What you can learn from Tom Colicchio in 45 minutes...

It's a little hard to miss Tom Colicchio -- his notorious bald head, his honest (sometimes brutally honest) commentary as head judge on Top Chef and his amazing command of the kitchen and focus on seasonal ingredients. Yes, I've written about Tom before, clearly I'm a fan, but this post comes fresh off of
a) meeting the acclaimed chef in person yesterday (my entire week is made!) and b) watching him move swiftly through not one but four different types of confit dishes (lemon, tomato, tuna and pork butt) in under 45 minutes...and still have time for humorous banter with the audience. FYI, confit is virtually anything, meat, fruit or vegetable, slowly cooked and preserved in fat, often its own fat like duck confit.
I was lucky enough to catch Tom's culinary demo in conjunction with Food Network's annual NYC Wine & Food Festival that occurred over the weekend bringing chefs, members of the food industry and food-lovers together for demonstrations, tastings, educational seminars, book signings and more.
But back to the bald chef. Before I give you a sneak tasting of his tomato confit dish, here's what I loved most about Tom's discussion (and why he's one chef in particular I'll continue to chatter about)...

1. He could care less about recipes. He consistently speaks about learning how to work with your food, rather than follow a recipe. It's not about the exact amounts or ensuring you have each and every ingredient on hand. It's about mastering techniques and methods, experimenting and creating, so that you're able to feel at ease in the kitchen. You're mastering cooking, not the ability to follow a single recipe to the tee. Take a flip through his cookbook, Think Like a Chef and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
2. He likes things in moderation. Sure, confits traditionally are made with A LOT of fat (whether it's duck fat, pork fat or olive oil like Tom used yesterday). But he made the point to emphasize balance at mealtimes and small portions, and to call out that processed junk is the primary problem our overweight society is faced with (THANK YOU, Tom!). Real food, good food in smaller portions and leading a balanced lifestyle, exercise and all. When you're focused on that, a little confit in your diet isn't a big deal -- the majority of the fat stays behind in the pot and you come away with major flavor and taste in a few bites.
3. He's big on seasonality and he's prepared. I'm always writing about making an effort to shop and cook seasonally on this blog and Tom is just hammering it home for me (and you). Better flavor, better taste, better nutrients, means you're a happy eater. Creating items and having things prepped and stored away ahead of time allows you to whip up a speedy, healthy meal in no time. No more excuses for the delivery guy.

With all that said, here's Tom's recipe...wait, let's say 'method' instead, for tomato confit.

Tomato Confit
*This is great for end of season or out of season tomatoes that don't have a ton of flavor left in them.
Cut tomatoes in half, place them face down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a healthy amount of olive oil (we're talking a good half-inch or more). Toss on top some sliced garlic and sprigs of thyme. Cook slowly at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Peel off the skin, add additional olive oil and place back in the oven at 300 degrees until the tomatoes cook down, shrink in size, about half, and are completely soft. Remove from oven and pack those babies in...more oil! Jar them or store in them in an air-tight container.
Use the confit to top braised lamb shoulder or grilled fish or chicken, or toss in with some pasta for a quick meal or flavorful side dish. Any confit will last for a good 6 or 7 months in the refrigerator, just be sure not to touch it with your fingers, otherwise it'll spoil.

Here's Tom in action...and just a final note, he mentioned that he's in the process of filming a documentary on obesity and the connection between hunger, type-II diabetes and obesity. Good stuff, Tom.

Cleaning House for 2009...the Best Kitchen Staples

I just lost a lengthy post...so we're expediting this go-round. Argh! Starting anew appears to be the theme today. This post is a smattering of bits, pieces and articles that I hope you'll find helpful as you continue to push through January in high-gear.

Many of you hear me talking (again and again) about stocking your kitchen with essentials -- 10-15 staples to always have around. Why? It'll make your life incredibly easier when you open the fridge at 9pm at night and realize there's nothing there and you're starving. Or when you're ready to saute up a nice bunch of winter greens and realize you've used up all your olive oil down to the last drop. One of my favorite food columnists, Mark Bittman of the New York Times, wrote a great article last week titled "Fresh Start for a New Year? Let's Begin in the Kitchen". In the article, Bittman, who's also the author of the new book, Food Matters, speaks about the value, taste, health benefit (and economic benefit) of kitchen staples like olive oil, dried beans, frozen peas and veggies, vinegar, fresh spices and nuts. Sound familiar? Bittman's essentials may be geared more specificially for cooking, but the general concept is the same. Definitenly worth a quick read. What are my own kitchen staples? Here are the top 10 in no specific order:

1. extra virgin olive oil (can't live without it. cooking, homemade salad dressings, you name it. i'm using a great Greek olive oil at the moment)

2. low-fat plain yogurt (one of my fave breakfasts, keeps me going all morning with some fruit and a handful of granola or nuts. my wintry combo of late has been banana, 5-6 chopped walnuts, and a dash of cinnamon or a teaspoon of maple syrup or apple butter. yum)
3. garlic (i love it. my breath unfortunately, does not)

4. eggs (perfect for a quick, satisfying weeknight meal or easy weekend breakfast)

5. 2% cottage cheese (call me weird, but i love the stuff. it's a super-satisfying snack or breakfast with banana slices...a genius combo introduced to me by my grandmother at the tender age of 1)

6. parmesan, pecorino romano and goat cheese (all are typically found in my fridge. a great way to add a ton of flavor to dishes, salads etc without a ton of calories or fat. i can use pecorino on virtually anything and goat cheese paired with a few wholegrain crackers makes a tasty snack)

7. canned/dried beans (i need to follow Bittman's lead and prepare my dried beans more frequently to save on time and space. cannelini, lentils, chickpeas, kidney and black beans...all great to keep around)

8. balsamic/sherry/champagne vinegars (as i mentioned above, i'm big on homemade salad dressings, the taste just doesn't compare. ideally the balsamic is a good quality, authentic brand from Modena. it's great for marinades and glazes for fish, poultry, meat etc.)

9. nuts and dried fruit (from pecans to walnuts to pine nuts, dried cherries to raisins, i'll use nuts and dried fruit to sprinkle over salads, side dishes, a quick trail-mix on the go)

10. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (if i can't make my own, pre-made broth is a good thing to have around for soups, stews, sauteing/braising veggies and chicken. i usually go with the cartons of broth for easy storage in the fridge once open)

11. Bonus points...fresh fruits and vegetables!!! - at least 3 different types of each can be found in my fridge or on my counter top at all times. golden beets, kale, sweet potatoes, carrots, clementines, grapefruits, Empire apples from the greenmarket and grapes in the mix this week)

Next up, since we're speaking of kitchen essentials and favorites, I thought it'd be worth mentioning the cookbook I happen to be reading at the moment. I ordered Tom Colicchio's cookbook, Think Like a Chef, a few weeks ago and it finally appeared in the mail over the weekend. Colicchio is the famed chef/judge on Bravo's Top Chef and owns Craft Restaurant in NYC. I'm a big fan (and it's not only because of his cleanly shaven head). It's a great cookbook that very much mirrors how I personally think about food and the process of creating a dish/recipe. The book takes you step by step through his thought process and hits on techniques first, building up to simple, seasonal recipes. Just the way I myself like to cook! Thanks Tom, this is definitely going to be a staple reference on my shelf!

Finally, on a random not-so-"nutritionist" side note, I was invited to dine at Peter Luger's steakhouse last night with a few friends. Though one might think the massive quantities of steak, Canadian bacon and creamed spinach are a nutritionist's worst nightmare, there's always a way to make the best of any situation and truly enjoy it, healthfully. I'm personally not a big steak eater and never have been since childhood, so why did I accept the invite? Peter Luger's is a long-standing NY institution, I'm always up for trying something new, and I always enjoy the company and conversation of good friends. I can confidently say, we had a pretty healthful meal in the grand scheme of things. Portions and balancing out your order is everything in such a steak-filled situation. I balanced out my meal with the mixed greens salad we ordered to start, fresh steamed broccoli, and some potatoes. Of course I had a few small pieces of steak and a few bites of the Canadian bacon (it's what they're known for, gotta try it). Not a lover of creamed spinach, I skipped over it so I could share in the wonderfulness that is Luger's hot fudge sundae. Umm...heaven and well worth the splurge of calories on a random Sunday evening. Don't worry, I practice what I preach, we shared the sundae.

above photo credit: Miles & Co. flickr.com