MANILA, Philippines - What’s a former Gucci model doing in the kitchen? With his lean and mean body, hot good looks, and mop of jet-black hair, Daniel Green should be creating a stir on the fashion ramp rather than stirring a pot of stew in some cold kitchen. But Daniel decided to walk away from the glitzy, glamorous world of modeling and put on the chef’s toque to help people change their lives by changing their bad eating habits. Today, Daniel Green is better known as The Model Cook who does fine fusion food that’s low in fat and all the bad stuff we love but should loathe, and high in taste and health.
“The title ‘Model Cook’ came to me when I lost weight as I went into modeling, but it also means the ideal cook, the perfect way to cook with ease and no effort to make food that looks and tastes great,” Daniel shares in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR.
Shrinking from the word diet, Daniel stoutly adds, “Healthy means the right food, I believe in low fat. If you do not have fat in your diet, you will lose weight. I’m not big on carb-free diets but just how to adapt the traditional food to a healthier version, that’s what I am passionate about.”
And The Best Diet Is …
With the countless diets around, including the bible diet (go figure), Daniel tells us, “The best diet is not a diet, but a plan we can stick with. There is not a diet in the world that says have the weekends off and take time off. I am a believer of the Monday-to-Friday diet. Don’t waste fat on a busy schedule. Just have the weekend off, but be more aware during the week.”
If you think healthy food is bland and boring, think again. Green is in, and Daniel is a staunch believer of herbs and spices. “When you use fresh herbs, you’ll see a big difference in flavor,” he teases his TV viewers’ taste buds in his healthful cooking show.
Revving up our palate even more, he reveals, “I use little oil but olive oil for me is the best, and sesame oil has so much flavor, you need so little.”
Daniel joined a competition organized by Good Food magazine to find the TV Chef of the Future and won hands down with his healthy-eating recipes. Back home in the UK, this British celebrity chef co-hosted a top-rating TV series for Discovery Health, Weight Matters. He was the on–air chef for QVC UK, among the top five shopping channels in the world. He appears regularly on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. Making the US his current home, Daniel is the full-time presenter for Shop NBC, a leading luxury home shopping channel in the US with a viewership of more than 70 million households.
Hai, Daniel thinks that the Japanese are the healthiest eaters on earth. He gingerly notes, “Because it’s all lean protein, not about sauces and processed food. I love this cuisine!”
And The Unhealthiest Eaters Are …
Daniel points to the west as having the unhealthiest diet. “The US is bad, all down to fast food, all deep-fried, and so bad for us — don’t let it spread all over, let’s stop it! In Asia, you don’t have to spend that much to eat fresh food and vegetables. I hate how expensive it is to eat well in the west.”
The truth is, Daniel has not always been lean and trim. As a teen, he had to wage his own uphill battle with the bulge. He relates,
“I lost 65 lbs. and all to my own way of designing food that tastes great, that’s full of flavor — food I prefer to eat, so why go off that plan?”
He elaborates, “In the ’90s, it was all about fat free, but it was not appealing so I had to come up with my ideas on how to create great food that is low in fat.”
Salmon Says
Daniel recalls with relish the first healthy dish he ever whipped up, “Thai salmon fish cakes after visiting Thailand in 1991. I loved it but thought I could make them not deep-fried. Now, they’re in every book I write.”
Sharing his healthy, fuss-free, guilt-free recipes, Daniel has authored six books sold worldwide: Green’s Cuisine, Green’s Green, Healthy Eating for Lower Cholesterol, World Dining for Life, Modern Dining for Life, and Healthy Dining for Life.
Certainly, Daniel has sashayed his way into people’s kitchens. And if you’re now turning green with envy and wondering how Green does it, hear this: “My sixth book was all about how to make healthy modern food fast. I love this book and use the recipes daily, they’re so easy and people have commented on how little time they take and the ease. I make my recipes as easy as can be, so I try never to make them fussy. All recipes have pictures; I am passionate about that as we need to see how the dish should look if we want to adapt a little. All cooks have their own way of doing things.”
Traveling and eating his way around the world, Daniel confesses, “I have so many fave places to eat and so blessed to travel the world — Mashou in Cannes, Bradleys in London, Angelini in Bangkok, so many, and travel gives me new ideas.”
And luckily for globe trotters who are sick and tired of greasy, queasy, and fatty food, “today, all restaurants that have modern menus are far healthier than they used to be,” says Daniel.
Love & Food On Economy Class
Sky’s no limit for Daniel when it comes to offering healthy food. Creating healthy in-flight menus for KLM gives Daniel a different high. “KLM was amazing; to make dinners for two million passengers a year and create something new was a challenge. I got to make my signature dish, miso salmon. I loved how creative I could be in economy class menus. They are a brilliant people to work with and I hope people should know how much an airline like KLM invests in producing economy class meals, love being an ingredient in the airline food. We don’t want to eat starchy, unhealthy food while sitting in a confined space. I hope I contributed to this.”
But this avowed health buff has not sworn off the sinful stuff. “My to-die-for food is the baked Brie in my book World Dining, I love, love cheese and we all need time off!,” he exclaims.
Dining A La Daniel
And yes, Daniel is not a fussy eater you’ll be glad to invite him to dinner at home. “I always appreciate whatever people offer when they invite me. As I say, take time off on the weekends. Plus I am seriously not hard to cook for.”
He stresses, “I do have time off, I have bad days, but I hate to call them binge days as binge is excessive — I want to create good alternatives most of the time but still enjoy food without ever binging.”
And who does Daniel dream of cooking for? His instant reply: “I have been so lucky to cook for so many people that my wish list is done. I cooked for the eldest princess of Thailand many years back, what a treat!”
With all the cooking, TV hosting and guesting, and writing he has to do, does he have the time to cook at home?
Daniel heartily replies: “I do manage to cook at home as all my cooking is designing and cooking on TV, so I am not stuck in a kitchen and cook all day and night. So I am so privileged to be able to enjoy cooking at home.”
For a peek into how a day in his life goes, Daniel tells us, “Gosh, I have no regular routine. At Shop NBC, I am on air five times a week and as we are live 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I just am all over the place. My routine includes eggs for breakfast, no more than two coffees, and the rest changes from day to day.”
But all work and no play is unhealthy, right, Daniel?
Yes, he unwinds by spending time with his precious daughter. “Nothing is more fulfilling than that. I love her more than anything and I cherish our time together. Before long, she will be at college and I will miss every minute of our time together.”
Asked about how he keeps fit, he shares his secret, “I have never worked out, but I do move fast. I really am active, so I think that compensates for my lack of actual gym work. I believe food is the heart and soul of feeling good. If you eat well, you feel energized.”
The Green-Ing Of Manila
And the hearty good news is: Daniel Green is coming to the Philippines! “I am soooooo excited to visit the Philippines,” he gushes. “I didn’t know anything about the food, I can’t wait to be taught, I can’t wait to try. Watch this space and see a whole book on this food. I am so excited for a delectable new chapter in my life!”
Dusit International, one of Asia’s leading hotel groups, in collaboration with chef Daniel Green, dishes up the “Eat Well, Feel Well” program to offer guests an alternative healthy dinning experience at all Dusit hotels and resorts across Thailand, the Philippines, Dubai, and Cairo.
“Dusit Thani Manila is truly privileged to kick off the Eat Well, Feel Well Dusit International Tour as we introduce the signature dishes Daniel Green has exclusively designed for Dusit Thani Manila,” says Prateek Kumar, general manager of Dusit Thani Manila.
“Eat Well, Feel Well” healthy menus include a selection of low-calorie recipes from a wide range of cuisines — from breakfast to appetizers, soups, main dishes, and desserts that will not only help to balance an individual’s nutritious diet but also introduce guests to how food can be tasteful without having to compromise their sinful pleasures. Think healthy, tasty gourmet dishes like wasabi tuna, salsa verde fish, low- fat crème brule, poached pears, and much more.
“The Eat Well, Feel Well program isn’t just about eating healthy; it is also a lifestyle that embraces food with a creative presentation, as well as enjoying the experience with families and friends. Our collaboration with chef Daniel Green stems from our commitment to delivering to our guests the finest cuisine and at the same time encouraging them to enjoy a healthy-eating experience at any of our hotels or resorts,” says Elena Broms, corporate director of food & beverage, Dusit International.
Says Daniel with a pinch of pride, “It is such a great honor for me to work with Dusit International, an iconic brand in Thailand with a distinguished heritage, its gracious Thai hospitality, and most importantly, the pride that they take in serving no other than the freshest quality cuisine to their customers. My passion is in Asia and with this collaboration, there will certainly be a lot more culinary knowledge exchange and innovations to help people manage their lives through healthy eating, every day. I believe healthy food can be cooked to a brilliant standard, full of flavor with great eye appeal and Dusit has let me showcase this.”
Health Inside Out
To complement healthy eating and living, Dusit Thani Manila has partnered with Rustan’s The Beauty Source to provide a holistic approach to health and beauty inside out. Rustan’s the Beauty Source offers the finest organic cosmetics, perfumes, and toiletries that translate inner beauty to outer beauty. Mindful of the environment’s importance and the consequences of using substandard substances, Rustan’s ensures that its range of products makes use of organic material as much as possible or healthy alternatives. Bath and body brands Body America, Delon, Argan Oil, A’kin, Bathology, Cath Kidstone, Badger, and Iorganic make luxury an ultimate treat with natural ingredients. Enjoy a whiff of Santa Maria Novella and Acca Kappa fragrances with their alluring fresh flowers and herbs that entice the senses and soothe the soul. No animals are ever tested or harmed with makeup from Laura Mercier and Pür Minerals, and Mother Earth can heave a sigh of relief with skincare from L’Occitane, Rich Green, and Mario Badescu as well as hair products from Phyto.
Everyone is invited to join The Model Cook live in a series of Eat Well, Feel Well events: talk on healthy cooking, an exclusive forum spearheaded by Daniel Green on Wednesday, July 6 at the Ballroom of Dusit Thani Manila with the students from the College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management of the Lyceum of the Philippines University.
All DFiT members are also invited to join in an exclusive cooking demonstration on power breakfast led by Daniel Green, also on Wednesday, July 6, 6:30 p.m., DFiT Fitness Center. DFiT is located at the 2nd level of Dusit Thani Manila.
Get up close and personal with Daniel Green at world dining-themed cocktails on Thursday, July 7, 7 p.m., Lobby Lounge for P2,500 net per person.
Gourmands can enjoy a five-course dinner with the musical Sweet Charity for an added sweet treat on Friday, July 8, 7 p.m. at Tosca for P3,500 net per person. Star attraction, of course, is chef Daniel Green’s healthy and delightfully tasty dishes exclusively designed for Dusit Thani Manila. For inquiries, call Dusit Thani Manila at 238-8888. Visit www.dusit.com.
Surely, you’ll be delighted to know that it’s easy to be Green.