The Hairy Dieters

This is the first time I have taken the trouble to review a book. But I really have to talk about this one, as this is a weight-loss guide that I finally feel I could follow. I have found that all the books I have ever read on losing weight (so, so many over so many years!)and the weight-loss clubs I have joined (tried them all) have been insufferably pious and patronising in tone and the recipes have been less than appetising, to put it mildly. They just make me want to rebel against the kind of 'religion' they are preaching, instead of inspiring me to lose weight. But Dave and Si I can respect! The book is well-written, doesn't patronise and the whole approach is sensible, honest and down-to-earth. The recipes themselves are fabulous. Every one is delicious and you don't have to be some kind of expert cook to follow them. In fact, you don't have to be on a diet to try these recipes. They are so good and easy to follow that they are good enough to use even if you're having people over for dinner. Don't be put off by what might sometimes look like a very long list of ingredients, as you'll find most of them are herbs, spices etc.This food just doesn't feel or taste like the traditional, punitive 'diet' fare. Like most people, I have a very busy lifestyle and I am a competent rather than a good cook, but I do like to cook from scratch, especially at weekends, and freeze portions to be heated up when I get home from work. There are loads of recipes that lend themselves to this, plus many others that can be prepared very quickly, even if you don't get home until quite late in the evening. My tip (apologies to chefs who may baulk at this, but it's something I've done for ages) is to finely dice a big batch of chillis and freeze them in a plastic container, as it is a fiddly job which I know from my own experience can sometimes put you off attempting a recipe, either because you don't have them to hand or you just can't be bothered preparing them - and quite a few of the recipes in this book call for them. They don't have to be defrosted as they will defrost in seconds once they hit the heat, but in any case they defrost in minutes if they're scraped out of the container with a fork onto a plate.Dave and Si - you probably won't get to read my humble review, but I have to say that I buy and read dozens of books of all kinds every year, and this is definitely one of my best buys of 2012. I am really enjoying trying out the recipes. All I can say is - HURRY UP AND WRITE ANOTHER!!!!!

I like this dieters recipe book. The recipes are very flavorful and they've done a good job at whittling down the calories in many old-time European favorites. I love the flavorful, exciting recipes. This is no boring dieters cookbook! I've also heard that this diet has rocked the UK!!! One of our British friends has lost 65 pounds in 6 months!!! The recipes are filling, flavorful and are truly comfort food extraordinaire!!! A British friend recommended this book, and they gave me a little primer on the British terms like 1 rasher of bacon equals 1 slice of bacon, and caster sugar equals white granulated sugar, and light creme fraiche is a cross between light sour cream and plain nonfat Greek yogurt, and a courgette is a zucchini squash, and chestnut mushrooms are our common button mushrooms, and Parma ham is Prosciutto, and Gammon equals a ham steak, and a 1.75 kg chicken is approximately a 4 pound chicken, and 200 degreesC/Gas 7 is about 400 degrees F, and 180 degreesC/Gas 6 is approximately 350 degrees F, and minced beef equals ground beef, and King Edwards or Maris Pipers potatoes are similar to Russet potatoes, and an aubergrine is an eggplant, and rocket leaves are arugala. I love the recipes so far, and they really are big on flavor, and low on calories. These guys have figured-out how to deliver big flavor by using small amounts of very bold flavors that go a long way. Instead of bland cheeses like mozzarella, they are more apt to use small amounts of extra sharp cheeses like extra sharp cheddar. Little adjustments like this go a long way towards big flavor. I also like the fact that each recipe has a beautiful full color photograph next to it. It entices you to make the recipe!!!

I watched the Hairy Dieters series and really enjoyed it. I had high hopes for the book from what I saw on the tv and I was not disappointed. Having seen the show, I wanted to try some of the recipes as my husband and I have embarked on a bit of a lose weight and get fit regime for the new year. The book is interesting and the recipes easy to follow, not to mention delicious, with great photographs - something important to my husband when he cooks from a book. I have made a couple of the recipes so far and they don't disappoint - I can especially recommend the cupcakes - I had rave reviews when I took them to a recent lunch with friends! My mother in law was also interested enough to read my copy and has since brought her own. Even though I am in Australia, the recipes are easy to follow and ingredients easy to source. Thanks Hairy Dieters for the inspiration! I am looking forward to trying more of the recipes over the coming weeks and enjoying good, tasty food.

Some very good recipes in here - simple instructions and easy to put together. Could have done with a few more 'fast' options, especially as the kitchen is the last place you want to be when trying to loose weight but they are real foodies who obviously love to be cooking. Would definitely buy another book from them.

As anyone who has been on the diet treadmill knows, a lot of diet cookbooks offer up pretty lame versions of your favorite dishes, missing all the good stuff and pretends that all the things that got you into the place where you need to diet don't exist. This book is different: it recognizes that food is good, and good food is delicious, and looks at pragmatic ways to make favorite meals healthier. I love the recipes, but even more I love the down-to-earth, pragmatic approach.

This book is amazing, and I love these guys. They have many delicious and hearty recipes that have been calculated with a dietician for caloric and nutritional content. My family loves the food and I have fun cooking with their books. As I watch the show, I can hear them speaking - and it's in that fun, exuberant spirit with which this book is written.Highly recommended!

Just saw the series on tv and wanted the recipes. They are delicious and easy to make.

A good approach to eating delicious food while trying to slim down!

This cookbook is awesome. It has recipes with flavor and taste.

Simple yet tasty recipes that are quick and easy to cook. Lots of ideas that can be used to change your normal cooking into lower calorie alternatives

The recipes are good but most of them are 200+ calories which means even their snacks are main meals once you have added acompaniments, if you are on 1200 claories a day.