Philip Gross for the James Beard Foundation

Zac Posen is showing off his latest work, a vision of delicate purples and greens, but the star-favorite designer isn’t at a runway show. He’s behind the stove in New York’s James Beard House, helping prepare dinner for 100. And this new creation? A platter of purple Peruvian potatoes topped with caviar and garnished with chives and purple borage flowers. “Borage is decoration, but it has a flavor,” says Posen. “I go by taste, not color.” An enthusiastic foodie since he was a teen, Posen says he used to cook for small groups of fashion editors. “I thought it was important to feed them and bring them together as a community.” But this weekend Posen, 28, was in the culinary big league, sharing KP duties with Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis and award-winning Aquavit chef Marcus Samuelsson, a long-time friend of Posen’s who says, “Zac is great in the kitchen.” The three, along with a team of sous-chefs, are at this culinary landmark to turn out a four-course dinner featuring Zac’s fennel and crayfish bisque, Marcus’s slow-cooked chicken with foie gras and pumpkin puree, Giada’s eggplant timbale, and a dessert of poached pears and ginger ice cream — a Giada-Zac collaboration. “I’d met him before, but I didn’t know he loved to cook,” says De Laurentiis. “I’m impressed he’s executed it all! It’s different doing a dinner party than dinner for 100 people.” The designer, who shrugs off the title “chef” in favor of “food lover” says the bustle of the kitchen isn’t so different from that of a fashion house: “It’s the super-speed atelier.” Proceeds from the dinner, part of the New York City Wine and Food Festival, go to benefit two anti-hunger charities: Share Our Strength and the Food Bank for New York City. –Allison Adato

WATCH ZAC, GIADA AND MARCUS AT WORK IN THE KITCHEN!

Roger Karnbad/Celebrity Photo

Valerie Bertinelli, Phylicia Rashad and Queen Latifah won’t be the only stars officially whipping their figures into shape with Jenny Craig. Just six weeks after giving birth to her second child, Nicole Sullivan of Lifetime’s Rita Rocks plans to begin a new role, losing 35 lbs. of baby weight as a spokesperson for the weight-loss program. “Baby weight’s different than other stuff,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively. “You spend a year of your life eating what you want and enjoying letting the baby have what it feels like having — and I’[ve] lost track of what I’m supposed to be doing that’s right.” In addition to retraining herself about portion control, the actress (whose show returns Oct. 5) hopes that access to one of the program’s personal weight-loss counselors will keep her cravings in check. “If I could have done it on my own I would have,” Nicole explains, continuing, “There’s going to be someone I can ask questions — and someone to call me on my B.S.” To jump-start dropping one pound below her wedding-weight of 126 lbs., Nicole is keeping her goals real. “We all say we want to get healthy — and we do. We also want to look cute,” she laughs. “I want to put my jeans on and have my jeans look cute.” But beyond being able to slip back into her skinniest denim, “I want to be able to go snowboarding and have a fun day on the mountain without being out of breath all the time. I don’t want to feel like I’m too old,” she says. “I’m too young to feel like I’m too old to do stuff, basically is my motto.”

Courtesy Body+Soul

Martha Stewart has built a career on living well, and in the newest issue of Body and Soul she’s letting the world know when it comes to staying fit, counting calories will never make her cut as “a good thing.” The talk show host joins forces with her daughter Alexis in their wellness magazine to dish on how they keep in shape without denying themselves. “It is great to share with our readers some of my and Alexis’ tips in how we stay fit and healthy,” Martha tells PEOPLE of what prompted a fitness focus. “We have lots of routines for good eating, fitness, beauty and living that we will be including in future issues of Body and Soul.” So just what are their top tips? Well, for starters, “Convenience food is just not in my vocabulary,” Martha says, revealing that she loves nothing more than farm-fresh, organic produce and dairy. The mother-daughter team also shares a love of fitness, which includes yoga classes and regular sessions with a personal trainer — with Martha hitting her home gym at 6:30 A.M. daily. “Yoga is incredibly relaxing, but strenuous, too,” she says. But for those of us who can’t afford our own trainer, she reveals a favorite budget-friendly fitness alternative: cleaning. “I’ve never had a housekeeper and I never will,” she says, “Cleaning does it for me.” Get more of Martha and Alexis’s indulgences, must-haves, and stress cures in Body and Soul — and be sure to tune into The Martha Stewart Show on September 23rd to see Alexis appear alongside her mother and the magazine’s editor Terri Trespico to talk more about their personal health and fitness routines.

Courtesy of Shape Magazine

She might be a bona fide California beach girl, but even Lauren Conrad admits to slacking in the exercise department sometimes. For her second Shape cover (her first was January 2008), the New York Times best-selling author chats about her romance with actor Kyle Howard and her new clothing line for Kohl’s while sitting pretty for three very different cover shots. At the beginning of her relationship, Lauren admits to getting soft around the middle. “I call it the ‘boyfriend layer’,” she tells the magazine. “We were having more romantic dinners out, and I was exercising less.” So what’s a girl to do? Take your dates to the gym, of course! “I just ask Kyle, ‘You feel like working out?’ It’s more fun than hitting the gym alone,” says Lauren. The couple spends most of their time outdoors anyway. “We like doing outdoor stuff: tennis, bike riding, kayaking, stand-up surfing, hiking in the canyons around L.A.,” says Lauren. And when the happy couple isn’t exercising together, Lauren is busy working on her newest adventure in design, LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s, which will hit stores in October. Her line of affordable and flattering jeans and blouses will be perfect for every shape. “It’s all about finding silhouettes that highlight the best parts of your figure,” says Lauren. As an added bonus, Lauren took three lucky Shape readers with very different body types shopping and shared some fashion advice with them. Pick up the September issue of Shape to hear more of Lauren’s advice on dressing for your body and working out.

CLICK HERE TO SEE TWO MORE SHAPE COVERS FEATURING LAUREN!

Courtesy of Shape Magazine

Courtesy of Shape Magazine

This week on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Anne Hathaway explained her favorite new drink, which she discovered through Bride Wars costar Kate Hudson (watch the video!). Turns out the “Skinnygirl Margarita” is actually the invention of another celebrity — the Real Housewives of New York City’s Bethenny Frankel! Kate is a huge fan of the show’s and of Bethenny’s, in particular. While the drink is actually going to be sold in pre-bottled form in stores this summer, you can start making the low-cal drink (under 120 calories per serving) at home now.

Over ice, pour:
One shot (1.5 oz) clear tequila
4 limes (squeezed)
A tiny splash of Cointreau or triple sec
*if too strong, add a splash of soda

Lionel Cironneau/AP

After giving us her personal holiday recipes, Gwyneth Paltrow shares her post-holiday diet secret in her latest GOOP newsletter. Gwyneth admits, “I need to lose a few pounds of holiday excess. Anyone else? I like to do fasts and detoxes a couple of times during the year, the most hardcore one being the Master Cleanse I did last spring. It was not what you would characterize as pretty. Or easy.” Working with her doctor, a detox diet specialist, Gwyneth has created a seven-day elimantion diet that helps detox the body. “As I do not wish to subsist on lemon water in the middle of winter, I asked my doctor, a detox diet specialist, for the guidelines he uses to achieve a good detox that is not as hallucinogenic (in a bad way) as the Master Cleanse,” says Gwyneth. “What it came down to was this: you can detox easily and effectively while you continue to eat as long as you are cutting out the foods and other substances that interfere with the detoxification process.” While cutting out dairy, grains with gluten, meat, shellfish, anything processed (including all soy products), fatty nuts, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant), condiments, sugar and obviously no alcohol, caffeine or soda, Gwyneth’s diet consist of salads, fruit smoothies, chicken, soups and lots of water. Click here to read the full scoop on Goop.com.

courtesy Max Brenner

Chocolate lovers, meet Max Brenner. We’ve been smitten with Max ever since he set up shop in New York City (Mary-Kate Olsen, Kate Bosworth and Usher are fans as well). With treats like whipped dark chocolate cream truffles spiced with cognac and rolled in cocoa powder, who can resist? Now, thanks to the newly-launched e-commerce portion of MaxBrenner.com, you don’t have to visit New York to discover Max. The site serves up the same delectable chocolates you can get in the shop, now shipped straight to your door. To make this deal even sweeter, he’s launched a new collection of colorful tins just in time for online ordering! Devour the chocolate, and keep the tins for storing little doodads — what could be better than satisfying your sweet tooth and your New Year’s resolution to get organized?

Polka Dot Press

Got a pal whose cooking skills need a little help? Try picking up a copy of The Little Black Apron: A Single Girl’s Guide to Cookingwith Style & Grace, $15. It compares conquering the kitchen to putting together a perfectly accessorized ensemble, and is a gem for gals who think the four basic food groups are “wine, cheese, chocolate and coffee.” With Sex and the City-like anecdotes and witty side notes (“blanch” has nothing to do with A Streetcar Named Desire!), The Little Black Apron delivers practical, nutritious recipes and answers to those questions you’re too afraid to ask (what actually is the difference between baking and broiling?). Entertaining for the holidays? There’s a chapter with menus and recipes tailored to your dwelling size — yes, you can cook a full meal in that studio apartment, so hop to it! Click here to buy a copy for yourself or a pal at amazon.com.

inset: Carlos Diaz/INF

For me, summer means eating as much ice cream as I can, but there is that pesky issue of calorie counting. So, when I stumbled across naturally low-fat Laloo’s Goat’s Milk ice cream, I had to try it! I am now hooked on their Molasses Tipsycake (whole chunks of oatmeal raisin cookies, what’s not to like?), but it turns out that I’m not the only fan of the artisanal brand — Jim Carrey, Al Gore and Kim Basinger are addicted too. And they have now new frozen yogurts flavors, with even fewer calories and all the same taste! Kate Hudson’s favorite flavor is the sweetly named Brownie & Clyde — and I can say that I now heartily trust Kate’s taste in frozen treats, it’s delicious! Get a pint for yourself at Whole Foods stores or at goatmilkicecream.com, $8 a pint.

Sarah Jessica Parker has a great body, so does Eva Longoria (have you not seen her Bebe ads?), but we’ve figured out how they satisfy their chocolate cravings and still keep their amazing figures. Turns out these beauties are avid snackers of Sweetriot chocolate covered cacao nibs. These tiny pieces of chocolate are filled with intense flavor, antioxidants, are extremely addicting (ask our StyleWatch editors) and contain only 140 calories per tin. Talk about guiltless! Go to your local gourmet food store like Whole Foods to purchase single servings for $4.99 or go to sweetriot.com to buy larger quantities or gift packages.

Photo: Courtesy of sweetriot.com

Not only does little Suri Cruise have an amazing gene pool, she’s got great taste in cupcakes! For her 1st birthday, Suri had a party hosted by mom Katie and dad Tom on April 18th where the entire clan dined on cupcakes from Sprinkles bakery in Beverly Hills. Sprinkles are the sweetest splurge in Hollywood with a line down the block just to get one! While tourists wait for over 20 minutes for the tasty treats, real Sprinkles fans like the StyleWatch team go online to order or call ahead. We all have our favorites: the black and white, vanilla with chocolate frosting, and the most popular red velvet cupcake. On Saturdays, Sprinkles bakes peanut butter chocolate cupcakes which are well-worth the wait, just for the frosting! Sprinkles cupcakes have become Hollywood’s latest housewarming gift, get-well treat, and afternoon indulgence — just ask fans like Paris Hilton, Courtney Cox, and Tyra Banks.

Cupcakes are $36 for a dozen — for more info, check out sprinklescupcakes.com.

Photo: ap; courtesy sprinklecupcakes.com

When the StyleWatch team heard about Holey Donuts — with only 3 to 4 grams of fat unlike the 15 to 20 grams in regular donuts — we had to try them. While some low fat desserts have the appeal of eating cardboard, these treats were surprisingly delicious. Even better was that Holey Donuts and the equally yummy Cinnamon Buns contain zero trans-fat, zero cholesterol and no artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes. How is that even possible? The secret to the great taste and guilt-free nutrition lies in a unique cooking process which avoids deep frying and causes a dramatic reduction in fat content (including zero trans-fats!), leaving you with 25 percent less calories in Holey products than other donut companies. There are over 18 varieties of donuts including the marble frosted , coconut, carmel, boston creme and cinnamon buns that are available for delivery across the country at holeydonuts.net (1 dozen for $24). Try them and tell us what you think!

When Lindsay Lohan isn’t out and about in Hollywood or New York, the actress is indulging in one of her favorite snacks at home: Lily Original Movie Theatre Popcorn. True to its name, the Lily popcorn tastes just like actual movie theater popcorn! And unlike microwave popcorn, you don’t have to wait for it to pop or add butter. It’s no wonder Lindsay ordered five cases to her Los Angeles home recently. And she’s not alone — Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette just put in an order for 600 bags for a movie premiere party. We love this one as much as our beloved kettle corn — we cannot get enough! You can buy six four-oz. bags for $20 at lillypopcorn.com.

Photo:INF

I’ll admit it — I am a member of the Official Peeps Fan Club. While it’s true that you can get the deliciously addictive marshmallow treats throughout the year (strawberry creme hearts at Valentine’s Day are high up there for me), but Easter is this candy’s time to shine. So naturally, my curiousity was piqued when I heard that Peeps had released a celebrity survey. Turns out that dedicated Peeps eaters believe that Will Ferrell and Jessica Simpson are the celebrities that most embody the sweet treat — and that President Bush and Britney Spears are the most in need of a Peep. To read the rest of their survey results, click here or visit their site at marshmallowpeeps.com. And check out this handy chart comparing all the calories of your favorite Easter candy on Fitsugar.com. — Melissa Liebling-Goldberg

Photo: William Thomas Cain/Getty

Celebrities don’t give up snacking to get their pre-baby bodies back so why should you? A favorite of new moms like Jennifer Garner, Courteney Cox and Katie Holmes — Popcorn, Indiana is the perfect healthy snack. Love the taste of kettle corn, but hate the calories? This whole-grain alternative tastes just as good, but for only 120 calories a serving! We’ve been devouring bags of the popcorn, trying to decide between the Smoked Cheddar, Spicy Honey Mustard or the all-natural flavor (all are addictive!). Get your own at Whole Foods’ stores nation wide or on Popcornindiana.com, 6-packs of 4-oz bags for $20. (The six bag minimum order is worth it, trust us!)

Photo:Mario Anzuoni/Splash News; Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Celebrities like Carmen Electra, Ivanka Trump, Tori Spelling and Fergie are starting their mornings off with ZoneChef’s Muffins. The Hollywood craze kicked-off on New Year’s Day, but already orders have been placed for an entire month! The trans fat free and high in protein muffins come in a variety of flavors including lemon poppy, double chocolate chip, oat bran, blueberry (left), brown sugar and oatmeal and apple cinnamon. Carmen Electra is a big fan of the double chocolate chip. Here at StyleWatch we tried the muffins and must say they are a bit bland in flavor and dense, but if you are dieting they are a healthy alternative. The muffins are a good size and filling. They can be purchased in sets of 4 muffins for $19.95 at Zonechefs.com. What do you think? Would you eat these muffins for breakfast?

Photo: John Shearer/WireImage; Bill Davila/startraks

If you’re like us you start out the New Year with plenty of good intentions: Get organized, get fit, lose those few extra pounds. Well, here’s some inspiration to help out with that last one. In PEOPLE’s new issue, you’ll find amazing stories of people who lost half their size. Then, if you’re thinking about what you need to do before you slip on a new bikini (like this cute one from J. Crew), visit our dieting message boards. It’s a place where you can talk with others about your goals, biggest challenges, how badly you’re craving chocolate, the best song to work out to, and more. Check out our Half Their Size special.