Dieting Dilemma - It Tastes Too Good!

Foodies always have a big problem on their hands. We gain weight - and fast. It's just that we can't resist good tasting food. Unfortunately to much of a good thing puts on the pounds. Then it;s back to diet food - which is usually bland, unexciting and has about as much taste as cardboard. What's a fat foodie to do?

Surprisingly keep eating what you love.You can still enjoy fries and burger, cookies and lattes. There are two ways of tackling this yummy food problem. Moderation . Eat what you like but in little increments or eat full portions but maybe once or twice a month. In other words you can share that splice of pizza or basket of onion rings or fries or just eat a few every so often. either way treat them as treats. Some people hold off with eating the fun stuff for the weekends. This makes them food that much more special and fun after a grueling week of low cal fare.

Another solution is to make diet foods tasty. use more herbs and spices to liven up salads and grilled foods. If you;re becoming tired of constantly eating grilled chicken or fish take it to the next level. Add lime juice to the cooking process to make it tastier. Salads boring you? Switch vinegars. Apple cider vinegar gives traditional vinaigrette a whole new spin and actually makes whatever is on your salad tastier. If you're tired of eating the same kind of fruit, mix it up by going for something else.

Don't worry if you've put on a few pounds. There are ways of getting the weight off while still enjoying your favorite foods. It does take some thinking and planning but it can be done. You can have your cake, fries and pizza and eat them too.

An Ever Changing Menu

Every restaurant change sits menu from time to time. They have to in order to garner a crowd and keep themselves fresh. However imagine changing your entire menu every three months. One restaurant has done this. it not only keeps the attitude fresh but keeps customers and regulars guessing.

This was the subject of an article written by Julia Moskin in yesterday's Times Dining section. the article is about the appropriately named Chicago restaurant Next. the chef and owner Grant Achatz has his menu go through a complete metamorphosis. Right now he's featuring the foods the great 19th Century chef Georges Augustus Escoffier made, mining a wealth of sauces that have been rarely tasted since then. His other inspirations are Kyoto on the springtime, Palermo int he late 1940;s and surprisingly Hong Kong in th e future 2036. There is also the dark date of 1996 when he found out he had oral cancer (luckily for us he has been completely cured)he has a knack for using creativity and time honored recipes. it must be interesting working with and for him .

This concept is a new one and I can see Mr. Achatz opening up a branch in New York and possibly even Los Angles.It would be fun t o see what s next on a brand new menu. The big question would be would it appeal to some diners. I know New Yorkers and even some New Jerseyites who would flip if their favorites were taken off the menu for a good six months to a year or expecting pasta and bruschetta and being only offered coconut shrimp and mei fun instead. How would that play out?

Next is a bold and promising idea that I hope takes hold here. Imagine a restaurant that reinvents itself more times than Madonna and Lady Gaga. Now that's some wild eating

Food Of The Stars

Ever wonder what your fave celebs eat? Do they chow down ion burgers and fries like you and me? Or do they just inhale a lettuce leaf and spring water? Today's Times Dining section answered this question.

And yes they do eat real food like we do.

The era of the willowy starlet is gone as Jeff Gordenier, a Dining regular contributor has found out. They love hearty breakfasts and lunches. Stephanie March, the former Law and Order SVU actress loves anything fried from chicken to steak. Luckily Ms. march is married to Bobby Flay who can satisfy all her culinary whims and passions. other actresses such as Mila Kunis of"Black Swan loves Mickey' D's supersized mealswhile Drew Barrymore is famous for her lifelong love of baked mac and cheese.

The real problem is what about the guys. Do we obsess over Christian Bale's or Colin Firth's diets? Do we care if Clooney eat a hot dog or lasagna?Or if he gains weight? no!There's this absurd double standard that means we scrutinize what any female actor eats while the males of the species can pig out whenever and whatever they choose. It's ridiculous. Luckily we're starting to appreciate the curvaceous actress again such as Chrisitna Hendricks or Sofia Vergatos

Yes, those starlets eat real food. They were real people before they became famous. They weren't; dropped from the skies by the gods and goddesses, destined to live on air and love from their fans. They need bacon and eggs, pizza and burgers to survive , like the res t of us mere mortals

Foods For A Sick Day

There's nothing quite like a stomach flu or cold to kill an appetite. The problem is you have to eat. The more nourishment you have in your the faster you'll get well. The problem is what to eat. The answer is to eat simply. There's enough foods out there that can take you through a few days of discomfort.

Soup is one of the best foods to have when you're feeling not quite yourself. A clear broth or consomme is always good if you;re battling any kind of stomach flu or virus. Just add some plain Saltines and you;re good to go. Another favorite is chicken soup or even what the Northern Italians make , panne pesto , bread crumb soup. This is what has helped and almost cured generations of Piedmontese and all it is is just beaten eggs with bread crumbs in a chicken or vegetable broth. As you're feeling better or even have a cold then you can work your way up to minestrone.

Rice is another good sick day food as is pasta. Both can be made plain and then served with butter. Both make for light but nutritious lunch or dinner. It's also filling and easy to make if you;re on your own. Simple toast is good but you can also have plain slices of chicken turkey or even roast beef. Forget adding mayo or mustard. Just stick with light sprinklings of salt and pepper. Avoid anything like vegetables , spicy or greasy food. Lay off the snacks and sweets until you're ready to resume your normal diet.

You have to eat when you;re sick. It;s just that simple. However just stay away from the wild and the spicy , the greasy and the exotic. Stick to the simple foods.

A Hot Cup Of Love

Today is Valentine's Day and usually it's a day rserved for champagne or wine. However there's nothign like a good hot cup of cocoa or even a mocha latte. Love may be better with bubbly but it's more cozy andcomforting with something hot and sweet. What better than with a rich, steamy chocolatey drink.

There are a lot of good powdered chocolate mixes out there. You can use the Dutch based Droste which is the closest in taste to a rich Parisian chocolat chaud. Be warned with this one however. You do have to add sugar to bring its' flavor. Droste is a bitter cocoa that's used more for baking but it could be used for chocolate or even a malted. Another favorite is surprisingly the supermarket fave, Land O ' Lakes' Usually the company is associated with butter and eggs but they've branched out into the hot cocoa and instant cappucino arenas. Their Chocolate supreme is heavenly but also try their mint and amaretto infused hot cocoas.

A good mocha coffee on Valentiness Day is another cup of warm, snuggly love. Mocha coffee is easy to make. You can just add any syrup or mix in a hot cocoa mix to your average cup of joe. You could also try Maxwell House's International Brands. These are great. Just add hot water and a blob of whipped cream and you're good to go. They 're sweet and tasty with almost a home brewed taste.

Champagne is fine for this day but even better is something hot and sweet. Make yourself and your sweetie a hot cup of coffee or mocha and cuddle up. It's the perfect night for it!

Honest Abe's Menu

Today is Abe Lincoln;s birthday. This great man came from humble beginnings as we all know. His backwoods origins also included a love of simple food whether from the forest or the garden. He ate simply , his mind more on his law studies than on his stomach. Despite all he ate well and even nutritiously.

Lincoln's Southern Illinois and Indiana back in the 1800's was just starting to become farmland. His stepmother probably cooked a lot of wild onion and parsnips, either boiled or stewed with meats to flavor them. There was plenty of wild meat to choose from, from raccoons to squirrels to pigeons. Lincoln had a fondness for chicken, especially fricasseed and he carried that with him to the White House. H e liked gingerbread a, love from his boyhood along with fruits, in particular apples. These probably grew in abundance on his farms and along the roads and were always there for the picking.

Once he was elected into the White House, Lincoln abandon his culinary loves. He still enjoyed plenty of fresh fruits,. especially grapes in the summer. He still loved apples along with apple pies pies He was not into the fancily decorated cakes and gelatins of the period, preferring simple butter cookies and plain cakes. He did have a passion for oysters especially in a creamy stew.. This last was a big 19th Century passion. Mostly everyone from that era relished this particular bivalve. and there was an incredible amount of oyster recipes in cookbooks of the time. One thing that stood out Lincoln was a lifelong non drinker,he preferred a glass of water to wine or spirits. This may have come from his days of drinking fresh stream or well water a a boy.

Abe Lincoln wasn't a gourmand like other presidents. He had none of Jefferson's culinary curiosity about food nor was he a love of all things rich like Taft . Much like his principles, he was more for the simple and pure..

A Meal At The Mall

Despite what food snobs say, mall food isn't that bad. Whether;'s it the popular chain restaurant or the pretzel stand, they can provide good eating for much less than a fancy privately owned restaurant. In these money tight times. there's nothing like a meal there.

Chain restaurants are mall magnets. it;s a bit more upscale yet the food isn't as high priced as some chichi one. There's PF Chan's which offers a glam setting and god Chinese food. They also have a wide array of dishes that cater to everyone. Their desserts are Western - .Let's face it who can resist the great Wall of Chocolate?. Another fun one is On The Border a fast and somewhat fancy Mexican restaurant (and a subsidiary of Chili's). Try their build your own fajita along with some of the tasty chicken taquitos. Another fun thing that I love about this restaurant is their bottomless bowl of tortilla chips that start off every meal. For more elegance, try the super cool Legal Seafood which looks more like a chic NY night club. The seafood is excellent with emphasis on the catch of the day and the shrimp dishes.

Malls can't be beat for less expensive fare either. They're great places to pick up pizza or a burger. my favorite is Villa Pizza which has one of the best spaghetti dishes. The sauce tastes exactly like homemade scratch and it comes with a garlic bread. Another fave is Ranch Chicken . Their popcorn chicken nuggets with fries makes a fun Saturday night dinner . The y also have healthy plates like the grilled chicken and veggies. This is a meal for two and doesn't; taste like any bland diet dinner.

There;s nothing like a meal at the mall. You can save money along with having a wide ranges of choices. You can go for Italian, Japanese Mexican , American, the whole gamut. It's great way of eating out without breaking the bank.