You Won't Believe It's Salt-Free is a cookbook for those who might be on a salt-free diet. This is not to say the recipes are sodium-free, but that the sodium found in the finished dishes are naturally part of the foods and not caused by added salt. In a brief two-page introduction, author Robyn Webb shows the common medical wisdom about the dangers of too much salt.
A section called “Secrets of Salt-Free Cooking” follows, in which the description, purchasing, growing, storage, preparation, cooking with, and blending of herbs and spices are discussed. Webb gives a shout-out to Mrs Dash’s spice blends, along with a general description of certain blends such as Garam Masala and tandoori seasonings.
The chapters are listed as Starters, Snacks, Marinades, Main Dishes, Sides, Soups, Desserts. An appendix, acknowledgments and index follow. The Marinades section is relatively small compared to the other sections but is very helpful.
Although the book is about salt-free cooking, it is also about cooking with herbs--useful and neither pretentious nor overly-complicated. Most of the herbs and spices can be found in any grocery store. The recipes are generally American or at least familiar, but there are a few exotic foreign dishes as well, especially Indian and Italian. Although a few Caribbean recipes are included, there are relatively few Latin American dishes.
Each recipe takes up one page, including serving size, preparation, and cooking times. Enticing descriptions worthy of a foodie magazine outline the healthy, easily prepared recipes. Nutritional Values accompany each recipe, as do occasional little informational boxes and descriptions of certain spices. There is a small section of photographs.
On the whole, this is an accessible work that helps dietary health without adding extra work or stress to the reader’s life. Highly readable and with clear directions, the recipes are generally processed food-free (except for the aforementioned Mrs Dash and Penzey’s which felt a bit too much like product placement). The paper is sturdy and will withstand many years in a kitchen. This cookbook is not only for those who are on salt-free diet; You Won't Believe It's Salt-Free is highly recommended for all.