It's Not Diet, It's DELMONICO

Before I returned to cooking professionally, I took a sedentary job. During the year and a half I spent at a sit-down job, I developed what my father calls "secretary's spread". All that hoo-hah about "never trust a skinny cook" is complete nonsense to me. I know some FABULOUS chefs who look like they could use a milkshake.

Now that I am cooking again, I aspire to be a skinny cook, and defintely not to wear the secretary's spread of the cubicle from which I just defected.

Now, I'm not giving diet advice here, I'm just telling you my opinion/experience... And as a child of the 1970's, I find the 70's crash diet culture to be a sterling means for shocking my (paunchy) system back to the reality that it needs fresh produce, high-quality protein, and smaller portions. Then, armed with the victory of a couple lost pounds and the high of good nutrition, I can leave the diet and begin to navigate the everyday landscape with the ability to make more correct nutritive turns rather than steering toward dead-ends and doughnut holes.

My ABSOLUTE favorite crash diet for this effect is none other than the famous Scarsdale Diet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarsdale_medical_diet). I am wild about grapefruit and steak, two selections that make frequent appearances on Dr. Tarnower's menu, so I rather enjoy the food and I don't really look at it as some scary deprivation diet.

On my "diet" tonight, I had a gorgeous, grilled Delmonico Steak (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Cooking-Tips--Techniques-642/beef-cuts.aspx) and a sweet/sour raw broccoli salad. Oh, good heavens was that good! I think the Delmonico usually refers to a rib cut, and as it has some heavy marbling, it is heartbreakingly tender. I really like Zagara's Delmonico Steaks (http://www.zagarasmarketplace.com/our_meats.htm) and I think they price their meat very competitively, too. I just seasoned the beef with salt, garlic, and fresh-ground pepper and it was absolutely perfect. The tenderness of the beef was a really nice contrast with the crunchy broccoli.

A simple piece of grilled protein and absolutely fresh vegetables, prepared raw with all of their vitamins intact... now WHY do diets have a bad rap??! Shouldn't we be eating (moderately) this way everyday?? I feel like a million bucks on my 1970's diet and I can practically feel my Charlie's Angels-style bod emerging.

Tennis, anyone?
Bosley? Bosley??