Contest time

 Prizes in the Greens & Berries Nutrition Month Contest

To celebrate the last day of Nutrition Month and the first day of my Spring vacation, I'm running a small, short contest. Here are the details:

1. The contest is open to all blog readers. However, because of mailing costs, I will be offering different prizes for North America and "the rest of the world."
   
2. At midnight tonight (March 31st), By 0900 hrs (PDT) April 1st, I will be posting 6-8 questions based on Nutrition Month posts plus one "knowledge-testing" question about a food event not previously mentioned on this blog. (Sorry for the delay -- I will post the questions ASAP but probably not by midnight tonight.)
   
3. The contest will run for two days only, April 1st and 2nd, 2008.
   
4. During the contest period, readers submitting correct answers for all questions  will be eligible for the prizes.
5. On April 3rd, I will start drawing names (email addresses) from all correct (eligible) entries.
   
6.  The first  North American reader's name drawn will receive the Dietitians of Canada cookbook in the picture above. (The title is hidden because it's the answer to one of the contest questions).  Don't worry, I'm not passing on a sauce-stained book from my shelf;  this copy is brand-new, never-been-used. It's not the most recent Dietitians of Canada cookbook, but it's my favourite.
7. The first reader from outside North America will receive a collection of food-themed art cards by Vancouver photographers and artists. (I'm sorry I can't send you a cookbook but to keep shipping costs reasonable, I had to choose something lighter in weight.) You can view sample cards in the photo above.

So watch for the not-too-difficult questions coming in the next post.

Interview with Vincci

Meet Vincci, author of  Ceci n'est pas un food blog.  Like Jessica she is a busy, bright, talented student who soon will be entering the Dietetics profession.  I'm thrilled Vincci took the time to answer my questions so thoughtfully and articulately. So pull up a chair, make your self comfy, and get to know Vincci, a soon-to-be dietitian with Food Sense as well as nutrition knowledge.

1.  What do you enjoy most about blogging?
I think blogging for me is an outlet to explore my interests in food, cooking and writing and has allowed me to develop a budding interest in photography.  I love experimenting in the kitchen and I love sharing the results.  Recently, I've been altering a lot of my recipes for baking to make them healthier and I also hope that when I have more time I will write more nutrition-related posts as opposed to just sharing recipes.

2.  What has blogging helped you learn about yourself?
This is a pretty hard question, because I feel like I've learned more reading other people's blogs as opposed to writing my own.  I think that, in a way, my blog has helped me formulate my position on how nutrition relates to food.  I recently read a blog entry that argued that foodies and dietitians don't usually see eye-to-eye and I have to disagree.  There is so much to get excited about taste-wise when it comes to healthy eating, like experimenting with new foods and recipes, that I definitely want to make a part of my practice after I graduate.

Speaking of becoming a dietitian though, one thing that really worries me is that I can't wax poetic about nutrition the same way that other blogs out there do and I really hope that my interest in food as opposed to nutrients/the more science-related part of nutrition doesn't hinder my future career.

3. I'm not surprised a Dietetics student cooks such healthy and  delicious food but I am amazed that given your full-time studies, you  are in the kitchen so regularly AND then you write such interesting posts about your culinary experiments and adventures.  Can you share  some time-management skills? (Or do you just not sleep?)

Haha!  Well as you can see, recently my blog has sort of been left on the back burner, so I'm pretty sure I don't have exemplary time management skills.  However, to me, cooking is important.  I like having control over what goes in my food.  Cooking is also a stress reliever for me; after a long frustrating day, it's nice to at least have something that will turn out!  I know there are a lot of people who turn towards convenience foods during exam time, and while I do choose to make meals that take less time to prepare, I still make an effort to eat well and not stuff myself with cookies and chocolate because that actually makes me feel better and work more efficiently.  Overall however, I personally wouldn't recommend my lifestyle to anyone as it generally involves a lot of stress, making sacrifices, lack of sleep and crying, but the thing is, if you love something and/or if it's important to you, you'll make time for it and you'll be happier for it.

4. You're invited to a potluck. What do you take?
I always end up bringing some sort of dessert to potlucks.  My mom actually frowned upon that once because it isn't "real food" but I  think I've become known for my baked goods amongst my friends.  When I was in high school, I always made these chocolate chip cookies to bring to parties; in university I've brought brownies, beet chocolate  cake, cheesecake brownies, cupcheesecakes... I would love to "branch  out" into other sorts of things, but baked goods just tend to be a lot easier to transport!

 5. What is your favourite comfort food?

I love making a big bowl of pasta, like rotini or Scoobi-Doos (wholewheat, of course!) and then making a sauce with vegetables, ground beef and pre-made tomato sauce (one day I'll learn to can my own, I swear!) and then grating some Parmesan or Romano on top.  It's so easy, filling and comforting.

6. What is your most dog-eared, sauce-spattered cookbook (ie., the one you use the most)?

I've always sourced most of my recipes online.  When I first started cooking, I used Allrecipes.com a lot because I liked having the ratings and comments to help.  I still use it sometimes, but now I often turn towards food blogs for my recipes because they tend to be a little more "gourmet" (and the photos are nicer too!)

7. What are your 3 favourite blog posts and why?

Of my own?  I'm certainly not a huge fan of stroking my ego and I don't think my posts are anything to write home about in terms of the quality of writing, but if you insist...

1) A Revelation
My dad is someone who I don't get spend a lot of time with; he has been flying back and forth between my birthplace of Hong Kong, where his business is, and my hometown of Calgary ever since we've immigrated.  His medical emergency really affected me and the fact that out of this situation he realized the huge impact that his diet has really gave me a boost of confidence in the dietetic profession.  I unfortunately don't know if my dad's been keeping up with a better diet now (he is a very busy man), but I've applied to do part of my internship in Hong Kong next semester so that I can spend more time with him and hopefully help him get on track in terms of a healthier lifestyle.

2) I'm Just Trying to Rationalize my Poor Eating Habits
If this were better articulated, I'm sure you could argue that this may be the beginning of my own sort of eating manifesto.  I think it's very easy for dietitians and nutritionists to just focus on nutrient needs in terms of grams of carbohydrates or milligrams of sodium, but to the average person, this has no meaning to them; people don't eat nutrients, they eat food.  I strongly believe that the first step to healthy eating is to get rid of as much processed foods from the diet as possible; not only will this make it easier to fall under a healthy pattern of eating nutrition-wise (for example, you won't have to concern yourself as much on the sodium front) but I think the non-nutrient elements of food, processed or not, play a role in our health in ways that we have yet to discover.  In this entry, I also talk a bit about allowing yourself to eat foods that aren't necessarily "healthy".  I think it's important for people to allow themselves to "indulge" because food should not just be a source of nourishment; there are  psychological and social aspects to food that no nutrient can provide.

3) Holiday Baking: Dorie Greenspan's Spice Roll-out Cookies and Royal Icing
This was a fun little cooking adventure!  I rarely ever cook when I'm at home in Calgary, let alone have it so well-documented!  I'm still a little bummed that I messed up the icing recipe and jealous that my 10-year-old sister made better designs than me.

8. Do you have any tips for Dietetics Students who might be thinking about blogging?

Although it's certainly a great idea to look at blogs that you like for inspiration, there is no need to feel obligated to copy the format of other blogs.  If you don't have a good camera/don't like taking photos, that's fine (I recently read a blog that said from the very beginning that she wouldn't take any photos, which was a little refreshing!) If you can't update every week, that's fine.  If you want to focus more on food and less on nutrition or vice versa, that's fine.  If you want to have a blog where you just rant about your life, I have one of those too.  The great thing about blogging is that this is your little soapbox in the World Wide Web, so take advantage of it and set out for yourself in terms of what you want to be (but be realistic, of course.)

If you want something that's less vague, I would certainly suggest reading other blogs as a start.  It will definitely give you ideas of what's out there, and maybe give an idea of how you'll add your own voice to the mix.  Once you've got your blog started up, don't be shy about telling people about it!  Comment on blogs that are similar to yours and tell your friends what you're up to; all these people can give you valuable input.

9. What are your dreams and goals (that you're comfortable sharing) for after internship?

Throughout my studies, I've definitely found that nutrition is being seen as more of a therapy or a treatment as opposed to being part of a healthy lifestyle to prevent disease.  This is most clear in hospitals, where limited resources means that the dietitians only see patients with the greatest nutritional risk.  I would love to be an advocate for nutrition resources/education to the general public because I feel everyone should have the right to know how to make good food choices and stay healthy.  Also, I would definitely want to make writing/interacting with the media part of my career; aside from blogging, I'm currently heavily involved in several student newspapers and newsletters so this is definitely an area I want to pursue.  What worries me a little is that I don't really know how I will accomplish all my goals yet so I hope the opportunities will present themselves!

Thank you, Vincci.  I was impressed by your blog when I first discovered it last year, and with this interview you have reinforced my opinion.  In five years, I can't imagine where you will be but I know what you'll be doing: positively influencing the way people eat. I also suspect you will accomplish all your goals if you can be patient with yourself and work on them sequentially rather than simultaneously.  (Easier said than done, I know.)

Interview with Rachelle: nourishment for the spirit as well as the body

I'm going to introduce the subject of the second interview differently.  Rachelle's words are so wonderful, I'm going to step aside right away and let you get to them.  I'll say a bit more about Rachelle after the interview.

And now, meet Rachelle -- writer, mom, soul-care sage, Magpie Girl and creator of the Small is Beautiful blogging phenomenon:

1.   Can you tell us a bit about the exciting transition (some might call it an adventure) you are living and how it’s changing your and your family's food purchasing, preparation and eating practices.

I just moved from Seattle, Washington to Copenhagen, Denmark. My husband Paul got a job here, and we moved over with two girls and a dog in tow.

Seattle was a pretty crunchy-granola place to live. We had Whole Foods and PCC grocery stores, not to mention a seasonal farmer’s market in every neighborhood, and a budding sustainable eating movement.

Still, things are much more wholistic here. There’s less shipping of food from one end of the globe to the other, so you reduce your carbon load by eating locally. You also have to learn how to ‘eat around the seasons’ slow-food style, because produce selections are based more on what’s locally available. (I guess I’ll have to learn to love kale...) The other thing that’s very different is there’s virtually no take-out or fast-food culture here, so it’s not as hard to stick with healthy eating patterns.

People eat very simple meals – Danish breakfasts and lunches are tapas style with whole grain breads (usually still warm), meats, cheeses, and raw veggies. These are made into open face sandwiches called smørrebrød. (open bread) Dinner is usually home cooked with very few canned or frozen foods. There’s not a culture of overtime here, and people put a big emphasis on quitting work on time to go home and enjoy a dish of pasta or a simple soup with your family. Household chores are shared more equally, so men and women are both a part of food prep, and kids are expected to help more and at a younger age. This simplicity and cooperation makes supper time very do-able and pleasant.

One other thing that is dramatically affecting our food shopping habits is that we are car-free and carry our groceries from a small store almost every day. There’s no more driving to the big box store and shopping for two weeks at a time. I can’t buy more than I can easily carry. So many people shop this way that stores don’t even bother offering milk in a gallon jug. Also, shops are closed on Sundays, so you have to plan a bit for the weekend. Once you get used to the rhythm of it, it’s really quite nice.

Eden (Rachelle's daughter) making yeast rolls in CPH (Denmark)

2. Are there are familiar comfort foods you crave that you cannot purchase in Denmark? 

My girls love Adams No-Stir Peanut butter. You can buy small jars of peanut butter in Denmark now, but only the kind packed with hydrogenated oil and sugars. The girl’s jar-a-week Adam’s habit is going to have to be reduced in order to make the 4 jars I brought in my suitcase last longer! My husband is distraught over the lack of chocolate chips—I can’t find them anywhere! Oh, and we are rationing our cocktail intake. Liquor is very expensive here, so our cocktail parties with Ten Cane rum-and-cokes and Grey Goose vodka tonics are a thing of the past. For the first time I’m realizing the benefits of the duty free shop at the airport!

3 .   I've been reading your blog, Magpie Girl, for about a year now and I love the stories you tell. Can share some stories about the role of food or special recipes or mealtime rituals in your seasonal celebrations and spiritual  practices.

The table is a central part of our family’s spirituality. For the past several years we’ve hosted a spiritual growth group that involved eating dinner together with about 12 other people every week. We always started our meal with a ritual around a loaf of bread and a goblet of wine. For the Christians in our group it was akin to a Communion ceremony. But the language was very broad so people of virtually any background could join in. Having that consistent 3 minute ritual anchored us in time and created a sense of gratitude and abundance in our group. 

There are also certain holidays that we celebrate every year around our table. The very first weekend that we moved into our house we hosted a chili party to celebrate the Fall Equinox.  Everyone hoisted their microbrews and made toasts to the things they loved about the Fall.  We also celebrated an interfaith Passover meal each Spring, followed by an Easter brunch.  We opened the Summer at Solstice with dinner outdoors under the lilac tree, and closed it each year with a celebration of harvest and provision, dining on fall foods under a makeshift shelter for Sukkoth.  (Ed note:  Here are links to some stories on Rachelle's old blog: Sukkot, Fall Equinox/Chili Fest, Passover,  A typical meal)

4. You're invited to a potluck dinner to get to know your new neighbors. What do you take and why?

I would probably take a hearty homemade soup, and fresh bread. I make terrific challah and my Irish soda bread is so yum! I think soup communicates warmth and simplicity. Passing around warm bowls creates a relaxed atmosphere, and puts everyone at easy with its simplicity. It’s sort of my signature thing to do…although we have been known to show up with dates stuffed with herbed goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, and a big pitcher of pomegranate champagne cocktails!

5. What is your desert island cookbook without which you cannot survive? (assume you have a well-equipped kitchen on this desert island and a crate of food washes up on shore.)

I have a bunch of cookbooks, but I don’t really use them. Real Simple had an article a couple of years ago about how to organize your recipes. Now I have four filled with my favorites:  Soups/Salads, Baked Goodies, Main Dishes, and Fancy Foods (holiday things and appetizers.) I rip pages from magazines, print things out from epicurious.com, and save index cards from my mother in law. Then every few months, I slip them into sheet protectors and file them in my binders. A lot of my favorites are from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Cooking magazine. Easy and yummy - I love it!

6. What are some tips for making weekday family dinners a time of connection?

I think it’s nice to have a ritual that anchors your family dinner time. Most of the families I admire do this. The Gustafsons hold hands for a moment of silence, the Coolman-Currans have a short prayer they say every night (For this, and us, God bless, Amen.), my sister’s children take turns singing a favorite song. At our house our youngest, Cate, reads a short prayer from 100 Graces: Mealtime Blessings, Marcia & Jack Kelly, ed.—which she asked for as a Christmas present—and then during dinner we share our high point-low point for the day. It doesn’t have to be pious or complicated. Something simple can be very nurturing.

7. I know you excel at making homemade soups and breads. Can you share a favorite recipe for each and perhaps some non-food "ingredients" that go into their preparation.

It’s so lucky that I brought my soup binder with me in our small air shipment box! (All the rest of my cookbooks are on the slow ship from Seattle.) The graduate school I attended had community groups that met once a week. My on-campus job was running the volunteer kitchen where we made a soup supper for the 300 people in those groups. Just one of the pots we used was so big a ten year old could easily climb in it and close the lid! It was an international school, and we tried to make things from the different cultures that were represented. This is one of my favorites. It was taught to me by one of the families from Australia.

Australian Pumpkin Stew

(serves 10)

2 pounds butternut squash (known by Aussies as pumpkin), peeled and chopped
4-6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (no bouillon cubes please!)
2 onions, chopped
2 T olive oil
½ tsp nutmeg
Black pepper and salt to taste
1 – 14 oz can of organic (if possible) creamed corn
1-3 T Worcestershire sauce

1)   Using a wide, strong veggie peeler, peel squash then chop into cubes. Add to a big pot of chicken stock and boil. Reduce heat and cook 15-20 minutes until tender.

2)   Drain squash, reserving stock. Puree in food processor or blender in batches, adding stock as necessary to make a smooth puree. If you are lucky to have an immersion blender, just blend the soup right in the stockpot.

3)    In a skillet, sauté onions in the olive oil, adding nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 5 minutes or until onions start to turn translucent.

4)    Add this mixture to the stock pot along with corn and Worcestershire. Heat through gently and adjust seasonings as needed.

So yummy with a dollop of sour cream or cream fraise and a sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds.

8. Now it's your turn to ask and answer your own question:

The person who’s influenced my cooking the most, other than cookbook author Mollie Katzen, is my neighbor Helene, who’s a fabulous Middle Eastern chef. Her son lives with us when she travels, she makes supper for us once a week when she’s home. Helene once explained to me how she believed food was holy. Her thought was that food should be treated with honor because it becomes the building blocks of our bodies, and our bodies are holy. For Helene, this translates into presenting food nicely, avoiding foods empty of nutritional value, and not letting food go to waste. (By not buying or preparing more than you body needs.)  She was explaining this concept to my nine-year-old daughter, and it made me wonder what my own ideas about food and body image might be if I had been introduced to cooking and eating in such a thought manner. It is definitely influencing how I choose to cook and eat, and how I talk about food, hunger, and fullness with my children.

The other thing Helene has taught me is more practical than philosophical. I was spending a lot of money on organic vegetable stock when Helene taught me an easy way of making your own. Whenever you are working with vegetables, keep a Tupperware type container or even a large Ziploc bag on your counter. Toss all your peels and bits in the container, and put it in the freezer. When the container is full, toss it all into a pot, cover it with water, and simmer it one the stove until it’s the color you like. Strain out the peels and compost. Freeze the broth in recipe sized portions for later use. It’s easy, it’s a good way to reduce-reuse-recycle, and it will make all your soups taste very rich and delicious.

Helene’s Website  (not food related, but she does amazing dance and food tours of Turkey, which are under her windows of the world link, but doesn’t have its own permalink)

Recipes on my sites: Split Pea Soup, Blackberry Crisp, Table-Top Spirituality

Thank you, Rachelle, for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully. You proved my intuition was right that you'd be a  delightful interview subject.
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Whenever I see a new post by Rachelle in my Google Reader I stop whatever I'm doing and read it because I know it will tug at my heart, warm my soul, and/or make me smile.  After I read her book review of Intuitive Eating I realized Rachelle  had a wealth of food-sense and naturally had to ask her for an interview for this Food Talk series.  I'm thrilled she trusted me and said "yes"  so I could share her savoury stories and wise insights with you.

Interview with Jessica: foodie and dietitian-to-be

I'm pleased and excited about publishing my first interview with a fellow blogger. I "met" Jessica last September when she commented on one of my early Green & Berries posts. I then began visiting her blog, RD-2B, a true foodie's delight. Yes, there are lots of food blogs on the Web but how many written by full-time university students? Jessica is in the final year of her integrated internship program at McGill. I'm not surprised that a busy Dietetics student would eat well but I am impressed that one would take the time to document her kitchen adventures with mouth-watering photos and entertaining descriptions.

 And now, meet Jessica.

1. What do you enjoy most about blogging?

I love the sense of community, especially with regards to food blogging. It's great to get to know people who have the same passions as you do. Keeping a food blog also prevents me from getting into culinary ruts. While it would be easier to grab a microwave dinner when I get back from school, instead I'll think "Oh, I haven't written a blog entry for a while... Let's try something new..." I get a lot of inspiration from reading other blogs, and I hope that I can, in turn, give fresh ideas to others.

 

2. What have you learned about yourself through blogging?

I've discovered how passionate I am about food. I got into dietetics because I loved the health aspect of nutrition, but through cooking and blogging I've discovered that I care deeply about the food I put into my body. My university classes often define food from a purely nutritional point of view, but blogging has encouraged me to take a more holistic view of food in general. I now know a lot more about the joys of eating local produce, and about practices like the Slow Food Movement. I find blogging is the practical balance to my theoretical training. It's helped me realize that nutrition is so much more than vitamins and minerals.

3. Your photos are scrumptious. Do you have any food photography tips or secrets your willing to share?

Thank you for the compliment! Although I must admit photography was a bit of an afterthought for me. More of a necessity... How was I going to show people the food I was making, to entice them to make the same?  I am very lucky that I recently got a Nikon D40X for Christmas, but I'm still just learning how to take full advantage of it. If I were to give any photography tips (not that I think I am at all qualified to do so) it would be to first of all look at what others are doing. Food blogs like 101 Cookbooks and Cook & Eat are amazing sources of inspiration. Look at how they style the food, the angles they use, etc. My second tip would be to use natural light as much as possible. Try to set up a spot in your house with great natural light. It makes a huge difference. And lastly, buy yourself a little tripod. They cost about 10 dollars but can really improve your pictures.

4. Could you please comment on your healthy obsession with lentils.

Strangely enough, lentils are somewhat of a comfort food for me. I had them a lot growing up so eating them kind of brings me back to a time when everything was much simpler. And of course I just think they taste great. I also think they're a much underused nutritional powerhouse. If you pair them with a source of vitamin C they give you plenty of iron and they're packed with protein and fibre. 

 

 

5. You're invited to a potluck. What do you take?

Well, last time I brought apple chips with caramel dipping sauce. But there's a recipe I've recently made that I'm looking for an excuse to make again: I'm thinking of Orangette's yoghurt cake. I love French food and have an affinity for most things lemony. It was very simple to make, would travel well, and most importantly is absolutely delicious. Just talking about it makes me want to go make it right now!

6. What is your favourite comfort food?

 Other than the lentils mentioned in #4 I'd have to say Italian food. There's nothing like tucking into a big bowl of spaghetti with a meaty Bolognese sauce. When I've had a long day or am feeling upset it's guaranteed that I will make either lentils or a bowl of pasta. Especially with a slice of garlic bread. Yum!

 7.  What is your most dog-eared, sauce-spattered cookbook (ie., the one you use the most)?

Good question! I actually use the internet the most for recipes. I get them from favourite blogs or sites like epicurious or recipezaar. But as for cookbooks the one I use the most (no joke!) is Cook Great Food by the Dietitians of Canada.  It seems funny because I'm a dietetics student but it honestly just gives great, fast, easy recipes. My parents got it for me for Christmas and I've used it countless times since. My favourite recipe from it is the whole wheat pancakes with strawberry purée. This book is definitely dog-eared and sauce-spattered (I'm not the cleanest cook...)

 

8. What are your 3 favourite blog posts and why?

Lazy Daisy Cake - I love this one because it's a family recipe that's near and dear to my heart. It was my grandmother's, then my mother's and now its mine. It's a delicious cake, but its also very simple. I've made it many times since including for my boyfriend T's 24th birthday in England. It makes me really happy to think that, through posting it on my blog, this simple family recipe will get to travel the world. 

 

Acadian Delicacies  - I love travelling. Our family trip to New-Brunswick is a yearly event. I'm often trying to explain to friends back home how good Acadian food really is. And now, thanks to my blog, I can show them! New-Brunswick has a special place in my heart and I hope to keep going there, and keep blogging about it, for years to come.

 

Borough Market  - Oh Borough Market! A foodie's paradise! Just reading this post reminds me of the amazing bounty we found there. There were so many wacky things I had never seen (ostrich eggs!) and plenty of colourful and creative stalls and signs. My personal favourite? "Roast Potatoes NOT cooked in goose fat? As if!" This is one of my top 3 posts just because it reminds me of the amazing time I spent there and it will hopefully introduce other people to it too.

9. Do you have any tips for Dietetics students who might be thinking about blogging?

It seems really scary and daunting at first. But it's an amazing opportunity. Before making any kinds of investments in it (buying your own domain name, upgrading your camera) just give it a try for about a year or so. Try to post regularly (even if this means scheduling it into your week), this will make sure that you keep your blog active, even with a busy student schedule.

 

10. Can you share a few of your dreams and goals for after graduation?

 

Well, it'll be a scary step, that's for sure! I'm hoping to stay on the clinical side of the practice and hopefully work in either a hospital or an outpatient clinic. I'd also love to keep blogging about the trials and tribulations of my life in the kitchen and maybe start a blog more related to my practice. More long term I'd love for my career to have a food element to it as well. Whether that means working in the industry and designing food products or maybe writing (ha!) for a food magazine or something of sorts, I would love that.

 

Thank you, Jessica, for a delightful interview. 

 

Be sure to visit Jessica's blog, RD-2B for more delicious inspiration and healthy eating information. 

Sweet talk, spicy secrets & savoury stories: conversations with fellow bloggers

Chotda's photos of sweet, spicy and savoury:  sticky toffee coconut cupcake, green mango chutney and spiced almonds.  (Many thanks to the photographer for sharing the goodness with  Creative Commons licensing.)

For Nutrition Month, I'm introducing a new feature in which fellow bloggers share their culinary adventures and kitchen table wisdom.

Check back later this weekend for the first interview in the series: a chat with a dietitian-to-be, a self-described "wannabe chef, nutrition freak, world traveller and shopaholic" who knows real dietitians eat the occasional decadent treat. (Shhhh. That's my spicy secret.)