Are you working on any exciting projects at the moment?
Absolutely. I am working on a big pilot for a show in America; I will be hitting the screens in January as the new This Morning chef, joining the new team. I have my first solo book, ‘Gizzi’s kitchen Magic’ coming out in March among loads of other things. It’s fair to say its pretty exciting times.
How easy is it to make indulgent dishes low in fat?
It depends on the dish, while filming Cook Yourself Thin we really took the challenges on board seriously and as chefs it was important for flavour to be the first priority. I tended to look at foods that just happened to be low fat due to cooking technique as inspiration and work from there. There are certain things that simply don’t work cooked skinnier. Cheesecake is one of them, you just can’t get the viscosity and it always tastes gritty. But then there are some that work brilliantly. The ‘Angel food blueberry cupcakes’ are a phenomenon. I know everyone is short for time these days but cooking from scratch is a great calorie saver, especially where baking is concerned.
How important is a healthy diet to you?
Diet is very important to me in many ways. Firstly I like to know everything I put into my body has a part to play in how my body runs. When I eat badly my body tends to get tired quickly or my skin goes bad so I only eat fresh ingredients and try to eat a wide variety of colours. I also believe in everything in moderation. Today I made Carbonara for lunch, the full fat version and I loved every mouthful of it. I had a small portion which allowed me to enjoy it without too much guilt and I will eat ‘better’ tonight maybe eating some griddled fish with a Thai salsa Verde and tons of greens. Saying that I cannot go without my nightly square of Butterscotch Green and Blacks chocolate.
Are you a fan of berries?
Not just a fan, a superfan! I eat them on a weekly basis as often as I can. Whether I’m grazing on them throughout the day or popping them in my porridge or smoothy, they are always in my shopping basket, (without fail). I heard that not only are they fab for anti aging but for cellulite too, and they are more delicious than guzzling vitamins that’s for sure.
What is your favourite way to eat berries?
I can eat berries right out of the punnet and be more than content with that but it depends on the berry. I love blueberries when they are baked into cakes so they have a sweet sour burst as you bite into them. I love blackberries in compotes or crumbles, raspberries and strawberries the old fashioned way with a dribble of cream.
