Would You Trust a 145-Pound Chef?

Feb. 10, 2010 — -- "Never trust a skinny chef," the saying goes. And for the longest time many foodies haven't, as far as famous chefs are concerned, at least.

The face-stuffing celebrity gourmets hold a special place in diners' cholesterol-filled hearts. When it comes to cooks, many people like them jolly, such as acclaimed Italian chef Cesare Casella.

Casella's New York City shop, Salumeria Rosi, is filled with meat, and pig, and more meat. On a recent morning visit, Casella carved a reporter slices of the face of a 400-pound pig, for breakfast.

"This was a cheek," Casella said, hoisting a giant pork haunch next to his head, "thick, big cheek.

"The fat is a fantastic thing," Casella said in his charmingly knotty English. "It's something that make you happy, it make your look, your stomach, your brain become more smart. ... Think when people go on diet, what happen, they are sad, they think no this, no that, if you are no on diet, you drinking, you happy."

Many of Casella's customers expect him to be fat and happy. They equate it with a good meal. But that chef's coat has been fitting a little too tight lately.

"This is XXX-large," the chef said.

So Casella is starting Weight Watchers. And if you look around at your favorite famous foodies, it seems he's not alone. The larger-than-life celebrity gourmets and food personalities aren't quite so large lately.

Food Network star, TV pitchman and best-selling author Alton Brown has lost 50 pounds. Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito lost 40 pounds (maybe he danced some of it off: DiSpirito was a "Dancing With the Stars" contestant.

Then there's Bobby Flay, noticeably much thinner in recent months. Bon Appetit's 2008 Chef of the Year, Michael Psilakis, lost 80.

And Oprah revealed the new Art Smith last week. Her former personal chef is now 85 pounds lighter.

"What happened was is that I just felt that, 'Hey, I just have to do something,'" Smith said. "I was faced with diabetes two and I was taking the pill and I was like, 'OK Art, you've got to do something.'"