Q&A: Celeb Chef Dave Lieberman
Find out what the Food Network star loves to eat!
Text Size 
There's nothing better than a man who loves to cook, let alone whip up a healthy, gourmet meal. Dave Lieberman is just that - a Food Network chef and co-author of The10 Things You Need to Eat.Dave is taking cooking to a whole new level by incorporating ‘superfoods’ into everyday meals. iMag sat down with the chef for more on his career, hot new book and what he likes to eat!
Q: What made you decide you wanted to be a chef?
A: I've always loved food and have been cooking since I was a little kid. When I graduated college I just kept on cooking and wound up getting paid for it which was a blessing.
Q: What are some of the challenges and rewards of being a chef?
A: Well since I don't work in a restaurant, the challenges are rewards are different than most chefs I suppose. I get to cook for a lot of different people and I'm always changing environments. Maybe the constant variability is also one of the greatest challenges.
Q: What inspired you to write your new book, 10 Things you Need to Eat?
A: Anahad O'Connor and I saw a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about so-called 'superfoods' and how to incorporate them into your diet. We wanted to put out a resource that was concise, well-researched and useful every day.
Q: When you were working on the book, how did your eating habits change?
A: Well, considering all of the leftovers from the testing were always lying around the house, I couldn't help but eat very healthy. I had never even really cooked with quinoa before I wrote this book and now I eat it all of the time!
Q: What is your one favorite food to eat or prepare?
A: I think preparing fish is so simple and elegant and delicious. So maybe that's my favorite thing.
Q: We featured your recipe for Chocolate Beet Mash Cupcakes. Why put veggies in desserts? What are some other veggies that can be used in dessert recipes?
A: Veggies like beets are actually a great thing to add to desserts because they not only make them moist and more delicious, but add fiber and vitamins. Plus, if you use canned beets you get all of the flavor and nutrition for a lot less money, and they are easier to mash. Avocados are also a great thing to put in desserts – I put them in brownies, and have a delicious recipe for Chocolate Avocado Mousse in the book. Or try them in a smoothie –it will be the creamiest, smoothest smoothie you've ever tasted, but without using any cream or other saturated fats!
Q: Do you have a sweet tooth or are you a salt lover? Or both?
A: Oh both. I'm a glutton at heart really.
Q: What do you eat in a normal day?
A: I eat bananas and peanut butter for breakfast, something light for lunch and a nice hot meal for dinner with lots of vegetables and meat, fish or chicken of some kind.
Q: What's your favorite holiday meal? Are you the one who cooks for your family, or is it a joint effort in the kitchen?
A: My father does the cooking on holidays and his brisket is just about the best-tasting thing in the world. I often like his cooking more than mine.
Q: What's the one kitchen item or ingredient you think every cook should have on hand?
A: Well, really a basic pantry has many ingredients but oil, canned tomatoes and eggs are obvious choices.
Q: Quinoa is a 'superfood' that you feature in your book that many people may not have heard of. Do you have any user-friendly advice for those just getting started with quinoa?
A: Yes, don't follow the cooking directions on the packages - the quinoa comes out soggy. Use the cooking directions in my book for fluffy quinoa.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your work with Del Monte, and which canned veggies do you recommend that everyone should have in their pantry?
A: I'm working with the Del Monte Foods "Value without Sacrifice" campaign. Now more than ever, families are looking for economic ways to make nutritious meals for their families, and that is why I partnered with them. It's all about making smart decisions at the grocery store, and using value ingredients in order to stretch your dollar without sacrificing taste, quality or nutrition. I really like Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes because they act as a great base for so many one pot-meals like stews and pasta sauces. Canned beets are another great one to have one hand.
Fore more great advice from celeb chefs check out iMag's Food Page.
Dave Lieberman is a chef, author and TV host. He has published a number of cookbooks including: "Young and Hungry: More than 100 Recipes for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food for Everyone in 2005" and "Dave's Dinners: A Fresh Approach to Home-Cooked Meals in 2006." Dave’s most recent cookbook, "THE 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO EAT: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them," currently appears on The New York Times bestseller list. He is the host of the Food Network’s "Good Deal with Dave Lieberman" and "Dave Does," the Food Network’s first web-based series. Dave is also an avid food and travel photographer and he incorporates his photos into his Web site and blog www.davecooks.net.
Print |
|
