Paper Palate

When Harold Dieterle won Bravo TV’s Top Chef competition last month, I was happy. From the beginning, he focused his quiet energy and concentrated on cooking, pure and simple. He’s a chef and he came to cook. He steered clear of the backstabbing and negativity around him and just kept his eye on the prize. By doing so, he managed to win $100,000, which he is putting towards opening his own restaurant, Perilla, in New York this Fall. He recently gave Life & Style Weekly magazine tips on “How to Shop Like a Top Chef:”

Create the Ultimate Cheese Plate: A cheese plate should include at least one hard, one soft and one blue cheese. (To ensure the perfect serving temperature, remove selections from the fridge 30 minutes beforehand.) When choosing a cheese, look for a rind that has uniform color.

Buy the Freshest Fish. Don’t buy fish that smells like bleach or amonnia - it’s bad. And scope out the gills and eyes: A fresh catch has red gills and clear eyes.

Go Green. Cooking with fresh herbs adds a ton of flavor. Look for salad greens that have bright leaves and are neither moist nor dried out. To extend their shelf life, wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel before refrigerating.

Meat MO. If possible, buy a better-quality cut at a specialty shop instead of a supermarket. And steer clear of meat with an off-red color - it’s been exposed to air and will be dry.