Nina Simonds — best known for her knowledge of Asian cooking — has penned eleven cookbooks including “Simple Asian 
Meals” her most recent book. She won four James Beard awards.
Nina recently became a “Certified Whole Health Educator” and has launched a wellness management practice teaching clients how to prepare healthy, affordable and easy meals and how to improve their general health and well-being. We connected many years ago through a professional culinary organizations and have continued our friendship over the years.
I recently caught up with her and asked her Guest Foodie questions.
Which food product or gadget would you never give up? I would never give up ginger, garlic, and the other herbs and spices in my Optimum Health Pantry (on my website) They are not only essential for great flavor, but most have remarkable therapeutic benefits.
My pantry of must have herbs and spices in your kitchen includes: basil, cardamom, dried chili peppers or flakes, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, onions, peppermint, thyme, 
and turmeric (a super spice that everyone is talking about because it is so powerfully anti-inflammatory and helps fight disease).
I particularly like the flavor of red onions, and they are very high in allicins, the therapeutic phytonutrient. BTW, allicin is very volatile when raw and sensitive to heat. If you chop garlic or onions and leave for 10-45 minutes, it increases the allicins and makes them impervious to heat.
It is really important that the spices be freshly ground. I encourage people to throw out most spices after 1 1/2 years, but volatile spices like turmeric should be bought every 3 months or so and only buy organic. The flavor is not bitter!
What do you like to serve when you entertain? When I entertain, I use seasonal menus to create a meal that is sumptuous, memorable and health-giving. For instance, an easy hors d’oeuvre is edamame that you’ve quickly blanched, refreshed in cold water and salted. Then I might serve a room temperature rainbow chicken salad with a spicy tahini dressing. (You can use spinach, whole wheat or non-gluten noodles.) I’d grill some seafood and steam or stir-fry a vegetable. Then dessert would be a simple seasonal fruit dessert such as cinnamon orange slices with candied ginger and agave nectar and perhaps some homemade or good quality ginger snaps.
Describe your “last meal?” My last meal might be my balsamic-glazed short ribs with garlic served with grilled asparagus and toasted quinoa flavored with assorted fresh, chopped herbs. For dessert, I’d eat a hot fudge sundae
What food is your secret guilty pleasure? My secret vice is dark chocolate, but it’s actually good for you.
What is your go-to neighborhood restaurant? We have a wonderful Indian restaurant in Salem called Passage to India that offers excellent Indian dishes including some of my favorite Southern Indian fresh herbal chutneys. I grew addicted to them when I was traveling in Kerala. Fortunately, my husband adores the food too.
What is one food product most people don’t know about, but should? Freshly ground turmeric is being recognized as a terrific herbs for it’s potent anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant properties which can also help retard aging and prevent disease. It MUST be freshly ground or it tastes bitter. I like to order it from the spice house, a terrific family business which offers an amazing variety of whole and freshly ground herbs.
Describe your worst kitchen disaster and how (if possible) you saved it: It’s hard to pinpoint my worst, but probably it was the time I was teaching at Macy’s Degustibus and my stir-frying set off the smoke alarm which summoned the local firemen. I just kept on cooking and thought it was pretty funny, but it was a little scary when the alarms went off and the firemen burst into the classroom prepared to put out a fire.
Who was your most influential mentor? I have been really privileged to study and work with some of the most talented Chinese chefs, French chefs, and doctors like Dr. Walter Willett from the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Jim Duke, one of the world’s foremost authority on herbs and spices and Dr. U.K. Krishna, an expert in Ayurvedic medicine.
– bonnie
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