What's Cookin' at AMC
Chef Billy: Cooking Lights Up His Life

Cooking Light Executive Chef Billy Strynkowski dished last week about what he's preparing for the October 29 AMC Monday night dinner, where hes slated to share the limelight with other celebrity chefs Rocco DiSpirito and Lucinda Scala Quinn of Martha Stewart Living.

Since AMC is set for Boca Raton, Florida, he says he's eyeing Floridian and Caribbean foods, especially seafood. "I love cooking fish, like grouper." He's particularly enthused about including a fish taco with papaya and coconut salsa and ceviche on his menu. The latter is raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice and often served with oil, onions, peppers and seasonings, usually as an appetizer. In fact, when asked his own favorite recipe, he puts fish taco at the top of his list. Whatever the dish, he gravitates toward incorporating "the freshest possible seasonal ingredients and vegetables." 

One thing that aspiring cooks forget is visual impact, Strynkowski says, because presentation is a major ingredient. "People eat with their eyes," he explains. "People love seeing something of beauty on their plate. As chefs, we're what I like to call 'temporary artists.'"

So what's on his taste palette for AMC dessert? He's leaning toward "something Caribbean...some sort of fruit. Maybe coconut, a coconut cake or tart."
  
With Time Inc.'s Cooking Light celebrating its 20th anniversary, Strynkowski says AMC guests probably will get something to take away besides full stomachs, such as cookbooks or sample recipes from among the 10,000-plus that have appeared in the magazine alone. Strynkowski, who writes the magazine's "Kitchen Tips with Chef Billy," also develops recipes in the Cooking Light Test Kitchens.

His guilty pleasures "change by the month and with the weather," but Strynkowski counts lamb among them. "I love lamb. I love meat." Given the food police crusade against red meat, can he make a healthy meat-based meal? Yes, but he cautions, "Everything needs proper balance. There are different red meats that are less fatty, such as filet mignon or tenderloin, especially braised."

What are some of his cooking no-nos? "Overcooked fish is a no-no with me," he says. "Never let meat rest before cooking. And don't add onion and garlic together when browning garlic for tomato sauce."

Hot! Hot! Hot! 

Early in the film No Reservations, Zeta-Jones' character "starts talking about foie gras, quail and truffles," Strynkowski points out. "A major movie talking about foie gras, quail and truffles! That goes to show you cooking is going mainstream."

Strynkowski has a theory for all this foodie mania. "Over the past 10 years, the media started educating people on great foods. And now with the Internet, people can easily purchase ingredients for gourmet meals. The average persons who didn't see themselves with cooking ability can now feel more comfortable. The more you practice, the better you get."

If they can't stand all the media heat, chefs should get out of the kitchen. But not Strynkowski. In part due to this feeding frenzy, Cooking Light's Strynkowski-hosted Supper Club series is cooking with gas. He travels the country with that series, which he calls "very popular on the road. We're running with it."

Actor Eckhart, who costars in No Reservations, recently quipped in a TV interview that "Chefs just wanna be rock stars." Strynkowski agrees, to a degree. "Everybody wants to be Mick Jagger, but, you know, it takes a lot of work to be Mick Jagger. All the chefs are working very hard." He himself has been on the road in July-August. "Right now, I'm at Princeton University. Last week I was in Alabama."

Speaking of Jagger, Strynkowski has served him and a galaxy of stars as diverse as Caroline Kennedy, Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, Al Pacino, Eddie Murphy and President Bill Clinton. One thing he's noticed, he says, Its very important people eat simple foods...tenderloin, lobster..."

And a rat may star in Ratatouille, but don't talk to Strynkowski about rats as a mouth-watering meal. Although MSNBC.com reported last month that upscale Chinese restaurants in southern China were serving rats as an exotic dish, AMC attendees can rest assured that rats won't be on their menu. "No! No! No!" he exclaims. "I will not be serving rats in my lifetime!"

After he was hired by Cooking Light in 2001, he began exercising and dieting, and lost 60 pounds. He emphasizes that Cooking Light is "a healthy lifestyle magazine, not just a food magazine. Exercise and diet are the keys to longevity." Giving up after-dinner snacking was the most difficult part of his regimen at the time, he recalls. "Eating late is a no-no." 

The single toughest thing to give up: "Pizzaespecially being from New York. But," he adds quickly, "I treat myself to a slice or two a week, if I'm good!"

Man doesn't live by cooking alone. What are Chef Billy's other passions? "My hobby is cooking, too. Besides that, I enjoy music, sports, reading."