What is your background in nutrition and cooking?
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Paris, Jennifer Chandler is the author of Simply Salads and a freelance writer. For several years, Jennifer owned a prepared foods market and bakery in Memphis called Cheffie's Market and More. Voted "Best New Restaurant in Memphis," Cheffie's received much acclaim and many awards. Jennifer has also been featured on the Food Network in two episodes of Dinner Impossible.

How is "Simply Salads" different from other cookbooks?
My recipes are geared to a home cook and designed to be easy enough for a beginner to prepare but provide new ideas for a more experienced cook. The recipes feature ingredients that are commonly available at grocery stores across the country as well as tips for cooking techniques and substitutions.

What are the latest salad trends?
Packaged salad blends have changed the way I enjoy salads. With all the varieties of greens now available at the grocery store, it has never been easier to make a great and tasty salad. Dozens of pre-washed salad blends allow the home cook the ease and convenience of picking the perfect mixture for their salad. Gone are the days when a salad at home meant a boring iceberg lettuce topped with a few carrots and a sliced tomato. A salad is no longer just a pre-courser to a meal or a bland diet food. Now a dish made from nutritious leafy greens can be a delicious, and healthy, main attraction of any meal.

What does your daily diet consist of?
I probably have a salad for lunch almost everyday. Wanting a little variety in my daily meal is what inspired me to write Simply Salads.

Does your book include dressing recipes?
I make my own salad dressings from scratch and every salad in my book includes a homemade dressing recipe. A wonderful dressing can easily be whipped up in seconds. Most dressing ingredients are staples that you probably have in your kitchen right now. Homemade dressings are also a lot cheaper than their bottled counterparts, there is no waste since you make only the amount you need, and are healthier since they do not contain preservatives or MSG.

What is the most unusual salad in your book?
One of my favorite salads is one that people often question.Watermelon and Arugula Salad. In my opinion, juicy, refreshing watermelon tossed with spicy arugula greens is the prefect summer-time backyard barbecue treat. In the South we salt our watermelon, so I add Feta cheese to the mix for that added saltiness I love with watermelon. Try it and I guarantee it will become a favorite.

What beverages go well with salads?
Just as I encourage people to compose salads using ingredients they like (salad recipes are meant to be inspiring guidelines,not necessarily strict guidelines), there are no rules to pairing beverages with salads. Dining should be a pleasurable experience as well as a way for nutrition. So drink what you like whether it is ice water, a sugary sweet tea, or a glass of wine.

How do you feel about genetically modified foods?
As both a parent and a person who wants to live a healthy life, I struggle with how to put delicious and healthy food on the table in this age of fast food, conveniently packaged "ready to eat" processed foods and busy schedules.
I make a point to read ingredient labels and attempt to avoid foods that have more than 5 ingredients as well as anything with chemical additives. I also buy organic and local whenever possible in an attempt to avoid genetically modified foods.

When you are dining out, what meal choices do you gravitate towards?
When I dine out, I choose restaurants where the chef is innovative with both ingredients and cooking techniques. I want to try something that either I can't easily prepare myself in a home kitchen or to try a dish that uses fresh, preferably local, ingredients in a creative combination.

What is the biggest mistake people make when making a salad?
The beauty of composing a salad is that there really are no rules. I encourage you to create your own original, delicious dishes. To turn a simple salad into a spectacular dish, just add your favorite ingredients. The possibilities are infinite when it comes to salad creations you can make.

Do you use seasonal ingredients?
When possible, I choose locally-grown ingredients…they are not only better for the environment but their freshness makes them taste better. I have been subscribing to a C.S.A. (Community Supported Agriculture) for several years. I pay a local farmer at the beginning of the growing season and each week I have a bag of produce waiting for me at the Farmers Market. I have been amazed at how food picked that same morning tastes so much better than what has been shipped across the country.

I want to lose weight, can your book help me?
A recent study done by the UCLA School of Public Health and Louisiana State University Health Services Center found that eating just one salad a day may have more health benefits than originally thought. People who consume at least one salad a day have a higher level of nutrients responsible for a healthy immune system, and reducing the risk of heart disease and obesity. Eating a salad a day could quite possibly be the easiest way to improve your overall health and with all of the variety of fresh packaged salad blends in local stores it has never been easier to make a deliciously simple salad for any meal.

I am on a diet, what should I eat? What should I avoid?
Intuitively we all know that fresh food is best both in health and taste. But it is becoming increasingly harder to put fresh, 100% natural food on the table in the United States. When you consider that the majority of grocery store shelves are devoted to products that are processed convenience foods, it's no wonder that conditions such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes are on the rise. Our bodies were not designed to consume so many chemicals and additives. Always try to eat "real" unprocessed foods when possible and use added fats sparingly.

If you were to teach us all one good rule about healthy eating what would it be?
Keep it real. When deciding what to eat, always choose all-natural, "real" foods instead of processed, preservative-laden convenience foods.
Also, eating healthy does not mean you need to sacrifice flavor, convenience or your budget. There are many products on your local grocery shelves that are both convenient as well as real, healthy foods…examples include bagged salads, chopped fresh vegetables, frozen fruits and vegetables.

What is your favorite food?
Hands-down my favorite food is chocolate, the darker the better. I was thrilled to learn that my favorite indulgence is now considered a "super food" thanks to its high level of antioxidants.