Heart Attack

There are moments in life when food doesn't matter. It's hard for me to admit that, but it's true. Some of those moments are so bad that your appetite just disappears. When you find out that your dad is sick and he's not going to get better, I can promise that you won't be hungry. But there's a flip side. It happens when things are so great that you forget food even exists. For me, the best of those moments is when I realize I'm falling in love with somebody.

I've never really understood the term “salad days.” I always assumed it was supposed to mean the time when you were so poor that you could only afford to eat salad, but salads are pretty expensive so my theory doesn't make sense. Unless you're just eating a head of lettuce. 

I'm trying something a little different this week for Heart Attack. Instead of a straight-up column, I decided to interview Michael Chiarello about his thoughts on food and love. After watching him compete on Top Chef Masters and The Next Iron Chef, it's clear right away that the guy's a charmer.  So he seemed like a perfect choice to dispense some chefly advice.