Katie Lee

A healthy mindset while cooking on the line isn't easy; a chef's focus is on creating delicious dishes all day, yet they often don't have time to eat a balanced meal themselves. In today's fast-paced environment, how can culinary talent stay healthy — and set a good example for diners along the way?

This question was the subject of a panel at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, where chefs Art Smith and Sue Torres, and Marc Murphy, culinary personality Katie Lee, and author Allison Adato talked about staying healthy in the food industry. While the easiest food to grab on the go — french fries, anyone? — isn't often the best choice, chefs recognize the importance of eating for health. Just ask Art Smith, who lost 95 pounds after a diabetes diagnosis. "There was no way I could run restaurants," he said of his prior health condition.

Now chefs like Smith are much more mindful about the impact their cooking has on clientele. "I'd rather have customers for a long time and not contribute to their demise," Smith says. "We are what we eat, and chefs are facilitators of food." Keep reading for a few healthy eating tips from chefs.

Colorful skirts have the ability to instantly take a separates ensemble from regular to totally spotlight-worthy. Need proof? Just take a gander at these three stars in their colorful printed skirts. Katie Lee's yellow and green Proenza Schouler skirt gave her black a tropical splash, Kerry Washington's colorful pleated floral skirt lent sweetness to her sleeveless leather blouse, and Jamie Lynn Sigler's printed peplum pencil skirt added much-needed color to her black tank and Yves Saint Laurent Tribute sandals. Want the same bright look for yourself? Shop our favorite colorful printed skirts below, then look to these three ladies for inspiration on how to rock them from dinners to parties to work.

The holidays are always a little hectic, and there's definitely some added pressure for those of us who volunteer to play host for a Hanukkah celebration, Christmas dinner, or New Year's Eve party.

We caught up with entertaining expert Katie Lee as she toasted her role as Clos du Bois wine ambassador in LA, and couldn't resist asking for some advice on how to make throwing a successful seasonal soiree less stressful. Over a wine pairing lunch at the Sunset Tower Hotel, we snagged her tips on everything from whipping up the perfect deviled egg to her favorite unexpected spot for finding party decor — as well as her food trend predictions for 2012. Katie also dished on some of her favorite easy-to-make recipes for cocktails and appetizers and gave us ideas on how to simplify and save money when playing host for friends and family.

YumSugar: You've got so many great recipes for appetizers. What will you be serving at your house this season?
Katie Lee: On Christmas Eve, I’m cooking a really big dinner. I have 20 people coming, so for the appetizers I’m doing more assembly, because I’m focusing on the main course. So, I like to do multiple crostinis. I get a baguette, slice it up, toast it. One that is a big hit is gorgonzola cheese with a dollop of fig jam. It’s excellent. I also will do some fresh ricotta. I pick it up at an Italian specialty store, [and add] really good extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. And then, I’ll do just a store-bought olive tapenade on a crostini . . . The one hors d'oeuvre that I always, always make at every party are my deviled eggs. It’s not a party at my house without deviled eggs!

YS: Do you have any tricks to making the perfect deviled egg?
KL: The secret to a good deviled egg is to not do too much to it. I just put mayonnaise and a little bit of yellow mustard in mine. Not Dijon. Yellow mustard — the cheap kind — and then I dress it up with the garnishes. So that’s where I get more creative, and for Christmas Eve or for New Year's, I’ll do a luxury deviled egg. I get some caviar, and it’s a good way serve a bunch of ingredients and stretch it. One small container of caviar can go on 20 deviled eggs, and then you save money on caviar and [don't have to] spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

Keep reading to check out the rest of Katie Lee's holiday entertaining tips.

The dish that I've probably made the most in my life is guacamole. When I started cooking, it's the first thing I mastered; I still remember learning how to make it from my dad. It's a dip that I never get tired of because there are tons of different variations and it's just so good! My latest favorite involves a whole head of roasted garlic. It's amazing how creamy and rich this guac is. The roasted garlic gives it a smooth texture and depth of flavor. The ingredient list doesn't call for tomatoes, but if you prefer guacamole with tomatoes, add them. Really, feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking! Check it out after the break.

Sometimes it's nice to prepare a big bowl of beans; then, you can use the beans over and over again to make different dishes throughout the week. Tonight I suggest you throw together a pot of these fragrant and flavorful black beans. The recipe calls for canned beans, so you don't have to worry about overnight-soaking or cooking for a long period of time. Serve the beans in a crispy taco shell, layered between two soft tortillas as quesadillas, or tossed with greens in a hearty salad. To get the fast and easy recipe, keep reading.

If you're in the mood for Mexican, but don't want to go the taco-enchilada route, I have the perfect dish for you: fish Veracruzano. It's a fragrant recipe from Katie Lee that was inspired by a meal she had in Veracruz, Mexico. The fish is cooked in a lip-smacking good sauce that's full of onions, jalapeños, and tomatoes. Green olives and capers give the sauce an irresistible salty and briny quality. The ingredient list calls for red snapper, but since it's on the avoid list in terms of sustainability, I opted for another white flaky fish. For a complete meal, serve with Spanish rice and a cold beer! Get the scrumptious recipe now.