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Low Cholesterol Gourmet, by Lynn Fischer and W. Virgil Brown, M.D. (Acropolis Books LTD.: $17.95, hard cover, 332 pp., illustrated)

Low cholesterol and gourmet may seem like contradictory terms to some but this book demonstrates that these two ideas are indeed compatible. The recipes here offer health-watchers the opportunity to enjoy food and eating without bizarre ingredient substitutions and without compromising taste.

It features recipes for items such as chicken pot pie and fresh fruit meringue. A cholesterol and saturated fat content chart for more than 500 foods is included. There also is advice on eating out and getting through various holidays. Everything is accentuated by four short chapters, written by the doctor, which give a brief overview of the cholesterol-health connection and how dietary changes can lower risk for cardiovascular disease.

This is the book for someone watching cholesterol intake but who is not particularly interested in reading all the scientific research data.