Cheryl Forberg RD - Flavor first : cut calories and boost flavor with 75 delicious, all-natural recipes

To Paul

Ive had the pleasure of eating dinner at my friend Cheryl Forbergs house several times. I call it an adventure in healthy indulgence, because even though her food tastes rich and satisfying, its as wholesome as it is delicious. Spending time in her kitchen reminds me that creating delicious flavors doesnt have to rely on expensive ingredients or intensive preparation methods. Sometimes, the simplest flavors are the best ones.

The magical thing about cooking is that anyone can become a celebrated chef in his or her own kitchen with just a handful of simple tricks. Culinary success is built on a few fundamentalsplanning ahead; using fresh, high-quality ingredients; and tasting everything as you go along. In Flavor First, Cheryl Forberg offers her readers more than just a book of healthy recipes; she teaches us how to create wholesome, satisfying, flavorful food.

When I was a student at the Culinary Institute of America, one of my instructors used to chide me for adding too much of one ingredient or not enough of another to my assigned recipes. One day he sneered in exasperation, Hunter, youre a cook, not a mechanic. Taste as you go; dont simply follow the recipe. Maybe it was his tough love, or maybe his comments were the wake-up call I needed to relax and enjoy myself in the kitchenbut either way, I began to taste everything I cooked, a habit I still practice today. Whether its the oatmeal I make for my kids in the morning or a complex sauce Im creating for one of my restaurantsI am always tasting and adjusting as I go.

After culinary school, I had the pleasure of working for Barbara Tropp at San Franciscos China Moon Cafe. Barbara, often called the Julia Child of Chinese cuisine, had a magnificent palate. She understood flavor from both an intellectual and a sensory perspective. Chef Barbara taught me the art of creating subtle, complex flavors, and, perhaps most important, she taught me to slow down and savor my meals. Eating slowly is a healthier way to eat, and savoring food is the best way to understand the flavors you like and how to replicate them.

Today I own a culinary development company called Culinary Craft. I develop restaurant and retail food concepts for food celebrities like Wolfgang Puck and Martha Stewart. In my position, Ive witnessed many culinary trends come and go, but the one thing that never goes out of style is flavor. I often say to friends and clients that flavor is free. Its free because the pantry of flavorwhich includes fresh herbs and spices, citrus juice and zest, vinegars and saucesis relatively low in calories, sodium, and fat. In fact, with very little financial and caloric investment, you can turn an uninspired grilled halibut fillet into a restaurant-worthy dish. Chop some fresh basil or flat parsley leaves, mince a clove of garlic, and add a pinch of lemon zest. The Italians call this gremolata... and its pure, fresh flavor.

Another chefs secret is that more color equals more flavor. By caramelizing the natural sugars in meats and vegetables on the grill or in a hot oven, you coax out more intense, concentrated flavors. Try tasting a raw white mushroom compared with a roasted mushroom. Even without added salt or oil, the difference is noticeable. If you toss those mushrooms together with some garlic, ginger, and a bit of peanut oil before roasting, the flavor difference becomes revolutionary. You can achieve similar results by roasting cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli, or almost any other vegetable. In fact, the simple, delicious pleasure of a perfectly roasted vegetable may inspire you to try vegetables and recipes youve never eaten before.

Consider this book the key that unlocks your taste buds and gives you all the tools and techniques you need to create a new world of flavor. With it, youll make the same transformation I didyoull graduate beyond the mechanics of recipe execution to become a true cook.

Chef Andrew Hunter

President, Culinary Craft

Partner, Flavor First Food Company

After 11 seasons as the nutritionist for NBCs The Biggest Loser, Ive learned a great deal about the typical eating habits of many Americans, particularly the habits that cause weight gain. When I sit down with the contestants at the Biggest Loser Ranch for their one-on-one personal nutrition consultations, we review their food journals, and I help them understand how their food choicesboth good and badimpact their waistlines and their overall health.

Oftentimes, theyre shocked to discover just how many calories theyve been taking in, as well as the unlikely sources of those extra calories. Some contestants are stunned to learn that theyve been consuming an entire days worth of calories in their beverages alone, while others discover that the seemingly healthy choices theyve been making arent nearly as nutritious or as low in calories as theyd assumed.

A surprising number of these excess calories come in the form of sauces, dressings, oils, marinades, and condimentswhich, if not used carefully, can turn a healthy meal into a nutritional nightmare and, over time, add up to pounds of extra weight. For example, consider the bowl of French onion dip that we enjoy with our crudits, the dab of creamy mayo we use to enliven our sandwich, or even the bottled Caesar vinaigrette that seems healthier than creamy ranch. Just cup of the dip can have as many as 200 calories (most of which come from fat), while a mere tablespoon of mayo can add 90 calories (all of them fat) to your otherwise virtuous turkey sandwich. Even that Caesar vinaigrette can contain 150 calories in a modest 2-tablespoon serving. And when you dont keep careful track of portion sizes, the calories add up even faster.

One reason why we always seem to be pouring, slathering, and dipping our foods with tasty extras is because our taste buds have become accustomed to the intense flavors of highly processed foodsfrom salty to sweet, spicy to creamy. Most dips and condiments available at the grocery store are loaded with sodium, fat, and refined sugars. And the more fake food we eat, the more our taste buds crave outrageous, manufactured flavors that can overwhelm the more subtle, natural flavors of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.

Many of my clients are reluctant to part with their highly processed favorites because they dont think their cravings can be satisfied with healthy food. But its a misconception that simple, nutritious foods cant be absolutely bursting with flavor. And thats why I wanted to write this book.

In Flavor First, youll learn how to tease out and enhance the natural, delicious flavors of fresh foods and create plenty of zingnaturally. From creating your own spice rubs and marinades, to whipping up delicious sauces and vinaigrettes, to learning simple cooking techniques that will add layers of flavor to your food, Flavor First will give you plenty of options for adding some zest to your weeknight routine and show you that healthy food is anything but bland.

Now, lets get cooking!

Cooking fast, flavorful, healthy food is easier than you think. You dont need to invest a fortune in kitchen accessories or spend hours scouring obscure stores for fancy ingredients in order to create dishes that are scrumptious