Michel Montignac ogles a slice of foie gras marinated in Cognac. He beams over a chocolate mousse swimming in lavender-flavored sauce and, closing his eyes, dreamily sniffs a glass of Bordeaux. Delicious, yes, but surely these rich offerings are as fattening as French food can be?
Mais non, says Montignac, who doesn't believe in worrying about calories. "Conventional low-calorie diets are among the great scientific swindles of the 20th century," he maintains. "We should sweep away scruples and allow our epicurean instincts full rein." Susan Powter would surely throw down her barbells, but such appealing heresy has made Montignac Europe's newest...