KONTAK PERKASA FUTURES - For
professional chefs, prepping and tasting fabulous food is their meal
ticket. "A chef's job is really about knowing flavors, so we're required
to constantly sample, and our cravings are often staring us in the
face," says Manuel Trevino, corporate executive chef of By Chloe in New
York City, Boston, and Los Angeles. So how do they live and breathe food
without packing on pounds? We grilled 11 culinary experts for ways to
graze smart, dodge cravings, and make vegetables actually irresistible.
Seek healthier alternatives
"A simple solution to grazing is keeping a healthy
alternative that you enjoy on hand. I'm a lover of sugar, so for me,
having a bag of green grapes is my safety. They are crunchy and
refreshing."
—Lauren Gerrie, personal chef to Marc Jacobs and cofounder of the private-chef service Big Little Get Together
Photo: Getty Images
"I love freshly baked cookies, but now that my kids
are grown, I don't need a full batch every time we bake at home. So I
freeze the majority of the dough and bake only a few cookies at a time
instead of making two dozen and munching on them whenever I go into the
pantry."
—Mary Sue Milliken, cochef and co-owner of Border Grill in Los Angeles and Las Vegas
Photo: Getty Images
"I use an app on my phone to track everything that
goes into my mouth, even 'tastes.' It sobers me up really fast when I
see it all recorded."
—Meg Galus, executive pastry chef at Boka in Chicago
Photo: Getty Images
"If you're cooking and need to sample anything, like a
sauce or dough, use an espresso spoon or a teaspoon. Most people are
just using their fingers, the large cooking spoon, or a fork and going
back for a bunch of bites. Using a little spoon acts as a reminder that
that tiny scoop is really what a 'taste' should be."
—Allen Campbell, former personal chef to Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen and coauthor of The TB12 Nutrition Manual
Photo: Getty Images
"You can really pump up the irresistibility or
addictive quality of a dish by balancing it with the right amount of
acid. Even if you're just roasting a bit of celery root, if you squeeze a
little lemon on it, it instantly turns up the flavor without any extra
fat, cream, butter, or salt."
—Mary Sue Milliken
Photo: Getty Images
"I gave up gluten long ago, so I swap croutons with pecans and almonds for crunch in a salad."
—Seamus Mullen, chef and owner of Tertulia and El Colmado in New York City and author of Real Food Heals (out August 2017)
Photo: Getty Images
"The processes of reducing and simmering both help
concentrate flavors so that what you taste becomes very pronounced. That
helps lower the need to add fat to make up flavor."
—Niki Nakayama, chef and owner of n/naka in Los Angeles
Photo: Getty Images
Lighten calories and heighten flavor
"Miso sauces are great for making veggies pop—a
combination of miso, mirin, rice vinegar, and lemon has the texture of a
mayo or cream sauce but not the fat."
—Brad Farmerie, executive chef of the New York City restaurants Saxon & Parole and Michelin-starred Public
Photo: Getty Images
"I'm very good about maintaining certain kitchen
staples—onions, arugula, garlic, farro, anchovies, capers, and San
Marzano canned tomatoes—so I'm less tempted to go out and eat or snack
on random things. You can mix them all with a drizzle of olive oil and
create a simple grain bowl, or combine them with any other kitchen
leftovers and produce a totally different meal. The other night, I
poached chicken and threw in capers and anchovies to give it a brininess
without being overly salty."
—Ali LaRaia, chef and cofounder of The Sosta in New York City
Photo: Getty Images
Indulge in a healthier dessert
"It sounds odd, but my mom used to serve strawberries
and sour cream mixed with brown sugar for dessert. I loved it. So now I
mix plain Greek yogurt with brown sugar for a similar but lower-calorie
version of the dip."
—Susan Feniger, cochef and co-owner of Border Grill
Photo: Getty Images
Upgrade classic favorites
"I love my riff on guacamole. I grill the avocados,
then fill their centers with a mix of radishes, cilantro, scallions,
tomatoes, lime zest, lime juice, jalapeño, smoked sea salt, and olive
oil. The warmth makes the avocado melt in your mouth. It is so rich and
decadent—and healthy at the same time."
—Franklin Becker, chief culinary officer and cofounder of the veggie-based food start-up Hungryroot
Photo: Getty Images
Match texture and flavor (not calories)
"If you're like me and enjoy a goopy dessert you can eat with a spoon,
chia pudding made with half almond milk and half cashew milk mimics custard but has very little nutritional consequence."
—Manuel Trevino
Photo: Getty Images
"I find soaking dates in water and adding toasted nuts
creates a quick, no-bake cookie that is outstanding. In a food
processor, combine a cup of soaked dates, a teaspoon of vanilla extract,
and a cup of mixed walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and pistachios until
emulsified. Then add a second cup of the nuts and pulse. Shape into
cookies and refrigerate to set. Roll in finely chopped nuts or coconut
flakes before serving."
—Franklin Becker
Photo: Getty Images
Source : health.com