Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss

by Howard Shapiro

  Zest of one orange

  TOPPING

  1 ½ cups uncooked old-fashioned oats

  2/3 cup Splenda

  4 tablespoons melted butter

  ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  Pinch salt

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

  2. Combine all of the ingredients for the filling together and toss well, then pour into a 9-inch pie dish.

  3. Bake for 20 minutes until fruit is soft.

  4. Mix all of the ingredients for the topping together well.

  5. Remove dish from oven and cover with the topping.

  6. Bake again for another 10 to 15 minutes until top is crisp and lightly brown.

  7. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

  Yield: 8 servings

  INTERVIEW WITH SAM TALBOT, A DIABETIC CHEF

  Dr. S: When were you first diagnosed with diabetes?

  Sam: Twelve years old.

  Dr. S: What foods were you told you had to give up because of the diabetes?

  Sam: The obvious ones—the cakes, the candies and all that kind of jazz. The things that kind of came as a shock were the mashed potatoes, the french fries. You know kids love mashed potatoes and french fries.

  Dr. S: What foods do you miss the most because of your diabetes?

  Sam: I really don’t miss any of them. Occasionally, I will have something that I shouldn’t, but life’s a balancing act.

  Dr. S: What’s your favorite comfort food as a diabetic?

  Sam: That’s a good question. I have to really be honest—I love french fries.

  Dr. S: What was your favorite comfort food when you were a kid?

  Sam: Chicken fingers.

  Dr. S: What was your least favorite food when you were a kid?

  Sam: Brussels sprouts.

  Dr. S: As a diabetic, which six foods would you want if you were stranded on a desert island?

  Sam: Onions, garlic, broccoli, striped bass, apples and bananas.

  Dr. S: What’s the most unusual combination of foods that you eat?

  Sam: Blueberries, crab and popcorn.

  Dr. S: What advice would you have for a child with diabetes?

  Sam: Always monitor your blood sugar. It’s just an extra chore like washing your face—it only takes a couple of seconds.

  Dr. S: What’s your favorite smell in the kitchen?

  Sam: Roasted garlic.

  Dr. S: What’s your favorite seasoning?

  Sam: Sea salt.

  Dr. S: When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?

  Sam: When I was sixteen.

  Dr. S: Do you cook at home?

  Sam: I do—I cook a lot of vegetarian foods.

  Dr. S: What unusual situation has happened to you surrounding food?

  Sam: I was about twenty years old, cooking in a restaurant, and my mentor came into the kitchen where we were cooking. We had been cooking all night. I put a dish in the window that looked like a pork chop. My mentor—the executive chef—looked at the pork chop and called my name. I said, “Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef,” and he said, “Sam, would you serve that to your mother?” and I kind of looked around to see if there was something I should notice and said, “Yes, Chef.” He said, “Would you serve that to my mother? Would you serve that to my mother?” I looked at him—I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it and I said, “Yes, Chef.” Then he said, twice, “Are you sure about that?” I said, “Yes, Chef, I am. I think it looks great.” He said, “Good—because your mother and my mother are sitting at the table and I wanted to make sure!” I looked out and saw them sitting at the table and they were actually sitting together. I freaked out and the whole kitchen line died laughing.

  Dr. S: Of anyone in the world you would most like to have dinner with—living or dead—who would it be? And why?

  Sam: My grandfather. Because he’s the man. When I was seventeen, I was just getting started and I was buying cookbooks and I was working at Dean and Deluca. Now I think as the years have progressed and this is my career, it would be an honor to actually show him what it is that I do.

  Sam Talbot

  Sam Talbot began his career as the executive chef of the Black Duck Restaurant in New York City before he opened the Williamsburgh Cafe as chef and owner in Brooklyn, New York. In the summer of 2008, Talbot became the executive chef for the restaurant at The Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York, and created a menu of locally sourced, market-driven seafood. The restaurant is currently the most buzzed-about culinary destination on the east end of Long Island.

  PICKLED WATERMELON SALAD WITH CHIMICHURRI VINAIGRETTE AND RICOTTA SALATA

  3 cups water

  2 cups watermelon pieces (cut from rind, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes)

  1 cup white vinegar

  1 tablespoon honey or 1 packet Splenda

  2 cinnamon sticks

  ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

  1 tablespoon lemon juice

  1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

  ½ cup olive oil

  1/3 cup red wine vinegar

  ¼ cup basil, chopped

  2 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed

  ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper

  1 teaspoon lemon zest

  1 teaspoon lime zest

  Salt and pepper to taste

  4 ounces ricotta salata

  MELON

  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

  2. Add the watermelon and let stand overnight.

  3. Drain the watermelon, rinse and drain again.

  4. In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, ginger and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add watermelon to warm liquid and let it sit until room temperature. Place in container and refrigerate.

  Makes 4 servings

  VINAIGRETTE

  5. Mix all ingredients except the ricotta salata in a large mixing bowl and whisk until incorporated.

  6. Arrange the melon on a plate. Spoon the vinaigrette over the top.

  7. Take a cheese grater and skim the ricotta over the fine side a few times for the final garnish.

  Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez

  Celebrated for her three-star desserts, Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez’s pastry-chef résumé reads like a history of New York’s most esteemed eateries. She has created desserts at L’Impero, Veritas and Judson Grill, each receiving three stars from the New York Times. For her first personal venture, Heather opened Lassi, a tiny takeout restaurant featuring Northern Indian home cooking. In March 2006 New York magazine named Lassi “Best Take-Out” in New York City.

  CHANA DAL

  1 cup chana or mung dal

  4 cups water

  13 chiles, finely chopped

  ¼ teaspoon turmeric

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  1 tablespoon canola oil

  1 ½ onions, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

  1 ½ teaspoons salt

  1 tablespoon coriander, ground

  ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  ¼ teaspoon paprika

  2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

  1. Combine dal, water, chiles, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add more water if needed as dal cooks until soft.

  2. Cook cumin seeds in oil to sizzle. Caramelize onions with cumin. Add ginger and cook until soft.

  3. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, coriander, ground cumin and paprika and cook through. Pour over dal and stir.

  4. Finish with cilantro.

  Yield: 4 servings

  Lee Anne Wong

  After graduating from the French Culinary Institute and immersing herself in the restaurant world, Lee Anne Wong returned to the FCI as the executive chef of event operations. Wong brought her culinary skills to an even wider audience when she appeared as a contestant on Season One of Bravo’s Top Chef. The show’s producers saw her innate talent and media experience and brought her on as the show’s supervising culinary producer.

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sp; STEAMED BASS, RADISH SALAD, SHISO AND PONZU

  4 5-ounce pieces boneless skinless bass fillet

  1 tablespoon yuzu juice

  2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  Salt

  White pepper

  Banana leaf for wrapping

  8 pieces shiso leaf

  4 scallions, white and greens, julienned into 2-inch matchsticks

  1 piece ginger, peeled, julienned into 2-inch matchsticks

  STEAMED FISH

  1. Pat the fish fillets dry. In a small bowl, whisk together the yuzu juice and oil. Brush both sides of each fillet with the vinaigrette. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

  2. Cut pieces of banana leaf large enough to wrap each fillet completely. Place a piece of shiso on the banana leaf. Place the fish fillet on top of the shiso and top with another shiso leaf. Top the fillets with a generous pinch of scallion and ginger. Carefully wrap each fillet in the banana leaf to make a package and tie securely with butcher’s twine.

  3. Place the packets in a steamer basket approximately 3 inches over boiling water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Steam the fillets for 8 minutes, until just cooked through. Unwrap the fish and discard the aromatics. Serve immediately with Root Vegetable Salad and Ponzu Sauce.

  Yield: 4 servings

  1 red beet, peeled

  1 daikon or watermelon radish, peeled

  1 sweet potato, peeled

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1 teaspoon yuzu juice

  ¼ teaspoon sugar

  1 tablespoon shiso leaf, fine chiffonade

  Salt

  Black pepper

  1 cup sudachi juice (or a mixture of lemon and lime)

  1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  3 tablespoons mirin

  1 tablespoon dried bonito flakes

  1 piece konbu, cut into a 2-inch square

  ROOT VEGETABLE SALAD

  4. Julienne all of the vegetables to 1/8-inch thick matchsticks, about 3 inches in length.

  5. Combine the olive oil, yuzu juice and sugar in a bowl, whisking until the sugar dissolves.

  6. Toss the vegetables and shiso leaf in the vinaigrette. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately on top of the steamed fish fillet.

  PONZU SAUCE

  7. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for 24 hours. Strain the solids through a fine cheesecloth or chinois.

  Bill Telepan

  Bill Telepan graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. Inspired by his exceptional reviews and strong following as the executive chef at Gotham Bar & Grill in New York City, Telepan published the book Inspired by Ingredients to present his unique cooking style and most popular recipes. In December of 2005, Telepan opened his eponymous restaurant Telepan on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which was voted Best Newcomer by the Zagat Survey in 2007.

  ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO EGG WHITE FRITTATA WITH WILD ARUGULA AND GOLD NUGGET POTATOES

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  ½ pound Gold Nugget potatoes

  4 sprigs thyme, plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme for frittata

  ½ Walla Walla onion, finely chopped

  2 garlic cloves

  1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

  Whites of 12 eggs

  1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

  1 ounce arugula

  Salt

  1. Place 1 tablespoon oil, potatoes, sprigs of thyme and a good pinch of salt onto a large piece of foil, fold up and place on top of a grill or under a broiler and cook until potatoes are tender, about 12–15 minutes. Reserve.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10–inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt and soften for about 5–7 minutes.

  3. Add tomato and cook until all moisture is removed, about 8–10 minutes. Add zucchini and chopped thyme, mix together and cook an additional 3 minutes. Take off the heat, place in bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

  4. Whisk the egg whites. Mix in the zucchini.

  5. Heat remaining oil in a 10–inch sauté pan on medium heat, add the egg-zucchini mixture and cook until edges start to solidify. Place in oven until the frittata is cooked through, about 12–15 minutes.

  6. Slip onto cutting board, cut into serving wedges (4–8), place on top of arugula and serve with the potatoes.

  Yield: 4 servings

  Marc Vetri

  Marc Vetri was named one of Food & Wine’s ten best new chefs in 2005 and received the Philadelphia Inquirer’s highest restaurant rating. In 2005, Vetri won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.” He is the chef and owner of Vetri and Osteria, two popular restaurants in Philadelphia. The story of Vetri’s culinary journey, along with the recipes for his most popular dishes, have been collected in his book, Il Viaggio Di Vetri: A Culinary Journey.

  FUSILLI PASTA SALAD WITH JUMBO CRAB

  2 ounces jumbo lump crab meat

  ½ cup fusilli, cooked al dente (preferably whole grain)

  ¼ cup pear tomatoes, halved

  ¼ cup celery, thinly sliced

  2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

  2 tablespoons tarragon

  1 teaspoon lemon juice

  Salt

  Pepper

  ¼ cup mâche or bibb lettuce

  1. Combine crab, pasta, tomatoes, celery, mayonnaise, tarragon, lemon, salt and pepper in bowl.

  2. Place mâche evenly across plate.

  3. Place salad mixture over mâche.

  4. Place tarragon over top of salad.

  5. Finish with fresh cracked pepper.

  Yield: 1 serving

  David Walzog

  David Walzog is a three-time nominee for the James Beard/Perrier-Jouet Rising Chef Award. He was the corporate executive chef for the Glazier Group in New York City and was at the helm of New York’s legendary Steakhouse at Monkey Bar, as well as the Michael Jordan Steakhouse and three Strip House restaurants. Under his supervision, New York magazine claimed Strip House to have the “Best Steak in New York” in 2001, and Forbes magazine named the restaurant one of “Forbes 2003 All-Star Eateries in New York.” Walzog is currently the executive chef of SW Steakhouse in Las Vegas.

  STEAMED PRAWNS WITH LEMON, SEAWEED AND AROMATIC VEGETABLES

  4 ounces seaweed, rinsed

  12 red prawns, head on, peeled of the tail shell

  8 ounces light beer

  1 tablespoon celery seed

  2 teaspoons paprika

  1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

  1 white onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

  1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

  1 lemon, thinly sliced

  1. Use a stove-top-safe deep casserole dish with a lid. Add the seaweed to the bottom of the dish to create a raft for the prawns to steam on top of. Add the prawns on top of the seaweed and then add the remaining ingredients in the order listed at left.

  2. Place the dish over medium-high heat on the stove-top and allow to steam for 8 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat and let stand with the lid closed for an additional 2–3 minutes before serving.

  CHAPTER 11

  Beating Diabetes Every Day

  You now know how to beat diabetes. You’ve seen—literally—the choices that can help you prevent or manage the disease, choices that can cancel out the damaging, sometimes fatal impact of diabetes. All you have to do now is go out and make the right choices.

  We have a few things to say that may help. For we know that despite all the information you’ve just absorbed, you probably have some questions about how to put the information to work on a daily basis. Questions like:

  What does “eating the Pyramid way” look like day after day?

  How can I make the right choices when I confront a restaurant menu? How about a fast-food restaurant menu?

  What about supplements?

  If I eat the Pyramid way, do I really need to exercise?

  So he
re are a few more resources that can help you translate the science, the medical warnings and the food-specific information of the previous chapters into simple, practical advice for beating diabetes on a day-to-day basis.

  EATING CHOICES

  Eating is a matter of choosing. Seeing the difference between food options can help you make more healthful choices for a slimmer, stronger you. The chart below shows you some different eating options—and the difference your choice can make.

  THE ALL-PYRAMID SEVEN-DAY MENU SAMPLE

  What follows is not a diet. It is not a plan. No one is suggesting you follow it. Rather, it is a sample of what seven days of meals composed solely of foods from the Beat Diabetes Pyramid might look like. For every day, it offers a breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner menu.

  This may not be the way you eat; perhaps, like one of the authors of this book, you tend not to eat breakfast. Or maybe, like the other author, you simply don’t care for a sweet dessert after dinner.

  Don’t change your way of eating because of these meal plans. And of course, if you are diabetic, especially if you are on medication, before you make any changes in the way you eat, be sure to check with your doctor to see if you need to coordinate your food intake with your medication.

  Mostly, however, it’s our hope that these twenty-eight menus—seven different breakfasts, seven different lunches, seven different snacks and seven different dinners—will give you the sense of the variety of menus that can be put together from the Beat Diabetes Pyramid. They’re a testament to the rich diversity of tastes and textures possible when you are fighting diabetes and strengthening your overall health.

  BEATING DIABETES WHILE DINING OUT

  Dining out—whether at Chez Haute Cuisine, at the fast-food chain on the highway or at the deli on the way to work—doesn’t mean giving up on the fight against diabetes and for weight loss. Take a look at these partial menus from a variety of our favorite restaurants around New York City—among the very best in New York City—and see how we’ve highlighted the choices that can keep you on the Pyramid. As they say about New York, if you can beat diabetes there, you can do it anywhere.