Local Chefs Create Healthy Cuisine

By Barbara Voris Eastman

A lot more people would commit to eating healthy if they were lucky enough to enjoy a meal prepared by Judy Kite-Gosh or Mary Graham, two eminent Beach Coast Chefs who bring freshness, excitement, and artistry to healthy food. Somehow we equate healthy eating with deprivation. The reality is that we can leave the table completely satisfied—body and soul—after consuming a meal that is lovingly prepared with fresh, nutrient-rich ingredients that taste and look exquisite.

A Champion of Local Farmers
Judy Kite-Gosh is well known throughout the region for her deep commitment to celebrating locally grown foods. In fact, she is so passionate on the subject that she helped write and produce an hour-long PBS special, “Farm Fresh to You,” with Emmy Award-winning producer, Angel Hernandez of WNIT/South Bend. Judy is the chef/owner of The Retro Café Restaurant in New Buffalo, Michigan, as well as Kite’s Kitchen, a bakery and catering business.

Judy is also a champion of the “Slow Food” movement which, according to the organization’s website, is “A global grassroots movement…that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and environment.” Judy and other like-minded people believe that the food we eat, whether produce or animals, should be grown and harvested using sustainable farming methods that do not adversely affect our bodies or our planet. She wouldn’t think of ingesting plants treated with pesticides or animals shot full of growth hormones and doesn’t think anyone else should either! She is committed to educating her customers—and anyone else who will listen—about the benefits (nutritional and economical) of buying and cooking with locally grown, seasonal foods.

Our Entire Bodies Are Affected By What We Eat
Mary Graham is the chef at Spa Reverie in La Porte, Indiana. This beautiful oasis of tranquility and luxury is located just off Johnson Road. Owner Beth Warren generously spent time with me recently and explained that she could not find a place like Spa Reverie without getting on a plane. “There is simply nothing like it in the entire region and I wanted to provide people in the area with an unforgettable spa experience that focuses on wellness. And that starts with the food we eat. A person who eats fresh, healthy foods will see the effects on their skin, nails, and hair and feel it in their bodies.” Beth continued, “So much of our well-being depends on a healthy diet. Our digestive systems--our joints—everything is affected by what we ingest. I firmly believe that how we eat even influences our outlook on life. People who eat fresh, healthy food are generally more balanced and happier.”

Beth considers herself fortunate to have found Chef Mary Graham, who has spent her entire adult life learning about wellness and healthy eating. Mary is an avid traveler and a lifelong learner. She has lived in or visited Europe, Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Bali and has acquired knowledge of the foods of these and other cultures. She was trained in the French methods of cooking, but as she evolved she learned that she could replace butter and cream with fresh ingredients and exciting spices to create her own brand of clean fusion cuisine. In the process she has not compromised taste—she has elevated it—and explains that “fun, flavor, and variety won out over fat and fancy!”

Respect for Food Came Early in Life
Judy Kite-Gosh grew up in an environment where the preparation and presentation of food was almost reverential. As a young adult, Judy relocated to Chicago where she worked in a corporate job. When she no longer found it fulfilling she bought an RV and went off to see America. During her journey of self-discovery she concluded that the only thing that would make her happy would be to pursue her real passion, which is food. Eventually, she returned to her home state of Michigan and opened a restaurant and catering business in New Buffalo. She said that her little corner of Michigan has everything she wants or needs, including a vibrant agricultural community, According to Judy, “70% of the crop varieties in the entire United States grow in Berrien County alone.”

A Passion for Health and Wellness
Mary Graham has attended more seminars on healthy living than she can count and is a recent graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The Institute includes on its faculty such wellness pioneers as Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, Barry Sears, Neal Barnard and others.

Spa Reverie has its own bio-dynamic garden managed by Randy Hansen. During the growing season, Randy harvests the ingredients for Mary’s cuisine so it’s fresh from the garden to the table. When winter comes to the Beach Coast, Mary uses local resources for organic fruits and vegetables, poultry and fish. She serves little red meat, but will certainly do so to accommodate client requests.

Having lived in and visited so many far way places, Mary has become a master at seasoning her food with exotic spices.  Her food artfully combines the tastes of her life adventures from France to Indonesia and other cultures.  Mary takes as much care plating her food as she does preparing it. In addition to her duties as chef, she conducts healthy cooking classes and provides individual counseling and consultations in health, seminar and training service, menus, events, and healthy lifestyle practices.

Retro Café and Kite’s Kitchen
801 W. Buffalo St.
New Buffalo, MI
(269) 469-1899

Spa Reverie
3634 North 700 West
La Porte, IN
(219) 861-0814
www.spareverie.com

Mary Graham
Certified Health Coach
Member of American Association of Drugless Practitioners
www.innergeticlife.com