Golden Door Cooks

What kind of ‘porn’ do women want? The authors of one recent bestseller thought they had the answer: pictures of men pushing vacuum cleaners and washing the dishes. But famed Southern California spa The Golden Door may have stumbled on an even better formula: a cookbook with scores of delectable yet low-calorie dishes packed with pleasure yet utterly guilt-free.

Published this April, Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa (Clarkson Potter, 2009) is guided by the breezy yet informative commentary of legendary Executive Chef Dean Rucker. While he is a master of desserts such as Angel Food Cake with Fresh Peach Coulis and Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake, a recipe that literally took a year to perfect, he is best known for his savory recipes: the fresh vegetables, fish, and well-balanced vinaigrettes and sauces that are a big part of the Golden Door cuisine.

The book’s mouth-watering photographs inspire readers to experiment with nutrient-packed ‘superfoods’, such as blackberries, swiss chard, and quinoa. But instead of a health-farm approach, the aesthetic here is strictly gourmet. Such guest favorites as the Vegetable Pizzetta, Maryland Crab Cakes, and the Miso-Glazed Mero with Shitake Mushroom, Quinoa and Gilled Pineapple Mango Salsa are sure to impress even the most discerning palate.

“I wanted to put a collection of recipes together that would show people how well you can eat while still being healthful”, says Rucker. “There are no ‘fake foods’ in this book. No artificial sweeteners, no nonfat cream or the like. Just real food prepared healthfully.”