Coaching Cooking

There have been times when I’ve questioned my diet and times when I’ve hoped to reform my caloric intake to reflect a style of eating (vegetarianism, the Hiroshima diet, macrobiotic diet). Then I scrapped it all and just started enjoying all foods. So, in defense of fats, I must give my support to the villainized fat (butter, meat, cheese, oil, sour cream and on and on). We are encouraged in this day and age to live cautiously and to devour the latest scientific reports on what is healthy and what is evil. People often refer to foods as good or bad. They might say, “Oh, I’m being bad today. Diet starts tomorrow!” And some foods (chocolate, fried foods, desserts of all kinds) are labelled as sinful. And yet, I submit that perhaps it is okay to stray from rigid ways of eating. Who reaches the end of their life and wishes that they’d eaten more green vegetables or bran cereal?

This reflection brings me to a central idea, namely, that fat is good. Fat tastes good. Fat adds flavor to foods. I’m not suggesting that one should smear all dishes with unlimited tallow or butter. Instead, I just want to promote the fact that fat is sometimes an unloved component of our culinary repertoire. Give me a steak with some marbling or some potatoes sautéed in a little olive oil or butter. Yes, flavor can be added using a variety of other flavorings (chicken stock, broth, herbs, to name a few).

Hey, I love my sandwiches with some chilled mayonnaise. I adore steamed artichokes with a small side of mayo. Pork chops taste bland without a little pork fat to make those chops sing. AB loves broccoli with a light dusting of grated parmesan. Just a simple plate of bread, soft garlic butter and a good French cheese is enough to make me forget about all other foods.

The “mouthfeel� of food includes that richness brought in by fat. If you’ve ever tried to replace sour cream with that nonfat garbage then you know exactly what I mean. I’m not seduced by nonfat milk. It’s like drinking white-colored water! Try a little silkiness and spring for the one percent or go crazy and get two percent (you know you want it…).

Sometimes, just a simple pat of butter can elevate a dish from good to great. Experiment and find just the right amount of richness. Sure, you may not ever look like Halle Berry, but at least you can say that you ate like a queen.