MM Interview: Jessica Hilton

I'm jazzed about continuing my interview series and even more jazzed to introduce you to holistic coach and personal chef extraordinaire, Jessica Hilton. I may be slightly biased because I've had the immense pleasure of coaching with her, but I think you will dig her as a person, coach, chef and fellow foodie. In addition to her coaching and personal chef packages, she is teaching at The New School of Cooking in Culver City and updates her blogs with inspirational and delicious recipes!

Tell us a little about yourself.  How did you become a holistic health coach?  I have always been into food and also health and fitness.  I first learned how to cook, then I began to apply those principles and techniques I learned to healthier styles of eating, or what I thought at the time was healthy eating. Then I started to pay attention to all of the contradictions in nutrition.  One week eggs were good, the next they were bad, so I got a couple of nutrition certifications so I could make sense of all the information.  What I have realized is there is not one perfect diet for everyone.   

How would you describe your style of cooking?  Seasonal, farmers market driven, simple, homestyle.

What inspires you in the kitchen?  Seasonal produce.  I think it’s really easy to roast or grill some meat, but what is challenging is making those sides more interesting.  There are many more ways to cook vegetables than steaming (which I loathe) and roasting.  

What are some of your favorite cookbooks or blogs?  101 cookbooks, Food and Wine, Plenty by Ottolenghi which focuses entirely on vegetables, Anything by Donna Hay, an Australian chef who uses seasonal ingredients in very simple yet unusual recipes, I also LOVE Jamie Oliver.   

What are a few of your “can’t-live-without” pantry items?  Red pepper flakes, extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs (especially marjoram and sage), lemons for zesting, nuts of all sorts (pistachios and walnuts are two of my favorites) , feta cheese, eggs.

If you could travel to one country and eat your way through it, which one would you choose?  Easy, Italy.  I love the approach to fresh, local foods.  

Working with your clients, what do you find are some of the most common struggles?  Mindless eating and snacking.  Most of my clients find themselves grazing all day long, especially when they aren’t hungry. The biggest issue tends to be not eating breakfast, which then causes them to be famished by lunch and they wind up eating for the rest of the day.   So few people sit down to eat a meal and enjoy it.  Rather, they eat in the car, at their desk.  They don’t enjoy their food.

If you could encourage blog readers to make one small change, what would it be?  Try to eat vegetables at every meal, even breakfast.  If you eat an unhealthy meal, don’t give up on the day, start fresh at the very next meal.

Delancey Part Deux.

Weeks after opening in late summer of 2009, I made a pit stop at Delancey in Seattle. For a recap of my first meal there, please visit here. Nearly two years later, I had to go back and see how things were cookin' up while visiting my mom in the Seattle area. The joint is still hoppin' and there was a line of eager diners waiting for their doors to open on a Saturday night (they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more), so we knew we were in fine company. The specials were written on the blackboard, just like a teacher writing her name on the board or this week's homework assignment. Instantly, I was drawn to the special pizza - nettles pesto, bacon, onion and lots of grated grana padana.

The salad was mixed greens with roasted beets from the farmer's market in a creamy buttermilk dressing. Lightly tossed, it was a salad worth fighting for - come on, let's duke it out in the street. Okay maybe you're not the fighting type, but this salad was a dream starter. Yes, you already know I ordered the "special" pizza and my mom opted for the mushroom pizza. We could debate great pizza til we are blue in the face, but I've had a religious experience eating pizza recently. I like mine cooked to perfection in a hellish fire, with semi black spots on the crust and an even keeled crust. I prefer amazing ingredients thoughtfully placed onto my pizza. Pizza like this isn't something to scarf down because you're stoned or you're starving, it's pizza you should enjoy, mull over, let your eyes roll back in your head - it's that good. It's probably good that we don't have that one on tape. Having saved some room for dessert, we had the butterscotch pots au creme with banana infused whip cream and these lovely shortbread cookies. Light and sweet, but not overly doused with butterscotch or banana, this pot au cream was a pot au ecstasy.

Since opening Delancey, owners Molly and Brandon have recently opened a new project known as The Pantry. Think of it as a communal cooking space, a place to learn and be inspired.If you live in Seattle or are planning on visiting, look it up, there may be a cooking class or a family style dinner you'd like to sign up for!

Fall....a misnomer in L.A.

We haven't exactly had fall weather here in Los Angeles. We experienced one of the most mild summers and by default, we've had a sizzling heat wave entering the "fall" season, however my palette is definitely yearning for some fall favorites.

I'm back on the cookbook hunt for cookbooks devoted to seasonality. I'm becoming more and more interested in cooking and eating seasonally, however it can be intimidating. I mean, where does one begin?? Sure, it's a good idea to start strolling through farmer's markets, but for some (including me), it can be slightly daunting. You will find hidden treasures, troves of hearty vegetables coming into season and you will find the last fruits of summer hanging on for dear life, but like many, one can easily become overwhelmed when it comes to preparing meals involving these beautiful ingredients.

That's where a book like Earth to Table comes into play. I recommend you curl up on your couch, accompanied by your favorite glass of wine, while perusing this well-loved cookbook. It's easy to see where and how inspirations rears its playful little head throughout this book. Seasonal cooking is about allowing the ingredients to shine, letting them take center stage and show off their best. Perhaps even allow them to take a solo or perform a classic monologue. Either way, seasonal cooking shouldn't be about racking your brain, but taking the time to step back and let the ingredients speak for themselves.

This braised short rib dish was no joke. Gently simmering in beef stock, a hearty red wine, herbs and mirepoix, these short ribs were singin' for MY supper. What's great about a dish like this is that while it takes time, it doesn't take alot of "active" time. In fact, while the short ribs were having a party in my Le Creuset dutch oven, I was busy preparing a side dish to accompany the short ribs. Trusting the authors behind Earth to Table, I made a parsnip and apple puree, which to the common eyeball looks like another mound of creamy mashed potatoes, but you would be surprised. It was a first for me and I was pleasantly surprised, the juicy apple made a handsome couple with the rooty tooty parsnip. Creamy, slightly sweet with a lil' tang, the puree complimented the braised short ribs without overpowering them.