Some people are born knowing they're meant to cook for a living. Jennifer Iserloh came to this realization more slowly, years after she'd earned her master's degree in French literature from the University of Pittsburgh and gotten a job with a telecom company in Lugano, Switzerland.

Yet when the urge to become a chef hit at the ripe age of 30, it hit with a vengeance -- even though the Sewickley Academy alum had a good job at New York University. Her friends thought she was crazy.

"They said, 'Don't you think you're a little too old to work in a restaurant?'" recalls Ms. Iserloh of her decision to enroll in 2003 at Manhattan's Institute of Culinary Education. Then she giggles. "But it all worked out."

Talk about understatements.

An internship at a New York City restaurant led to a stint with celebrity chef Tyler Florence on the Food Network. That, in turn, gave her enough cred to land a job cooking for photographer Annie Liebovitz and other famous clients through the catering business she ended up starting, Skinny Chef Culinary Ventures.

"And it just snowballed from there," she says.

On Tuesday at Sewickley Academy, the Neville Island native (who indeed is skinny, thanks to 10-plus years of yoga) will share tips and information on how to cook nutritiously for your family. Some of the "tricks" she plans on sharing include food presentations that compare the amounts of sugar in a homemade dessert and can of soda (guess which is better for you), and show -- with balloons -- the effects of too much sodium on your blood pressure.

"You're definitely going to be surprised," she says.

She models her healthful cooking on the European way, with small portions and moderate amounts of meat. She also stresses the importance of using fresh produce and herbs, whole grains and less fat.

A frequent contributor to Self magazine and the recipe developer for Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook "Deceptively Delicious," Ms. Iserloh will publish her first cookbook of healthful recipes, "Secrets of a Skinny Chef" (Rodale, $19.99) in March.

She started cooking in her granny's kitchen on Neville Island at age 8. So the cooking demonstrations she'll do for the academy's second-graders on Wednesday will come as much from the heart as from her desire to show families that healthy cooking can be tasty and fun.

"If you get kids on the track early with good, nutritious home cooking, it's so much easier," she says. "And it really sticks with them."

Jennifer Iserloh will present "The Skinny Chef on Food and Healthy Living" at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 in Sewickley Academy's Gregg Theater, 315 Academy Ave., Sewickley. It's free to the public, and includes a reception afterwards featuring her recipes. For more information, visit sewickley.org/sewickleyseries or call 412-741-2230.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

PG tested

Coconut milk gives this easy soup recipe, which can be made with either fresh or frozen winter squash, its distinct flavor and silky texture. In the Skinny Chef tradition, it's both low-cal (just 162 calories per serving) and low-fat. Chopped peanuts give it a nice crunch.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 15-ounce can reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 3-pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes, or 2 10-ounce packages frozen butternut or winter squash
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon mild chili powder
• 15-ounce can light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup toasted chopped pistachios or peanuts

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken broth so the onions do not stick. Add the butternut squash or pumpkin, nutmeg and chili powder and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the spices become fragrant.

Add the coconut milk and remaining broth. Bring to a slow simmer, stirring once or twice. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, until the soup reduces slightly. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth, or transfer in batches to a blender to puree. Sprinkle the soup with the coconut and nuts and serve immediately.

-- Chef Jennifer Iserloh

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