As baby boomers hit menopause, and as Americans in general turn away from total reliance on allopathic medicine in favor of more natural remedies, a cookbook that features recipes to aid in controlling hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause should find a large audience. Luchetti, winner of the James Beard Award for Best Writing on American Food, began collecting these recipes when she first experienced symptoms. Featured are foods such as fennel, yams, and tofu that are high in vitamin E and phytoestrogen. In a lengthy introduction, she discusses menopause, estrogen, plant estrogens, and the foods used in the recipes.

Many of these recipes are quite simple, such as roasted butternut squash with hazelnuts (four ingredients); others are projects?the list of ingredients for pan-roasted chicken with ginger is two pages. This book is worth having just for its list of foods to use and foods to avoid.