Over the last few years I have had on my show many times a lovely young lady named Molly Kimball, a small firebrand nutritionist from Ochsner who has almost singlehandedly changed the way we eat in New Orleans. This passion has finally resulted in a cookbook partnership with Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace. She will be on the show with us next week, but last night was the launch party for the book.
It was a stunning venue, the Uptown home of James Carville and Mary Matalin, whose two daughters have been coached by Molly Kimball, if I understand the association correctly. Ti Martin was sort of Master of Ceremonies, introducing Molly, who very graciously acknowledged the small army of people who have assisted her in this campaign of healthy eating. In only five years, some 350 or so restaurants have signed on to this program, adapting menus around town toward healthier eating. These dishes are designated in restaurants with an Eat Fit symbol.
While it was humble of Molly to shine the spotlight on all the others, it is her true passion and vision that has made this revolution a reality, and in such a short time. Ti Martin said it best, “by the sheer force of her personality.” She is beautiful and charming, attributes that always help, but more than anything the commitment to this mission and the confidence to see it through are what brought us all to that place last night.
To prove that healthy eating can be delicious, Commander’s Palace had a station or two, serving grilled salmon with spaghetti squash, and a very convincingly delicious spicy pumpkin soup shooter. Blue Line Sandwich Company was there with a Thai salad topped with grilled chicken, and in the kitchen, DTB had a station offering tuna poke on a tostada shell. Outside, Big Easy Bucha served tea with Prosecco made pretty with some flower petal floaters. The long and exquisite dining room table was loaded with desserts. Beautiful desserts. Cookies in spoons in a beautiful presentation. Tiered trays of dark chocolate peanut butter cups and cupcakes and parfaits arrayed across the table in a most appetizing way. MA, who has never had sugar-free sweeteners, or as she calls it, “fake sugar” cross her lips, was appalled after she had eaten two peanut butter cups to hear the woman from the brand “Swerve” announcing all the desserts were sweetened with Swerve. So much for that. But she had to admit they were great.
It was a perfect night, a lovely evening with great friends, seeing a lot of other familiar faces, and most important, celebrating a great success story. Congratulations to Molly Kimball, Ochsner, Tory McPhail, and the entire EatFitNOLA team.
"The Eat Fit Cookbook" . Appropriately named.
