where am I?
Low-fat and low-sugar cooking on the Aga
Answer
I can't think of any specific Aga-related books, but I have some general suggestions for you to consider.
Sue Kreitzman's books are a good starting-point as they're full of the useable tasty ideas. I first came across making Aubergine caviar in one of her books and it's great for extending lean mince to vastly improve the texture.
Here are some cookware tips to help you introduce some healthier cooking options:
If you don't have them already, consider investing in a half-size and full-size Aga grill rack. These fit into the Aga roasting tins and in the low position are great used when roasting meat and poultry to allow fat to drain off. In the high position they can be used to grill food at the top of the roasting oven - for this use the highest set of runners.
A cast-iron Aga grill pan is another way of ensuring healthy grilling. It can also be used for cooking steaks, chops, cutlets, lightly-floured liver and chicken breasts. With care meatier fish can also be cooked this way, try tuna, marlin and swordfish.
The hard anodised aluminium Aga wok is really brilliant for sizzling fast stir-fries and provides another method for healthy cooking. You can also 'steam-fry' using the same technique but without fat, just use the smallest amount of vegetable or chicken stock in the base while quickly tossing the ingredients in the hot steaming pan, add a little more stock as you go to prevent sticking.
Bake-O-Glide is brilliant for lining roasting tins and baking trays and means no greasing is required. The Aga Cook Set includes pre-cut pieces to fit the Aga tins, plain shelf and simmering plate. On the latter you can cook an 'Aga fat-free fried egg' - there are now full instructions on how to do this on the leaflet in the pack. Or, if they are still allowed, toasted sandwiches can be made using Bake-O-Glide and you won't have to butter both sides as when using an electric sandwich toaster.
Two final items worth seeking out from a good kitchen shop are a Gras-maigre gravy separator that can be used to neatly separate cooking juices from fat when making or serving gravy. These simple devices, popular in France, have two spouts opposite each other. One takes its feed from near the top of the jug, so the fat floating on the surface can be poured off. The other, lower spout has its feed at the base of the jug, so you can effortlessly pour off the cooking juices, without the fat.
The second item is a type of fat-absorbing brush. It looks a little bit like a hearth brush, but with long flat bristles made of a man-made fibre somewhat resembling raffia. The brush is wiped across the surface of a sauce, soup or stew and any fat on the surface adheres to the bristles. This is then washed off under a hot running tap and the process repeated. They are surprisingly effective and worth seeking out from specialist kitchen equipment shops.
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I have had the pleasure of being an Aga owner for many years. I also have a lovely collection of recipe books and thoroughly enjoy cooking and baking.<BR><BR>Unfortunately my husband has been diagnosed as suffering from impaired glucose tolerance. We must now set out on a path of really healthy eating, low or no sugar (some Splenda is allowed), low fat and moderate carbohydrate.<BR><BR>Obviously many of the recipes I have can be modified, but I was wondering if you could recommend any Aga orientated 'healthy eating' publications. Our children have all left home so, with the exception of high days and holidays, I now cook for two.<BR><BR>I hope you'll have some useful suggestions.