Pleasing Picky Palates

When Sam Bryant saw Heather Bond at Newark Airport, as they were waiting to board the same flight bound for Denver, he was so smitten that he connived with the flight attendant for a seat next to this beautiful woman. And during their ensuing courtship, he pretended to enjoy the same healthy foods that she did. "He said he liked my baked salmon," a bemused Heather recalls, 14 years and two daughters later.

Ha! The truth is that Sam, a human-resources consultant, naturally gravitates toward the dishes of his southern roots. In other words, "If it ain't fried, it ain't food." Heather, a professional floral designer and event planner, consciously chooses the wholesome, low-fat foods of her California childhood. Both parents want to establish healthy habits for their daughters, who already have their own eating styles.

Enter Art Smith, the chef responsible for the healthy and delicious food in Oprah Winfrey's home and author of the recent Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families—Even Yours! Art is a southern boy himself and understands Sam's emotional connection to the food of his formative years, but he thinks he can help the Bryants break some of their patterns without sacrificing flavor and pleasure.

A Week's Worth of Good Eating
Art gives the Bryants a meal plan for a typical week with some of his favorite dishes from his new book, Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families—Even Yours! available at a bookstore near you.
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