Welcome to the New Taste Journal. My name is Dave Schy and here is my story:
Since graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1981, I have run kitchens in Chicago, Los Angeles, Vail, Cancun and Santa Barbara. Over the years I have been written up in lots of food magazines, made TV appearances, and invented food products and recipes for many well known companies. Simply put, I know how to cook.
A few years ago I made the decision to slow down and get healthy. I needed to lose weight and drastically lower my cholesterol. Over the last three years I have developed a rather substantial collection of original recipes using fresh, simple ingredients. I have drawn inspiration from the Mediterranean diet and from the time I have spent as a volunteer developing recipes for the American Heart Association. This collection of recipes is not really a diet; it is a different approach to eating that uses healthy, whole food ingredients to create delicious new meals. The guidelines I follow are explained on the philosophy page.
From my perspective creating the journal is pure enjoyment, both satisfying and rewarding. It has enabled me to finally organize and categorize my recipes. The journal also makes it easy to share my latest creations with friends and family. In a very interesting and unforeseen way the journal has allowed me to teach my college age children and their friends about cooking and eating healthy. This group is made up of some vegan, some vegetarian and some meat eating kids. Their curiosity, appreciation and enthusiasm make this project even more worthwhile. And finally these recipes are a contribution to the community, especially to all those people who are constantly being told what not to eat, yet seldom offered any real ideas as to what they could and should eat.
Please enjoy preparing these recipes and be sure to share them and the food with your friends. I hope they bring you good health and happiness!