Star Diet: How to Shop Like A Celebrity Chef

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Does your diet suck? Fact: Unlike Jennifer Lopez, most people can’t afford a celebrity chef…but they can still shop like one.

If you’re like me, you wander the grocery isles in a haze, trying to figure out where the hell to even start!

With clients like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Ben Affleck, Tobey McGuire, and more, Jeff Nimer -- who gave us a fabulous recipe last week -- is back with pro food shopping tips. Here’s how to feast like a star:

- Go top shelf: “Never cut corners, always buy the best products and know who you are buying from,” Jeff tells me.

- Try online produce delivery services like www.chefs-garden.com and www.brownetrading.com

- “Always buy organic,” he states simply. Easy!

- “Find a local butcher and become friends with them,” Jeff advises. “I prefer dry-aged steaks, which cost more but have a much more intense flavor.”

- Buy local: “Always use the Farmers Market first before using your local markets,” he suggests.

- “Only buy products that are seasonal and at the peak of the ripeness,” he says, adding that since we’re in the winter season to be on the lookout for: “Celery Root, Chayote Squash, Cherimoya, Coconuts, Cranberries, Diakon Radish, Garlic, Ginger, Pomegranate, Pumpkin, Quince, Rutabagas, Sweet Potatoes, Swish Chard, Turnips, Winter Squash, Yams, and Root Vegetables.”

- “Use the best cooking equipment,” he stresses. ”In my home, I always use all Clad LTD2, Global Knives, or Korin Blades. I shop at Surfas or even William Sonoma as well.”

- Don’t try to reinvent the pancake. “Stick to classic technique, and the food will speak for itself,” Jeff says.

- Must-have cookbooks: Larousse Gastronomique & Escoffier

Jeff shares more on his blog at www.socialculinaire.com