Thinking Thin? Dinner’s Pickings Needn’t Be Slim

Your diet is on a roll and you want to keep it that way. So do your calorie-watching friends. It’s your turn to throw a dinner party but you would hate to blow the diet. Can you get away with a dietetic menu?

Certainly, if the food looks and tastes like a million bucks.

So we asked a few of Los Angeles’ top chefs whose health awareness matches their aesthetic sense for suggestions when planning a light party menu. Many of the ideas are based on existing items on the restaurants’ menus.

Michel Richard, chef-owner, Citrus, Los Angeles:

“You can start a meal with a cream-less vegetable soup, made by pureeing vegetable and adding an unusual seasoning. For instance, we do a corn soup made with pureed corn and consomme, then we season it with Tabasco and bourbon.

“You can even fry foods, such as the fried onion rings we serve with steak. Yes, frying. The trick is to use very hot oil to prevent the food from absorbing too much fat. Foods act like a sponge when the oil is not hot enough. You’ll also keep the calories down if you stick to fruit or any mousse made with gelatin for dessert.”

Ken Frank, chef-owner, La Toque, Los Angeles:

“Venison is a hot item these days because it is not only exotic but also because it’s lower in fat and higher in protein than many other meats. I like to saute venison fillets in as little fat as possible and serve with fresh morels delazed with good brandy sauce reduced with bouillon and zapped with a touch of creme fraiche to give it richness. I would serve these with steamed asparagus with a red bell pepper vinaigrette, and for dessert, something made with gelatin instead of cream and butter.”

Wolfgang Puck, chef-owner, Spago, Los Angeles; Chinois on Main, Santa Monica:

“Living in California makes it easy to take advantage of outdoor cooking to keep the menu light, simple and healthful. You can barbecue lamb, chicken or beef marinated in herbs and garlic or soy sauce, ginger and chiles, and serve it with an interesting hot and cold salad--perhaps using sturdy lettuces like frise and radicchio tossed with an interesting warm oil and vinegar dressing. And for dessert, there is nothing lighter than some fresh berries or ice cream and cookies.”

Laurent Quenioux, owner-chef, Seventh Street Bistro, Los Angeles:

“You don’t have to fry or use heavy desserts. You can start with a poached shrimp salad made with baby lettuces such as radicchio and chicory and add Maui onions and tomato. The dressing can be nothing but salt, pepper and a bit of lemon juice to bring out the actual flavor of the salad. As for the main course, do fish--I think orange roughy is good. And the best way to cook fish is to grill it with nothing but salt and pepper. Steamed baby vegetables can be arranged over a bed of chopped fresh herbs such as tarragon, basil, chives and dill. That’s beautiful and simple. For dessert? I like cookies made with coconut and pecan to serve with fresh pineapple sorbet.

Celestino Drago, chef-owner Celestino Ristorante, Beverly Hills:

“Sure you can have pasta if you use light sauces. One of the lightest sauces is pomodoro basilico, made by quickly sauteing diced tomato with olive oil and basil. You can also start with a seafood salad, and add a lower-calorie meat, such as skinless grilled chicken or salmon with a light herb sauce and still have a light dinner. For a really light dessert try stirring a small amount of pureed basil into soft lime sherbet or sorbet before the final freezing. The flavor contrast is great.”

Shigefumi Tachibe, chef, Chaya Brasserie, Los Angeles:

“I’d start with an appetizer of thinly sliced tomatoes and buffala mozzarella dressed very lightly with a touch of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Then I’d do an entree of grilled tiger shrimp with a shallot sauce made with a reduction of wine and lobster stock, but adding chopped Italian cooked chestnuts and mint to it for interest. A most ideal dessert, when you trying to keep things light, is fresh fruit. We like to combine fresh fruit, such as papaya, strawberries and pineapple with fresh fruit sorbet on a decoratively arranged platter.”

Roy Yamaguchi, chef-owner, 385 North, Los Angeles:

“You can do an appetizer of buffala mozzarella slices dabbed with a touch of sun-dried tomato relish seasoned with balsamic vinegar and oil, or put the relish in the end of a Belgian endive leaf to pass among the guests. If you do fish--say, John Dory or mahi-mahi--grilling is ideal. Marinate the fish in a mixture of herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and grill. Simple grilling gives you the chance to use an exotic sauce with it, such as fresh pureed roasted yellow bell pepper. You peel and seed the roasted pepper and puree it with some salt, pepper and lemon juice. The best thing we do for a light dessert is a fresh fruit tart served with a fresh citrus sauce, which is reduced and mixed with a small amount of sour cream.”