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Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Controlling what you eat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Eat to live, not live to eat.”
— Cicero
I had heard this quote before but ran across it again over Memorial Day weekend while spending a couple of days at a spa in the North Georgia mountains.
Before the trip, I daydreamed about how great it was going to be to get massages, stretch and strengthen my body and mind during yoga, commune with nature and just relax.
I had no idea I would end up in the kitchen. No, I didn’t cook, but I did spend some time with Corrine Wittman, the chef at Pura Vida, about 15 minutes from Dahlonega.
It’s not often that we get to talk to chefs about how they make our favorite meals or what their philosophy about cooking is.
Corrine’s is simple: “I cook with love; I have a passion for life and a passion for my job.”
It might seem strange, but her love does come through in her food.
I’m not a professional food critic, but I really enjoyed the meals she prepared. They tantalized my taste buds and were light and the portions weren’t overwhelming.
Corrine, who has been in the food industry at least 20 years, doesn’t think bigger is better, especially when you’re talking about food.
“We’ve turned into a quantity vs. quality society,” she said. “I definitely downsize a bit.”
For instance, any chicken and fish she serves is typically 2 to 3 ounces less than what you would get at most restaurants.
And the serving of her fantastic Key lime cheesecake with raspberry compote is two-thirds smaller than what you’d typically get dining out.
I didn’t feel cheated by the cheesecake’s size, however, and I never left a meal feeling hungry.
Maybe that’s because for the past few years I’ve been pretty good at practicing my own portion control.
I have several tactics: Sometimes I share my food with dinner companions or make sure I only eat half of whatever is served. Other times I order only a small appetizer and salad.
The more we try to stick by Cicero’s words of eating to live as opposed to centering our lives around eating, the better off we’ll be.
Making that adjustment isn’t always easy, because we are used to being inundated with food. But as chef Corrine showed me, smaller can be a lot better.
Are you a member of the clean plate club? Or do you control your portions while dining?
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