"Trying to get me to cry by looking at this ugly picture? There are worse ones..."

That's how Richard Blais reacts to a photo taken 10 years ago, when Blais was almost 60 pounds overweight - and 60 pounds heavier than he is today.

"I just really lost control of myself because I was tasting food all day long and partaking in the social aspect of our industry," Blais, 41, tells HLN.

The acclaimed chef - "Top Chef: All-Stars" winner, the owner of Trail Blais and operator of Atlanta-based restaurants The Spence and Flip Burger Boutique - lost all that weight and kept it off, he says, by overhauling his lifestyle.
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Is it hot in here, or is it just the peppercorns? We asked José Andrés, Michel Nischan, Gail Simmons, Michael Chiarello, Sang Yoon, John Besh, Richard Blais and Andrew Zimmern to deliver some serious sweet talk to their favorite ingredients and kitchen tools in the video above.

Hungry for more?
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It may not have been pretty, but it sure was delicious and four days after the fact, I'm still dreaming about this meal. We do an awful lot of asking people to finish the sentence, "It's not Thanksgiving without..." but I suppose I've never answered the question here myself.

That'd be the plate above, laden with turkey, my husband's squash casserole, and sweet potatoes, barbecue and collard greens made with skill, practice and a whole of love by my friend Eric. He's a talented cook to be sure, but I happen to believe he's got a certain amount of divine guidance on his side in the form of our friend Mama Diva, with whom we used to gather and eat this very meal each year.
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5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

If you're sick of plunging your knife into a glass ketchup bottle to avoid French fry oversaturation, or merely just concerned about recent reports of excessive sodium lurking in your favorite burger accoutrement, try dressing up your dishes the old-fashioned way with DIY condiments.

Here to help you ditch the bottle is "Top Chef All Stars" winner, chef/owner of Flip Burger Boutique and HD1 and overall liquid nitrogen enthusiast, Richard Blais.

Five Easy and Creative Condiments You Can Make at Home: Richard Blais
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