Poor size 4

Shame on Ralph Lauren. Because of him, Filippa Hamilton is out of work.

It seems Hamilton, at 5-foot-10-inches, 120 pounds, is just too fat for the folks at Lauren. On yesterday’s Today Show, Hamilton told Ann Curry: “They (Lauren) said I couldn’t fit in their clothes anymore.” In a letter to Hamilton’s agent, Lauren wrote: “We’re terminating your services because you don’t fit into the sample clothes that you need to wear.”

She takes a size 4! Are these people for real? Not to mention company loyalty: Hamilton has been working for Lauren for eight years, since she was 15.

Ralph Lauren denied that she was fired for being too large. “We consider her an important part of our imaging and branding,” the designer said in a statement to the media. “We regret that our relationship has ended as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us.”

Perhaps it’s time for Hamilton to visit Germany. Last week, I wrote about Germany’s most prominent women’s magazine, Brigitte, announcing it is banning professional models from its pages, instead featuring prominent women and regular readers in its beauty, fashion and fitness pieces. The magazine editor, Andreas Lebert, told the Associated Press that readers are tired of seeing protruding bones on models.

Of course, Hamilton’s size 4 frame is probably a tad too small for us mere mortals and the new pages of Brigitte. But if she finds the idea intriguing, she could actually eat a hamburger — or whatever treat she has been avoiding during the past eight years.

To get her started, she could try this easy slow-cooker recipe — our dinner last night. It really is yummy, nutritious and filling — what more can you ask from a weekday meal? It felt so good to come home last night to an already cooked meal. Got to use that crock pot more often!

Serve this savory stew over brown rice or couscous.

I am amending this post because of an e-mail I just received from my friend, Terri, who has been wanting to make lentil soup and thanked me for this recipe. This is not a soup — it is a thick, heavy stew, which I should have explained. After all, what's lentil stew? An accident actually — a happy occurrence after I did not add enough liquid to what was supposed to be lentil soup. I tasted it and thought I would try it over couscous. It was an even bigger hit than lentil soup, and since it was so thick, I called it stew!

Back to Terri: If you want to turn this into a soup, increase the liquid to 2 quarts. And yes, chicken or even beef broth or stock works just as well. Terri is also wondering if she could add a ham hock or chorizo to the mix. Absolutely! In fact, any sausage would do, and the smokier, the better the flavor.

Lentil Stew

1 lb. lentils, rinsed and picked over

5 cups vegetable stock

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

4 celery ribs, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, diced

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

Grated rind from 1 lemon

Juice from 1 lemon

1 Tblsp. cider vinegar

2 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste, if needed

• Place lentils, stock, tomatoes, celery, onion, peppers, carrots, garlic, oregano, basil and salt in slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low 8 to 9 hours.
• Just before serving, add lemon rind, juice, cider vinegar and olive oil. If needed, add salt and pepper to taste.