When you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet, a lot of people try counting calories, avoiding alcohol, and passing up all junk food. It seems simple to lose weight, if you can stick to a super strict diet, right?

That used to be me, until I started working in the food industry. As a food blogger and a marketing manager for a fabulous catering company in New York City, I could argue that it has become my job to EAT. And trust me, it is impossible to count calories when someone is asking you to try a bite of truffled lobster macaroni and cheese (or parmesan pudding, see above) before 10 am. But it is not impossible to maintain a healthy weight and waistline while at the same time enjoying your food. It doesn’t all have to be grilled fish and undressed greens—you can be a foodie without being a fatty, just don’t overdo it.

I taste rich, delicious food all day long and instead of driving myself crazy focusing on what I can’t or shouldn’t eat, I focus on what I can. When I am in control of my meals, I make healthy choices and use portion control—that way when a small handful of maple bacon popcorn (I’m not kidding! It’s awesome!) comes near my mouth there’s no need to panic—and very little chance it will have a negative effect. I find that the same concept works well for dieting and eating healthy in general.

Don’t deprive yourself—reward yourself by eating foods that keep you healthy, full and energized. To learn about 5 easy ways to stay on track, head on over to the Women’s Health Magazine Food Blog: http://blog.womenshealthmag.com/food/you-can-still-be-a-foodie-and-lose-weight/

Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Boxes

Hotel Chocolat makes some of the best chocolate in the world. Sold in both the UK and the US online, you can place orders for gift boxes large and small to be delivered directly to your front doorstep. Some of the best gift boxes are the sleekster truffle sets for around $60, but if you want something a little bit less, shall we say, extravagant, they make plenty of chocolate boxes in the $25-$30 range. This beautiful dark chocolate selection box is only $25 and features a variety of soft, boozy truffles.

Leckerlee’s Lebkuchen – Specialty German Gingerbread Cookies

I had the pleasure of trying these German cookies a few weeks ago at the Brooklyn Flea and they are incredibly moist and chewy. Unlike any of our traditional American cookies, lebkuchen are considered to be the finest gingerbread in the world. And you can rest assured these are the real thing – the proprietor of Leckerlee lived in Germany for 2 and a half years, and has since perfected her recipe.  You can order them online in festive red tins and they come in two flavors, classic (covered with sugar glaze) and chocolate (completely dipped in dark chocolate – obviously this is the winner for me). One tin of 5 cookies is $28.

Monogramed Mugs

I just love my monogramed mug from Anthropologie. These are the perfect gift for a foodie because they look so cute in the kitchen, and of course that cup of tea or coffee goes perfectly with German gingerbread and dark chocolate truffles. Plus, they just went on sale today for $4 each – hurry and buy them for all of your friends before they sell out!

This Thursday, December 15th, Susan Miller is hosting a one-time only workshop on “What to Look Forward to in 2012.” Todd English will be there, taking us on a ‘culinary journey through a zodiac tasting, tailored to the event.’ There also be an open bar featuring cocktails inspired by the zodiac from mixologist Gwen Sutherland Kaiser and a killer astrology holiday shop.

And just when you were thinking it couldn’t get any better… oh, it can. They will also be giving complimentary Shellac manicures. See you there! 

WHERE: CrossBar at the Limelight, 47 W. 20th St. at Sixth Ave, New York, NY 10010

WHEN: December 15, 2011 – 6:30pm

WHO: Internationally known astrologer Susan Miller, renowned chef Todd English, mixologist and founder of Intoxicated Zodiac, Gwen Sutherland Kaiser. Sponsors include Rue La La, TY KU, Perrier and CND Nail.

COST: $225 per ticket (all inclusive food, open bar, lecture and entertainment)

For more information or to purchase ticket please visit http://noise784.com/#/events

SoulCycle

Soul Cycle is not your average spin class. It’s more like balls-to-the-wall spinning on speed, and it lives up to all of the hype. Make sure you are clipped into your bike plenty of time before the class starts because as soon as the lights go off, the candles flicker on and the music pumps through the speakers, there is no turning back. The music is louder than loud, the instructors are insane – in a good way –and it is the best full body workout you’re going to get indoors in less than an hour. A mixture of crunches, high intensity spin and weight training on the bikes delivers an incredible 45-minute workout that gets your endorphins going – and your calories burning – like never before.  ($32 per class)

Why I love it: It’s FUN, it’s dark, and you can’t think about anything else other than your workout – the perfect stress reliever.

Barry’s Bootcamp

Barry’s Bootcamp came to NYC recently from LA and it is no joke. Trademarked as “The Best Workout in the World,” it is basically one hour of calorie burning (600+ calories!) hell – with great music of course. All Barry’s Bootcamp classes are one hour, and each class includes 25 to 30 minutes of interval cardio routines on the treadmills (death) and 25-30 minutes of strength training using free weights. According to the professionals, the idea is to continually “shock” the body, which is the fastest way to lose weight. Keoni – the only instructor I’ve taken the classes with – is motivational without being mean. He adds a bit of humor to the hour of torture, which makes showing up a lot more do-able. ($25-$32 per class)

Why I love it: I feel like a Kardashian when I leave. Kidding. Kind of. It’s really the best way to blast fat and calories that I’ve ever come across. Gets the job done.

Willpower & Grace

Willpower & Grace is perfect for the person who doesn’t need a crazy intense workout but wants to sweat and burn fat. You want your workout to mean something, but you don’t want to feel like you’re dying a 60-minute death. Introduced to me by JO*ana Meneses of Body Roots, Willpower & Grace combines barefoot training, plyometrics, yoga, pilates and even a bit of dancing around for a workout that gets your heart rate up and your buns burning, all using your own body weight for toning. If you’re looking for a new way to mix up your fitness regime and you want to have fun – and look good doing it – call JO*ana and sign up to be introduced to a whole new world of Willpower and Grace. Visit Body Roots’ website to find out more about one on one training.

Why I love it: It’s a combination of exercise for the mind and the body, and it’s a challenge without being vomit-inducing! JO*ana is a fabulous instructor with enough experience to help you really achieve the results you want.

Launching today in NYC with Scott Conant from Scarpetta, tomorrow from 2-3 pm the massive All-Clad food truck will be on its way to Roosevelt Field, Garden City, NY. You can join me and the All-Clad team for a Saturday afternoon cooking session with Michael Anthony from Gramercy Tavern.

Michael Anthony was nominated for the 2008 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in New York City, and he specializes in New American Cuisine. Don’t miss this opportunity to try Anthony’s gourmet cooking without having to pay big bucks to eat in his restaurant!

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the All-Clad truck will be popping-up at different New York locations throughout the month of September. You can find out where to get your free grub (and which celebrity chef you’ll be rubbing elbows with) by following All-Clad’s facebook and twitter pages.

The event was fabulous, from the crowd (Rachel Zoe, Emma Roberts, RHONY Kelly Bensimon) to the fashions, to the impressive design of the whole event by David Stark and – of course – the food, darling. 

Creative Edge Parties used the trademark zigzag Missoni patterns to inspire serving trays that got people buzzing (Martha Stewart may or may not have been seen taking a photo of our smoked salmon hors d’oeuvre with her phone). For this party, it was important that the catering matched the Missoni branding and overall concept of the event, and I think you’ll agree our team did a smashing job. 

To prepare you for when the line hits stores next week, I spent a few hours perusing the fashions, and I picked out some of my favorites…

 The dress is $54 – expensive for target – but it is SO cute for fall: 

I loved all the house wares, especially these pink tumblers ($3.49) and large vases ($39.99):

The Missoni bike! ($400)

I also had my eye on all of the Missoni PJ’s, including this robe. Everything is so cute and comfy. Definitely worth checking out.

…and of course we cannot forget about the food. Check out Creative Edge Parties’ amazing ideas… 

Missoni Shots, including lavender-infused vodka lemonade:

Smoked Salmon Napoleon:  

A Duo of Savory Missoni Macarons (Prosciutto & Fig + Caprese): 

• What? The All-Clad Celebrity Chef Tour of NY – free food and cooking demos from their big, shiny food truck!
• Where? I’ll be revealing the location on Friday, September 9
• When? Saturday, September 10th

As announced by Grub Street earlier this week, the first-ever All-Clad Chefs Tour is launching in New York City tomorrow. Right on trend with the city’s food truck revolution, their branded, mobile kitchen will feature All-Clad celebrity chefs, demonstrating how to cook with… signature All-Clad cookware, of course.

You won’t be able to miss the truck, stationed in surprise ‘pop-up’ spots around New York throughout the month of September. The best part about it? The food-truck demos are featuring the city’s top chefs and gourmet cuisine for free – all you have to do is keep an eye for the reveal of the location, and then show up!

The first stop on the tour tomorrow will feature Scott Conant of Scarpetta (I die) and his spinach and ricotti gnudi outside the uptown Bloomingdales (by the Third Avenue entrance), from noon to 2 p.m.

The second stop, this Saturday (September 10th) will be revealed TOMORROW by yours truly at www.ravenouslibby.com. That’s right, tomorrow morning I’ll be exclusively revealing where the All-Clad truck will stop this weekend to do a fabulous, free cooking demonstration with one of the hottest chefs in town.

As the All-Clad truck pops-up at different New York locations throughout the month, you can find out where to get your free grub (and which celebrity chef you’ll be rubbing elbows with) by following All-Clad’s facebook and twitter pages.

Are you a Ravenous Libby reader and want to come along? I get to pick a few of you to come with me for a VIP tour of the truck and session with the chef – just leave a comment and I’ll be picking a few at random tomorrow.

Beauty & Essex in the Lower East Side may not be the newest restaurant in town, but  it is on my list of favorites in NYC. Mostly because they have free champagne in the bathroom.

What appears to be an old pawnshop on Essex Street actually leads you into a beautiful, dark and elegant dining room with oversized furniture. The cocktails are delicious and the menu – broken up into sections like ‘Accessories’ and ‘Jewels on Toast’ – was perfect for a girly, celebratory birthday meal.

The menu is largely made up of sharing plates and they will accommodate whatever size group you have. Most small plates are made for 4 people, but as we had six diners they added a few extra bites to each plate (this of course was not free of charge).

Tomato Tartare with a Sunny Side Up Quail Egg

Lobster and Asparagus Pizza

Grilled Cheese & Bacon Tomato Soup Dumplings

I also loved the lobster tacos, root beer & cookies dessert, and of course the free champagne in the bathroom.

Earl’s Beer and Cheese – Harlem

When Earl’s Beer and Cheese was named New York’s best cheap eat joint by New York Magazine, it instantly made its way to the top of my to do list. Although it’s further than one would usually travel for beer and cheese, it is worth it. They have a variety of beers on tap as well as cheap cans, and the chef comes from Momofuku, adding an unexpected Asian twist on some of the dishes with ingredients like kimchi and miso.

They have the most delicious beer cheese spread to start with, and our sandwiches – including the NY Cheddar, pork belly, kimchi and a fried egg – were insane. The best sandwich was definitely the Calabro mozzarella with miso mayo and dill pickles on an English Muffin. You can skip the goat cheese and rosemary mac ‘n cheese – it sounds better than it tastes.

And if you’re still not sold on Earl’s, let me just tell you about their bread pudding. Made with brioche, maple syrup, brown sugar and granny smith apples, and topped with maple cotton candy, it is reason enough to trek it up to Spanish Harlem any day of the week.

Main dishes range from $6-$11 and beers are about $5.

Paulie Gee’s Pizza  - Greenpoint, Brooklyn

I love this pizza place so much. With toppings like fig, prosciutto and gorgonzola cheese or their famous ‘hot honey’ and salami, you can’t go wrong. The restaurant in Greenpoint is dark but lit with candles (better for fall/winter or a rainy Summer night) and the pizza oven was imported from Naples, Italy. Whether or not this pizza is “authentic” Italian, I don’t really care. It is incredible. And Paulie Gee, the cutest man ever, walks around to each and every table making sure his customers enjoyed the food. Pizzas are about $15.

Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront from 10am to 5pm, more than 100 vendors set up shop at Brooklyn’s food flea market selling just about everything you can imagine from fresh lobster rolls and fish tacos to Vietnamese street food (for only $5-$15 per item). Situated next to a lovely little grassy knoll on the water, Smorgasburg is the perfect stop for a Saturday picnic in the sunshine.

A couple of weeks ago I went with my family and tried just about every thing Smorgasburg had to offer, and some of the fan favorites included:

Speedy Romeo’s Mozzarella Salad with fresh pesto, pickled jalepenos and tomatoes

Chonchos Tacos Baja Fish Tacos

The Good Batch’s Goodwich salted oatmeal, dark fudge chocolate ice cream sandwich cookie was one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth, EVER.

*photo credit, The Good Batch.

We also loved BEP’s Vietnamese bun noodles, Sunday Gravy’s goat cheese and grilled pepper bruschetta, and Blue Bottle’s New Orleans iced coffee.

Smorgasburg can be overwhelming at first, especially for the overzealous foodie type like me, so be sure to do a loop or two around the place before you decide to dive in!

Have a look at what other products BAO has to offer here: http://www.drinkbao.com/

*I have been drinking and purchasing my own BAO kombucha for months, and when I expressed interest and mentioned I might write a blog about it, the company sent me a few free bottles. Good people, eh?