What We Eat


	Exact Match

Desert Island Dinners

What We Eat welcomes Dr. William Clower to our desert island.

Hello. Let me introduce myself. I am a neuroscientist (I study how the brain works) and a neuroscience historian (to learn how the thinkers who think about thinking thought their thoughts on the shifting boundaries between the brain, the mind, and the soul). Whew.

I went to France after getting my Ph.D. to work at the Institute of Cognitive Sciences in Lyon. I just knew I was going to blow up like a balloon after eating all those French cheeses, creams, pastries, breads - the list goes on and on. But I ended up losing several things: my weight, my fear of sumptuous foods, and the American tendency to micromanage the molecules of the meal. When I came home, I wrote The Fat Fallacy: Applying the French Diet to the American Lifestyle to describe the French diet, I created Perusal Press, Inc. to publish it, and www.FatFallacy.com to help publicize it. Now I'm going around the country talking to perfect strangers about the reasons why the French are so much thinner and healthier than us - and what we can do about it.

Now read about Will Clower's Desert Island Dinners experience:

WWE: Will Clower, thank you for joining us for Desert Island Dinners at What We Eat.
Will Clower: Thanks for having me.

WWE: OK, a quick breakfast question, how do you like your eggs cooked?
Will Clower: White hard, yellow runny. I was raised in the deep, deep South - pretty much the bottom, actually - where an egg without grits was like San Francisco without Sourdough or fog. So when I got my eggs on the plate with the grits, I always loved to cut them up and gamish them all together so that the grits got all yellowy. Mmmm.

WWE: Imagine that we whisk you off to a desert island. You are allowed one meal and one drink, but it has to be the same one every day. What would you choose?
Will Clower: Yellowy grits and a coke. Just kidding. I would begin by having the island chef, Jean-Pepé, prepare Upside-Down Salmon from the virgin streams of our desert-island paradise: slather with olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh basil and thyme; then sliced Vidalia onion (from Georgia, you know) topped with a healthy squeeze of lemon. Then my buddy Jean-Pepé would flip it and bake it tenderly at 350 for 30 minutes, so the skin protects that lovely meat from drying out. With the fish, Pepé le Chef would build the Asparagus Parmesan and Sundried Tomato Pasta with Vodka Crème Sauce found in The Fat Fallacy and, assuming ole J-P is bi-lingual, I'd have him just follow the recipe.

As for the drink, I would call for the garçon, Françoise-Marie, to bring out the wine - red, bien sur. "Françoise, Françoise" I say in my best French. He'd roll his eyes to show his total disgust at my inability to pronounce the 'r' sound without sounding like I'm gargling. "I'll have a 1990 Bordeaux." A grunt from F-M and he's off.

By this time, both J-P and F-M are happily disgusted by my behavior. Their superior grunting and bobbing is only interrupted by the dessert course. Something of the death-by-chocolate variety, caressed with a petit covering of a saucy tart raspberry sauce, so fresh it snaps back at you.

Given that this is my only meal, I would prolong the entertainment value of the waiter and chef by making it last about 3 hours.

WWE: We are pleased to tell you that we have decided to build a restaurant on your desert island. So to you, our only customer, what type of food would you like us to serve?
Will Clower: I could speak to J-P about some egg rolls, a breakfast burrito, a Weinershnitzle, or anything of the Scotch/Irish gruel variety, but I think he would convulse. So, in the interest of maintaining my desert island comedy relief, we'll just stick to French cooking.

The only exception that might still avoid a hernia by the chef would be some experimental Italian dishes.

WWE: Is there any restaurant that you'd like us to model ours after? Remember, you have to eat here every single day!
Will Clower: Mason des Vin in Chalon sur Saone, Burgundy. This place is, oddly enough for France, built of wood. But the décor is a pleasant pastel, with a grand open feeling created by the wall of windows facing the river.

WWE: As a special thanks to you for visiting our island, we will bring you a bag of goodies - what 5 food items would you like us to pack?
Will Clower: Ding Dongs, French Fries, Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers, and anything that will stain my finger neon orange. Just kidding. Chevre Chaud - a firm Sand Dollar sized morsel of fresh goat cheese wrapped in thickly sliced bacon. Warm this for me in the oven until the bacon is just done. Any ice cream by Breyers - with legible ingredients. Chocolate by Noir de Noir, Cocoa content > 65%. Chocolate covered espresso beans. Chasson Poire - its like a croissant with almond paste and a baked pear in the middle.

WWE: And we can't let you leave the island without making something extra special, so what Desert Island Dessert would you like us to make you?
Will Clower: See above. But if you feel the urge to surprise me, flourless chocolate cake would work (I'll pretend I had no idea it was coming). Be sure to make it rich, but not so heavy that you can't finish a small piece without feeling like you're going to explode onto the table. Milk is good to go with this: regular whole milk, not the fat free, taste free, milk-colored water. Alternatively, espresso works wonderfully with chocolate.

WWE: Thank you very much Will for supporting What We Eat and for sharing some food fun with all the foodies out there!
Will Clower: It's been a pleasure.

Read previous months' Desert Island Dinners interviews :

What I Eat