10-Day Smart Tips Countdown: Don't Drop the Acid

A microplane grater makes fast work of citrus zesting. "If you've followed a recipe and it didn't turn out quite so good, it probably needs salt and acidity," says chef Rick Moonen of RM Seafood in Las Vegas.  It's an easy trick to up the flavor of a dish -- without adding calories or fat. Rick Moonen - king of seafood, sustainability... and acid!

"If you want to brighten something up," he advises in Smart Chefs, "try taking the zest off any citrus that catches your eye: lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine—all good. Those oils are amazing!"

Why is a bit of lemon or vinegar so essential? Chef Michael Psilakis explains, "acid helps us experience food on a palate at different times, so you have an evolution as opposed to a uniform flavor profile throughout the process of chewing. When you add acidity, you experience the food as a sort of roller coaster, with peaks and valleys, which is a lot more fun than driving on a flat plane."

It's the eve of New Year's eve: Resolving now to use more acid to perk up my food!

10-Day Smart Tips Countdown: Move Your Fruit

Here's an easy thing to do: Relocate your fruit from the kitchen to the dining table. If you’ve resolved this year to eat better, including more fruit as a dessert or snack, it isn’t enough to buy the fruit; you must actually eat it. If it is right out there where you can’t miss it, you might be more inclined to pick up a piece after dinner, or when passing by during the day. Kefi chef Michael Psilakis told me his mother always kept fruit out, and he does too — choosing fruit as a snack was part of what helped him lose about 80 lbs.

Chef Sue Torres of Sueños in NYC admits to a sweet tooth, but trained herself to appreciate the sweetness of fruit in place of a sugared dessert.

Citrus right now is really terrific, so I have a big bowl of clementines and blood oranges on the table. More refreshing than roses, and just as beautiful.