Taste More, Eat Less
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi
"But how do you stay so thin?" people ask when I tell them I earn my bread and butter by eating out. It is a paradox. As a restaurant critic, I sample not only the chef's signature sake-poached salmon, but also his foie gras terrine, crispy-skin duck and molten chocolate cake. The secret is that I taste my food. Instead of mindlessly gobbling down a dish, I concentrate on the flavors in each mouthful. The truth be told, tasting great food is like enjoying great sex, only in reverse. Instead of building up to a climax, you begin with a bang that gradually trails off. Take something like lemon-grilled tuna over truffled white beans and broccoli raab, for example. When the dish first hits your tongue, its flavors explode. Your mouth fills with the steaklike taste of tuna, bitter greens and earthy truffles. As you chew, you discover more subtle taste sensations until there's nothing left in your mouth but a lingering bouquet of, perhaps, lemon, garlic and truffle. With this approach, I'm happy with only a few bites. But those bites must be extraordinary. They must pulse with flavors so big and bold that I'm not eating endlessly to find satisfaction through volume. The same theory holds true when cooking at home. Pump up your dishes with zesty flavors and you'll feel satisfied at the end of the meal. Experts have found that a monotonous diet increases cravings, so the more spices, herbs and flavorings you can add, the better.
