(continued)

GrahamKerr:
The great difficulty lay more in my attitude than in my family's reaction. I thought that I knew, by reading articles, that certain foods were risky, and so therefore were "bad." The problem with calling a thing "bad" when someone else likes it, is that the other person feels challenged, even thought to be bad themselves. This is not true! We have to -- and when I say that, I mean have to -- find a creative way of dealing with change. And I should have found out from Treena and my family what their preferences were and played those cards first, rather than simply telling them that by eating such-and-such, there would be dire consequences. Which I did, and which caused them to rebel. And in Treena's case, she spent seven years in that rebellion, leading up to her stroke and heart attack. That might have been prevented altogether had I only listened to someone like me. (rueful laugh) On the internet.

Mia:
Do you have advice for others trying to change to healthier lifestyles?

GrahamKerr:
I have in my book, Creative Choices, and on the internet, on Wellness on the Web, listed what I call a ="http://www.grahamkerr.com/from.htm" > food preference list. I ask people, everyone I know, to fill this in and then on one page they will see what they love most of all fitting into the heading "aroma," under the heading "color," under the heading "texture." When once you see this, you can begin to understand that these are your paints with which you will paint a picture of health.

Cindy:
What are some of your favorite restaurants?

GrahamKerr:
Hm. That is a spot! I'll ask back the question, "where?" Surely you don't mean in the whole world.

Cindy:
How about the best restaurants in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Portland, etc.)? I think that's where you live, right?

GrahamKerr:
Yes, of course I do. I think there about 315. I certainly do not wish to be facetious here. I think Seattle is one of the most important, novel, developing cities in the world with regard to food. Especially with the accent on freshness and creativity on the vegetable side. I'd like to suggest The Painted Table, and Rover's, and let's see now, Cafe Flora. And Wild Ginger. Those would be some good places. I would also like to suggest a cafe called Common Meals, which is run by an organization training homeless people to enter into the restaurant business by learning to cook with donated food, which is cooked for shelters and other disadvantaged folk. It's quite brilliant and well worth it, especially on Thursday nights when a guest chef comes in to do the cooking. Well worth it. Brilliant organization.

Savoy:
Your style of cooking has changed greatly since the days of the "Galloping Gourmet." Do you have any regrets about the show?

GrahamKerr:
No! I was trying the best I could to provide what I believed was necessary at the time to stimulate people to get back to the table. Those were days when Dean Martin came in and jumped on the piano brandishing a cigarette with a glass in one hand and we all laughed. Such behavior would not be a laughing matter today. We live in a different time. I lived then fully; I live now fully.

Kevin Staff:
Do you miss heavy cream and butter, or have your tastes changed with your change in lifestyle?

GrahamKerr:
My taste hasn't changed; my digestion has. I see no point in groaning my way home. That is definitely what would happen to me and to anyone who would eat low on the hog. I believe that it only takes about 6 months of variety on the lighter end of the scale to adjust one's digestive system quite profoundly -- and therefore high fat food becomes quite uncomfortable.

Hotsy:
Surely you're not an opponent of irradiated milk, etc.! Julia Child says it's all right, and even necessary, especially in developing countries.

GrahamKerr:
I'd like everyone to know that I'm not saying I'm in opposition to irradiated food! From what I've read I think it'd be safe and a boon to many people. My statement was to the fact that many people might be concerned and would therefore turn to natural foods.

Kevin Staff:
Who do you see are the up and comers in the food community that will inspire us to gastronomic greatness as you do?

GrahamKerr:
I would like to now apologize for the fact that I literally don't know the answer to that question. I have a problem in this regard, and that is that I have been overly busy for many years now and, by way of repentance, in a way, I could now announce that I'm cutting out my PBS television series, which has absorbed 114 days per year, in order to be more available to those I want to serve and to work alongside of -- those who are doing a good job at what I'm trying to do. I know of some, but I don't know enough to speak with authority

Altaira:
What are some of your favorite tricks for a fast and easy meal for the times when you have no time?

GrahamKerr:
I regard eating as an oasis in time, a place where -- Imagine with me that you are walking across a burning desert, up sand dunes and down the other side, and you see in the distance a mirage, that might be a Lexus motorcar or a Holiday Inn Hawaii, I don't know. But you keep on keeping on and avoid the oases on your left and right that are mealtimes, actual meal times, where there are dates to be eaten and water to be drunk and shade from the burning heat. If you can work with me in that metaphor: that's what we do today. We keep on keeping on and avoid 21 oases per week. I don't snack in a hurry! One may as well get to it properly. Now having said that, the first thing that sprung to my mind was to take an English muffin and toast it and then proceed to smash a banana into its crusty surface. Sprinkle it with -- of all things -- parsley, and sit down and eat it. With a good cup of tea. It's good! It's one of my favorites.

Mike Rapsis:
When you are not cooking or traveling, what do you and your wife, Treena, like to do for recreation?

GrahamKerr:
We sail. We have a 36 foot Nonsuch sailboat which we keep in the San Juan islands north of Seattle. Providing it isn't blowing a gale, we love to go out and drop a hook somewhere and cook a simple saute of ostrich and Portobello mushrooms.

Altaira:
Are there foods that you have never tried, or foods you feel you will never eat?

GrahamKerr:
Yes, I once saw two gentlemen in Singapore order a snake from a wicker basket. The snake was retrieved, cut around the throat and milked into a glass with a slice of lemon, I believe -- my eyes at this point were not exactly fixed on the glass. The men ate this with some relish; I'm sure I wouldn't be able to do that.

katie:
Tell us about your Web site, Wellness on the Web.

GrahamKerr:
It is to encounter the surfer with their wellness, or potential wellness. We all of us fit into one of four categories. Group number one: I am sick and I want to be well. For this I would recommend 10% calories from fat -- and this is described on the page. For those who are well and who don't want to be sick, group number two, I recommend 20% calories from fat. For group number three, those who are well and can't imagine ever being anything but well, by all means, have 40% from fat. Then there are those who say, "Get out of my way," and don't believe in all this percentage stuff. And I don't think it's my job to run after them, it's to serve the first three groups. So I set out to give the first three groups a practical example, in 20-second flashes from a show called A Tale of Three Chickens, doing it with 10, 20, and 30% fat. I'm told this is very helpful because you cannot say to the general public that 10% calories from fat is the okay level for everyone. That is way beyond what would be necessary for a large number of people. It is very important for all of us to find out where we are and to live in that level that is uniquely our own.

Dagon:
Of the over 1300 TV programs you have made, which have received the most feedback from viewers?

GrahamKerr:
Well, the Chinese gooseberry, now called a kiwi, ice cream, which was made in a mold that I couldn't extract from the mold. I tried every known method, and by the time I did extract it, the audience was falling down with laughter and I was mildly panicked. It was a very, very funny program. I must have earned royalties for that being played on Bloopers -- I must have seen it 20 times, it's one of those funny things.

Kevin Staff:
Which world cuisines have influenced your cooking the most and why?

GrahamKerr:
Italy. I consider it to be, from the North through to the extreme South, the most diverse and interesting and faithful cuisine that there is. It has color, use of fresh produce, and loads of texture, truly an elegant national treasure.

Hotsy:
Which recipes from your new book would you recommend for someone who is just now getting acquainted with you?

GrahamKerr:
In every single recipe I have put the time it takes to actually cut unscrew jars and assemble a dish, and the time that it takes unsupervised (like when something has to cook for 35 minutes, there's not much you have to do besides looking through the little glass door). I'd recommend looking through those numbers and picking the recipes that take the least amount of time. Gain confidence in the shorter ones in order to go on to the longer ones -- though even those aren't really so long, the longest is only 45 minutes or so.

Kevin Staff:
By the way I have always enjoyed your choice of neckties!