Jennifer's Persimmon Lemon Bars. Photo: The Skinny Chef

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Mmmm ... bacon. Photo: Jennifer Iserloh

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The Skinny Chef's Spicy Tuna Cups. Photo: Jennifer Iserloh

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A pristine cinnamon roll free from foreign objects. Photo: Getty Images

Continue reading Band-Aid Found in Cinnamon Roll and Other Food Horrors

Mint is prized throughout the Mediterranean, used in honeyed desserts, sprinkled liberally on savory dishes and used to brew the sweetest tea. In Morocco, it's even used as an air freshener as locals stroll through the streets of the market place and stuff leaves unto their nostrils to block out strong odors.

One of my favorite Mediterranean flavor combos is mint and tomato, tossed together in a light, savory sauce for summer. I think most Americans might think basil is the end all when it comes to tomato sauce, but in Southern Italian cooking mint is used liberally. I remember cooking swordfish in a fish basics class in culinary school. It had a perky tomato sauce with paper-thin slices of garlic, 'GoodFellas' style. We added a big fresh bunch of mint, chopped, to a sauce that had bubbling hot cherry tomatoes popping open in the skillet.

Get Jennifer's recipe for Spaghetti with Mint Leaves after the jump.

Continue reading Mint Isn't Just For Mojitos

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I like to have a sweet treat from time to time, especially if it is a homemade cookie or a lavish dessert made from scratch in one of my favorite New York City restaurants. But even if you don't splurge every day on dessert, you might be getting a lot more sugar than you should.

But how much is too much? And is sugar really bad for you as they say?

Historically, sugar consumption is on the rise -- here are some sugar shock stats (PDF). In 1970, each American was eating on average 123 pounds of sugar a year and today that number is up to 152 pounds -- which means three pounds in just one week, a little under one cup a day. Nutritionists say to limit sugar to around 13 teaspoons a day so we are getting almost four times the recommended daily amount from a variety of sources.

A lot of people are wondering if there is a healthy form of sugar: Since most of the sugars trigger the same rise in blood sugar, there is no real difference between them except for how quickly that sugar spike hits the system. This is where eating more complex carbohydrates and beneficial fruits is a great way to slow that blood glucose change and deal with the daily crave for sweets.

As in my last post, I still think it's OK to enjoy other forms of sugar in moderation; we all like our treats from time to time, especially on holidays and special occasions. But if you're looking for low-sugar treats, try my recipes for avocado chocolate milkshake, brown sugar ice cream or rugelach.

After the jump -- chewing the fat on "diet" food.

Continue reading Sugar Shock

When it comes to soul-satisfying food, people just can't get enough of the creamy textures of comfort food dishes. Mac and cheese, fettuccini, chowders and cream soups top many people's list of favorite indulgences, along with ice cream and milkshakes. But do things have to be loaded with fat to be creamy and taste good?

My short answer is an emphatic "No!" I've developed a few easy ways to keep the creaminess in and the fat out, starting with my method for making savory, velvety corn chowder. This is the perfect soup for this time of year, when you're yearning for something that reminds you of warm weather, like chowder at the beach side -- but which will still warm you up on chilly March evenings.

Here are three skinny secrets that you can use in any of your favorite recipes or even add to store-bought items to ramp up the creaminess and lower the fat.

Tips and corn-chowder recipe are after the jump.

Continue reading Creamy - Without the Calories

I wrote yesterday about how food corporations are cynically marketing sugar-sweetened foods as "healthy," a totally bogus claim. Well, the New York Times' Room for Debate blog is taking apart that and other food myths, with commentary from a handful of food writers and experts.

First, nutrition epidemiologist Barry M. Popkin demolishes the myth that fruit juice and fruit-flavored antioxidant waters are healthy. Fruit juices, he says, have just as much sugar as soda -- you're much better off eating the fruit itself and drinking some water. And antioxidant waters (like Coca-Cola's Vitamin Water) have shown zero health benefit and are full of sugar.

Next, hot dog-maker Larry Bain explains why "kosher" does not necessarily mean higher quality.

Cathy Erway of the Not Eating Out in New York blog defends pale-colored veggies like cabbage and cauliflower from the "color equals vitamins" maxim.

>Brian Wansink of Cornell's Food and Brands Lab explains that we can't really tell when we're full as long as our eyes are receiving food-related stimuli.

Josh Ozersky, author of "The Hamburger: A History" makes us think twice about the idea that grass-fed beef is automatically good.

David Kamp, Vanity Fair food writer, explains how arugula, often used as a stand-in for "fancy-schmancy" is actually a humble weed from the Mediterranean.

[Via New York Times]

Sugar, once demonized by parents and dentists alike, is back in style, this time as a selling point for food companies who want to broadcast that their products are free from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the New York Times reports. HFCS, though believed by most scientists to be the same as sugar for your health, has become a whipping boy these days.

Log Cabin syrup recently announced that they've stopped using HFCS in their syrup; Pepsi has come out with new sugar-sweetened Pepsi and Mountain Dew; ConAgra uses only sugar or honey in its Healthy Choice All Natural frozen entrees.

"The argument about which is better for you, sucrose or HFCS, is garbage. Both are equally bad for your health," says Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital.

"For consumers, perception is reality," says Jim Sieple, a senior vice president for Log Cabin syrup.

This seems like an incredibly cynical move, preying on people's misperceptions about HFCS to market products filled with equally obesity-promoting sugar as "healthy." It feels very wrong that a soda company or a frozen dinner company slaps the words "all natural" (a totally meaningless marketing phrase) on a piece of junk food to make people feel like it's wholesome.

The problem is not HFCS OR sugar, it's the fact that items like frozen dinners are larded with sweeteners to make them more appealing (I don't put sugar in my pot pie, do you?), and that we drink gallons of soda instead of water.

What do you think? Is it wrong for companies to promote sugar-sweetened foods as healthy alternatives?

[Via: New York Times]

Just this past week I was hanging out with my friend Joy Bauer, the nutritionist for the Today Show and best-selling author of books like "Food Cures" and "Joy's Life Diet".

While I was preparing her recipes to go out on the set of "The View," she was sharing smart advice on how to eat inexpensively and trim your waistline at the same time. Her tips included some of the cheapest produce, drinks, bulk items and many of the foods you eat each and every day.

Joy and I have worked together on several book projects over the years and we've had fun times cooking together. I have learned so much about nutrition working with her -- not just because she is a goldmine of knowledge, but because her energy is so infectious. I think the reason she has been able to help so many people is because she eats exactly what she preaches and she's passionate about teaching people how to be healthy.

Read on for a few terms that not only describe her personality, but also her eating habits.

Continue reading What Nutritionists Eat

I dine out each week, but I know there's a downside to indulging every day. When I worked in New York City restaurant kitchens, I learned something really valuable -- cooking techniques that I could apply to make healthier versions of those meals, so I could enjoy them more often. I also learned how to fit restaurant food into a balanced lifestyle.

My mission as the Skinny Chef is to recreate those flavors and experiences by making food that can be enjoyed guilt free, more often, at home. While I discovered great ways to maintaining a healthy weight, I chose the name Skinny Chef to remind us that food can be fun, flavorful, beautiful, satisfying and healthy at the same time.

Sharing my knowledge and love of food with others has completely changed my life and put me in touch with so many wonderful people I might have never had the chance to meet. I want to hear more about you and your food experiences, so that we can start together our journey to easy, fun ways to cook tasty nourishing meals.

Responses to questions from last post's comments are after the jump.

Continue reading Trust the Skinny Chef

Continue reading Meet The Skinny Chef