied by vanilla sauce, Egg White Flan, or Doce de Abobora, an intensely sweet pumpkin dessert.

Luiz believes firmly that food is more than just a combination of ingredients -- it is a product of inspiration and imagination. Now, with The Healthy Table, you, too can bring a world of color and flavor to your home.

Luiz Ratto was born in Brazil. He has been cooking professionally for ten years, the last seven of which he has spent as one of the premier personal chefs in New York. He lives in Katonah, New York.