Eating Sensibly

When I was eighteen, I rented a room from a former ballerina who had danced with The Royal Ballet in London. Her name was  Rosemary Valaire. She was a very famous ballet teacher and coach in Santa Monica, California. I loved taking her classes and watching her teach. Her close friend, (the director of the ballet school,) Yvonne Mounsey, jokingly referred to her as "the sage of Mar Vista." She was a very wise and accomplished woman. Just being in her presence made me feel spiritual and hopeful. She had worked with many famous dancers and was highly respected in the ballet world. She and Yvonne were turning out a large percentage of professional dancers my age.  I liked being around her. It was exciting.

At that time of my life I was starting to become concerned about my weight. I had always been lean. I had a dancer's body, thanks to my gymnastics and early Cecchetti training. Once in LA, I took a part time job to pay for my classes and expenses. After I started working at Mac Donald's and eating their free food, I began to get  a little heavier. I remember catching a glimpse of my reflection in the large glass windows outside the studio and thinking, "Is that my butt?" I was shocked. I had never really had to worry about what I ate. I was getting to that age, however. When living at home, my mom had always been an excellent cook. She used to make dinner early, at about 3:00 p.m.   That way I could eat a large meal before I went in to the studio each afternoon. I assisted the children's classes, and then took my own classes  until 9:00 p.m. My dad would save me a second helping to have once I got home, which I really appreciated. It was always on the stove when I walked in the door. Everyone else was in bed, and the house was dark.  I loved her cooking. It was delicious and nourishing. I was fortunate that we had good quality meals: either meat or chicken, potatoes, and salad. She also made several delicious casseroles.   

Once I moved in with Rosemary, I had a whole new experience in the kitchen. Rosemary made a large salad every night, with homemade Italian dressing. I loved the fresh garlic that she pressed into the wooden salad bowl with her garlic press. I had never seen one before. She sprinkled the herbs on top of the salad  before serving it. It felt very European to me. She had two orange trees growing in her backyard. We were able to pick oranges whenever we wanted, and we could have freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast. I was enamored with the whole scenario, and vowed that I would have my own citrus trees when I grew up and bought my own home.  

Rosemary taught me not to diet, but to eat sensibly. We ate a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and she brewed delicious French Roast coffee every morning. She liked her coffee very hot. She ground her own beans that she bought at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. She would heat the milk on the stove,and reheat the coffee after it had run through her Melita drip grinder. She placed everything on a fancy tray, and  and then would strain the milk through a small sterling silver strainer. I found the whole ritual fascinating. She had flourless whole wheat toast every morning. A few times a week she would scramble eggs, which were brown. We had always bought white eggs at our house. I thought the brown ones were prettier. She was a great example of a healthy and reasonable eater.

She explained to me that if you just eat sensibly, you don't need to diet. She bought delicious nut breads at Trader Joe's, and would have a slice of those as a treat with her coffee. She taught me how to make an apple pie with a homemade crust. She used butter, whole wheat pastry flour, and she made a lattice top. Her rolling pin was made of grey marble. Ours growing up was wooden. I thought hers was just gorgeous. The pie was delicious. I was very enthusiastic about learning her recipes. "You're a good cook," she told me. That just sent me. My mom had taught me well. If Rosemary asked me to make a white sauce when I helped her in the kitchen, I knew what to do. She would nod at me approvingly. 

Thanks to Rosemary and my mom, I never had to diet. Rosemary told me to stop eating "that MacDonalds," and she wouldn't allow it in the house. We didn't eat any garbage there. I kept up the habits I learned with her, and found it easy and natural to stay slim. Eventually I bought my own cottage in Los Angeles, and one of the first things I did was to plant fruit trees. When I got my first show and moved out of her house, she presented me with my own marble rolling pin. I think it was from Williams Sonoma. I showed it to my mom and she was very impressed. Now whenever I have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, I think of her.