After-Work Gourmet by Lisa Messinger

When many of us go on vacation, the food is often as lush as the surroundings and it's almost considered a given that we'll return fatter rather than fitter. However, it doesn't take a trip to a spa to get lean.

I recently related to actress Regina King ("Jerry Maguire," "Miss Congeniality 2," "Southland") in an interview she gave regarding her favorite spot, the Four Seasons Resort Bali.

"You know how you go on vacation and you come back bigger?" she mused, after raving over the bungalows that hang out to sea. "We didn't. We ate fruit and fish."

I, too, had experienced such a phenomenon on my last trip to Italy. It was to Garda Lake, the country's largest lake, in Northern Italy near Verona, about halfway between Venice and Milan. I was there to participate in tastings of prosciutto and study the making of Grana Padano, the semi-fat hard cheese that's like Parmigiano-Reggiano, and has since outsold it becoming Italy's favorite cheese.

Not only were those ingredients in many of the meals — like those we enjoyed outside on a picturesque lagoon at Hotel Lugana Parco al Lago, which also owns a winery — but so were lots of vegetables, seafood and barely any pasta. Almost every meal was followed by not a rich choice, but a simple, fresh fruit dessert.

Like King, I returned from vacation lighter, rather than heavier, even after eating some of the best food I'd ever tasted. I committed to feasting that way stateside as well.

At home, instead of puffing up by emulating the dishes of a calorie-laden trip, why not prepare some of the world-class cuisines of trimmer spots? Recipes from the favorite locales of King and I are below, and here are some other ideas:

— Japan: In Japan, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, which was featured prominently in one of my favorite films, "Lost in Translation" with Bill Murray and a just-discovered Scarlett Johansson. However, at home watch that DVD in the morning and make your meal of choice sushi, just like the locals and visitors in Tokyo often do. Reservations at sushi bars near the famed Tokyo fish market are booked ahead and packed in the early mornings just when the fresh catch comes in.

— Greece: "If you need to lose weight and detox your body, have some ancient Greek food for a few days," writes www.ezines.com, as well as many physicians and medical researchers. Start by drizzling olive oil on virtually all your lean choices to improve not only flavor, but possibly heart health as well. Try some fare from "The Classical Cookbook" (Getty Publications, $27.95), which features the food of ancient Greece and Rome. It's delicious: We prepared a spread from the book for a photo (and tasting!) at the fountains of the original Getty Museum Villa in Malibu, Calif., and flanked it with some museum pieces from the era.

— Africa: Try African curries filled with lean meat and greens. The enzymes in mangoes are also thought to promote weight loss.

— Alaska: I interviewed the chefs in the exclusive private guide fishing resorts along the Inside Passage. Sure, grilled salmon is wonderful with little adornment and considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet. However, when you are smack in the middle of the salmon capital of the world, you learn to prepare this world-class ingredient hundreds of interesting ways, which contributes even further to good health. For information and a bounty of innovative recipes, like Cajun-style and ginger-sesame, go to www.welovefish.com/salmon.htm.

BALINESE SATAY

3 shallots

3 garlic cloves

Small piece ginger root, peeled

2 small red or 1 large plump red chiles (see Note)

1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

2 cups minced chicken or lamb

1 tablespoon unsweetened ground coconut

Salt, to taste

Lemongrass stalks or wooden skewers, for serving

Banana leaves, for serving (optional)

Yields 6 appetizer or 4 main dish servings.

Thinly slice then finely chop the shallots, garlic and ginger.

Now finely chop the chile, including the seeds. This amount of chile gives a spicy but not too fiery kick to the chicken satay, but discard the seeds if you don't like the heat.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and chilies and fry for 1 to 2 minutes just to soften. Carefully pour in a couple of tablespoons of water to soften, then stir in the spices and lime juice and fry for a minute.

Remove the pan from the heat, let the mixture cool down, then blend to a paste with a pestle and mortar, using an up-and-down motion with the pestle. It will take several minutes to make a soft paste.

Mix the spice paste, minced chicken and coconut. Season with salt.

Break off pieces of the mixture the size of a large walnut. For each, flatten into a round and lay a lemongrass stalk or wooden skewer in the centre. Mould around the bulbous end of the stalk (or skewer).

Rough up the surface a little with your fingers so that the meat is not completely smooth and has some texture. Then set aside while you shape the rest of the skewers. Brush each skewer with extra oil.

Cook the skewers on a preheated barbecue, griddle pan or grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning several times, and making sure chicken is cooked through. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of at least 165 F. Serve on banana leaves.

Note: Experts recommend wearing rubber gloves when handling chilies and not touching your eyes during or afterward.

— Four Seasons Resort Cooking School Bali

LINGUINE WITH FISH A LA HOTEL LUGANO PARCO AL LAGO

Sweet yellow or red onion, enough to make 1/2 cup chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic

3 or 4 ripe plum tomatoes, fresh or canned, with their juice

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Dried red-pepper flakes, to taste

4 ounces linguine

2 to 3 ounces olive oil

10- to 12-ounce fillet of boneless walleye pike or other easily flaked freshwater fish

Yields 2 servings.

Peel the onion and garlic. Chop the onion coarsely and mince the garlic fine. Cut the tomatoes into good-size chunks and put them in a small bowl with their juices; season the tomatoes to taste with salt, black pepper and a discreet shake of dried red-pepper flakes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and put in the linguine, stirring at first so the pasta doesn't stick together. Then cook at a steady boil until al dente or as per package instructions, typically 8 to 10 minutes.

Put the oil in a skillet large enough to hold the fish later, put it over medium-high heat, and cook until the oil sizzles. Put in the chopped onions and garlic and saute them briefly until they're translucent and aromatic.

Turn the heat down to medium. Put the fish fillet in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully turn it over and cook for another 3 minutes or until the flesh is opaque. Carefully peel off and discard the skin.

Put in the tomatoes and their juice, and gently flake the fish with a fork until it falls into pieces. Reduce heat to low and simmer just until the fish is done; don't overcook. If you time things right, the fish and pasta should be done about the same time.

Drain the pasta and stir it into the simmering tomato sauce and flaked fish. Toss to blend, and serve promptly in warmed bowls.

— www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "Cooks' Books" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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