New Year's Dining Excitement
Health and Wellness
by Clifford Pleau
May 2, 2008
If you find that the notion of yet another diet to kick off the New Year leaves you less than
enthusiastic, you’re not alone. Dieting has its place to be sure, but revolutionizing the way you
cook can save calories and fat without sacrificing flavor and enjoyment. Finding inventive ways to
prepare seasonal, fresh ingredients with minimal added fat is the mission of Seasons 52.
Preparations use no butter or cream, and every dish has fewer than 475 calories. However, flavor
and taste come first. I challenge the notion that fat adds flavor. Fat transitions flavor through
the mouth, but it also coats the palate and has a desensitizing quality. Keeping your palate open
with things like wine, acids from lemon, or aromatic spices allows your taste buds to experience
more. Add in the freshest, most seasonal ingredients available and
healthful eating is easily within your reach. By purchasing ingredients at the height of
their ripeness (and hence their flavor profile), it’s easy to let the ingredients do most of the
work for you.
Restock Your Cupboards
However, before getting started, it is vital that home chefs change out their pantry to suit
the season. It is important to remember that spices tend to lose flavor after six months, so use
this as an opportunity to freshen things up a bit. Generally speaking autumn and winter call for
darker ingredients such as maple syrup, dried fruits, grain mustard and darker vinegars and spices
such as cloves, juniper
and cinnamon. Spring and summer are all about lighter vinegars, citrus and softer herbs such
as chives, chervil and cilantro. '
Roasting
Roasting is a basic, no-fuss technique that imbues deep, distinct flavors with minimal effort
(and no added fat). Take an ordinary vegetable such as butternut squash, cut in half, add a
sprinkle of mint or a brushstroke of olive oil and place it in the oven. Serve it as a side to
chicken or quail or simply puree it into a soup, using some chicken broth to get the texture and
consistency you prefer. When preparing corn for salsas and salads, avoid simply boiling the corn.
Instead, try roasting it in the husk and then finishing it on the grill with a final spritz of
olive oil.
Get Saucy
An aromatic and savory sauce can be the centerpiece of any great dish and a fine way to
improve an ordinary plate of chicken or salmon. We prepare Curry Yogurt Sauce for any grilled
protein, using half for the marinade and saving the rest for the accompaniment. It is also ideal as
a dip for cut vegetables. For heavier sauces, start with bouillon or stock; add a source of
sweetness (such as molasses), a splash of vinegar for brightness and a bit of spice from dried
chili peppers or pepper corns. Add salt last, only as necessary. Keep in mind the power of exotic
spices and produce (mango, chipotle, curry) to give your cuisine even more kick. Make a batch of
Seasons 52’s simple Mango Vinaigrette (see recipe) to liven up fresh greens, seafood or chicken
with no added fat.
Grilling
Use a variety of grilled vegetables to add depth of flavor and create satisfying meals. Peel
and puree roasted red peppers for a concentrated sauce for fish or grilled chicken. Grilled
eggplant slices add a note of earthiness to sandwiches, or layer grilled peppers, zucchini,
mushrooms and fresh tomatoes for a vegetable stack. Chef Clifford Pleau is the executive chef at
Seasons 52, a fast grill restaurant with locations in Buckhead and Perimeter Center.
www.seasons52.com
