Kristen Kish wants you to take care of your gut.
That is why, Best Chef The host has recently partnered Iberogast We joined forces to spread awareness about the need to incorporate gut-healthy ingredients into the standard diet. Thanks to this partnership, I had the opportunity to interview Kish in person at Dante West Village in New York City, where we enjoyed a gut-healthy lunch (including sourdough and marinated olives from Kish’s Austin restaurant, Arlo Gray!) and heard the chef talk about why he’s prioritizing the gut in his own diet.
In this exclusive article, we share more about Quiche’s favorite fermented foods, the hydrating drink she has every morning, and unexpected ways to cook her favorite veggies.
eat well: Is there anything you do in your daily life to improve your gut health?
Quiche: Everything. I work out every morning for gut, muscle, and cardiovascular health. And I drink water with lemon every morning, which really helps me stay hydrated. I do everything from getting plenty of sleep when I travel to incorporating more nutrition into my life on the road.
eat well: What’s your go-to travel food that makes you feel great?
Quiche: Honestly, sauerkraut and kimchi. Wherever you travel around the world, fermented foods are visible and available in every culture, and that’s what I love about it, because you can’t control everything you want to eat. Sometimes you just want something that tastes really good! So for me, fermented foods.
eat well: Why partner with Iberogast?
Quiche: My gut health journey doesn’t just stop at my gut. As I get older, some of us live our lives for ourselves, so I need to take care of myself too. I’m all for incorporating anything that helps me, and I’m willing to try, research and understand more. Plant-based is always a winner for me because I used to take name brand stomach medicines and they didn’t work, so being able to rely on something more natural is always ideal.
eat well: What is your favorite vegetable and how do you prepare it?
Quiche: To be honest with you, you’re probably thinking, “Are you really a professional chef?” I’m not joking or anything. This is something I’ve been told since I was a kid. My favorite vegetable is broccoli, but I like it a little cooked. I like it a little soft. And I like it with butter and soy sauce. I think that’s the way my mom used to make it. I eat bowls of broccoli on its own or with white rice and vegetables. Broccoli cooked to perfection feels cooked through.
eat well: Do you have any plans for the summer?
Quiche: This is the second year since we had our garden. We grow all our own lettuce, potatoes, and carrots. Snap peas are [abundant]you can eat it as it is. Oh, how sweet, crunchy and delicious. We just harvested the fresh tomatoes. Right now, the garden is the main focus, and then we start filming season 22. Best Chef.
eat well: What was the hardest thing about raising them?
Quiche: When you first start, everything is hard. My wife does the gardening and I cook the vegetables from the garden. This year we had a bit of a potato shortage and didn’t get as much as we would have liked. I think it was a bit of a lack of water, but it’s something to learn for next year.
