For the diabetic, a walk down the dessert table at Christmas dinner, past the chocolate mousse, lemon tart and raspberry flan, used to be fraught with danger.

But it was only a matter of time before somebody invented a chocolate cheesecake for diabetics.

For people who must regulate sugar, it's no sorrow to get through the holidays now, not with the gourmet menus written especially for them. The unexpected bonus is for the rest of us who want to eat healthfully and well, and do as little work as possible to get there.

With the publication of his second book for diabetics, Every Day's a Holiday Diabetic Cookbook (American Diabetes Association, 2002, $16.95), Art Ginsburg, the TV cook known as Mr. Food, again proves that people on special diets are not relegated to a life of boredom.

His very decent chocolate cheesecake might have been even better if he'd suggested a Dutch cocoa - I used Hershey's, not thinking - but with a cup of sugar and four eggs, I did wonder: What is diabetic about it, and will my arteries be on the cholesterol watch list?

The cheesecake feeds 16 compared with the usual recipe for 12, and a quarter of an egg per portion is no big deal in the scheme of things, it turns out. Sugar is no longer the forbidden fruit of diabetics, either. Whether you find it in a slice of bread, a glass of juice or a piece of cake, a carb is a carb is a carb, says Paula Yutzy, head diabetes educator at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore.

Diabetics can cook from any book. What matters is how much of it they eat, she said, and what's different about the cookbooks discussed here is often the portion size - smaller.

If you can stick to a portion, you can party well. To that end, Mr. Food offers helpful cues for portion control - two tablespoons of salad dressing is about the size of an ice cube; or, think deck of cards for 3 ounces of meat.

With appetizers like mini crab cakes and baked sesame shrimp, a champagne roasted turkey for dinner and a studded cranberry loaf for Christmas morning, you'll be all set.

With kitchen prep time of eight to 15 minutes, dishes in Light & Easy Diabetes Cuisine (Surrey Books, Chicago, 2002, $17.95) by Betty Marks are a two-career couple's salvation. Marks, a literary agent who has been insulin-dependent for 25 years, offers a great everyday cookbook for those who want their food quick and healthful. (Her popular microwave cookbook, The Diabetes Double--Quick Cookbook (Surrey, 2002, $14.95), also has been updated in a second edition.)

Easy is a key word here, but so is taste, the result no doubt of the author's making her home in Manhattan, the mecca of good restaurants. Fresh ingredients, simplicity and savory main meals with suggested side dishes make the book a delight to use. The Lime Curry Chicken, with a slight hint of lime to tone down the curry and a sprinkling of almonds, tasted singularly refreshing.

To top off a meal, consider one of the recipes University of Chicago researchers put together in 1,001 Delicious Desserts for People With Diabetes, with author Sue Spitler (Surrey, 2002, $19.95). Classic dishes have been altered to lower fat, sugar and, in some cases, carbs. Plus the book contains 100 pages of recipes using sugar substitutes. This is a thorough collection, along with an easy explanation of how and why the right portion of dessert can be part of any meal plan.

Chocolate Cheesecake

Makes 16 servings

1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided use

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 container (16 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, combine the graham-cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press into a 10-inch springform pan, covering the bottom and sides. Chill while preparing filling.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar with an electric beater. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and the cocoa; mix well, then pour into the chilled crust.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until firm. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)

In a medium bowl, with a spoon, mix the sour cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined. Spread over the top of the cheesecake and bake for 5 minutes.

Let cool, then refrigerate overnight before serving.

-- "Every Day's a Holiday Diabetic Cookbook" by Art Ginsburg (American Diabetes Association, 2002, $16.95)