Spring is well and truly here and soon we will be heralding Summer and I will be thinking about ways of eating for the hot months of the year. So I start with looking at ways to eat more healthier to achieve weight loss. I always think of food in this country as being healthy and it is – until we start cooking and examining what we add to it.
As people who have to feed other people, let’s think about the amount of fat we add to the dishes we are cooking and let’s think about the balance of the dishes we serve up. Let’s think more about salads with complex protein and good dressings. What about using the variations of protein we can cook with? – sure I love meat as much as the next person and have spent much of my career in promoting it. However, more and more our clientele is requesting meatless meals.
When I wrote my first book on diabetic cooking (2006), I discovered Tempeh, an Indonesian fermented soy product which is high in protein and a good way to go for less fat. I was fascinated to see the use of this product in a recipe from the hands of one Sassy Chef, Alison Taafe called “Eat for you Life” an extraordinary book on really healthy eating.
Recently I was in Brisbane and was watching Alison cook at a trade show – I have watched and admired her for over 2 decades – she is an amazing Chef and presenter. She now heads up the Institute of Culinary Excellence and she is dedicated to making young people cook brilliantly – and she does. But back to her book and healthy eating, it is what I need to get myself geared up for a long holiday – by the way you can contact Alison and get her book on www.theice.com.au – do have a look.
Talking of young Chefs – how good it was to see Jessica York win the Peter Howard Culinary Scholarship for this year. The team of HTN provided another exciting dinner and the whole night, with Michael Bennett at the controls with Mina doing his magic as ever, was just brilliant.
Soon, I will take a break and go to London and while there, I will meet up with an old friend, restaurateur Caroline Taylor who runs the very fashionable Novikov Restaurant. I am hoping that Jessica will spend some time at this exciting restaurant in Mayfair. Caroline is a real adventurer in that her first restaurant was in London many years ago and called Sydney – some may know as she was GM at OXO for many years.
So while I am looking to eat healthier and watch my weight, I know I will up against it as I cruise back to Australia for 47 days. Oh well, I can but try. In the meantime, you can think about healthy alternatives for your customers.
By Peter Howard AM