Hannelore Knoch used to watch Graham Kerr on television when he was the ”Galloping Gourmet.” Last week, she met him and his wife, Treena, when they made a special presentation at the Hollin Hall Senior Center.
Kerr no longer refers to himself as the Galloping Gourmet. He changed his thinking about cooking when his wife had a stroke and discovered that her glucose level was sky-high and that she had diabetes. Knoch said that Kerr told the crowd, ”If I can cook the other stuff, I can cook healthy, too.” His intention was to keep his wife healthy.
He started putting together several low-salt, low-fat food items, several of which he prepared for a group of 145 gathered at the senior center.
”We got lucky,” said Julie Ellis, director of the Hollin Hall Senior Center, explaining that they were chosen as one of the stops on a nationwide tour sponsored by ONE TOUCH Ultra Blood Glucose Meters. Ellis said that the company set it all up and she arranged for the two-hour presentation to be held in the room at the center.
Knoch said that both Graham and his wife came around and shook hands with everybody before they started.
”They were very personable and friendly,” she said. ”He’s just as likable as he is on TV.”
ELLIS SAID THAT Kerr first prepared a breakfast mueslix, emphasizing how important it is to have breakfast. He then made a low-fat spread using yogurt and some other items. A third dish was a heart-healthy, low-sodium soup. Three volunteers were selected from the audience as taste-testers. When the presentation was over, the rest of the group was invited to sample the prepared dishes. Graham and Treena stayed to sign copies of his book, ”Graham Kerr’s Gathering Place.”
Ellis noted the coincidence of the title in that they had recently named the kitchen at the center ”The Gathering Place.”
Knoch said that she hadn’t had a chance to try any of the recipes yet but plans to do so soon.