Finding The Best And Bringing It Home ~ An Interview With Bunkycooks

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"Finding the best and bringing it home" is what Gwen Pratesi is all about. She cooked as a child, and as an adult you can still find her cooking up a storm. For most of us that would be enough, but not Gwen. Heading out on the open road and finding out just where her food comes from is what she now loves to do. Right along with her theme of seeking out what's best in the kitchen, Gwen not only finds out where her food comes from, but she often makes time to meet the chefs that are cooking up good food, too.

At Bunkycooks you'll find Gwen's "On The Road" series, along with her "Chef Interview" series, too. There'll be none of this just sittin' around business for Gwen. Nope she's out there finding the best and bringing it home to share with you and me.

Be sure to take a listen to my chat with Gwen, (click the arrow above). Get to know her a bit better, and her message about the important connection of "farm to table". It's worth taking some time to think about. Find out what she keeps in her pantry, and what tips she's picked up along the way from her "Chef Interviews".

Gwen shares a scrumptious Roasted Tomato Soup recipe with you, too. Perfect comfort food for year-round eating. Enjoy!

Hiyashi Chuka ~ Japanese Cold Noodle Salad ~ Memories of Japan

Like many of you, my heart has been heavy with sadness for the people of Japan after the devastaing earthquake and tsunami. For those of you who know me, you know Japan has a very special place in my heart. You see, I spent the first five years of my life in Japan. I was born in the United States, but shortly thereafter my father, an officer in the United States Air Force, was transfered to Japan. Japan left a deep, indelible print on my heart. I have nothing but warm memories of Japan's gracious ways, their people, their traditions and the country's beauty.

One of my fondest recollections from my time in Japan is when I would spend time at my babysitter's home. I used to eat dinner there whenever I stayed. "Endo-san" was like an extended member of our family. Endo-san lived in the country side, with her husband and family, in a traditional Japanese wooden home with sliding wood-and-paper-rice doors. There was a large, traditional, short-legged, wooden dining table. We would sit on the floor and eat dinner around that table. I liked sitting on the floor. We never did that in my house. Japanese food has always been a favorite of mine, and I'm sure you can understand why.

Years later, long after we moved away from Japan, I lived in Photo - Setsuko YoshizukaHawaii. You guessed it, Dad got transferred again. Needless to say while in Hawaii there was an abundance of Japanese food and restaurants at my fingertips. One of my favorite restaurants to eat at was a Japanese noodle house in Honolulu. My mother and I would "run away" for lunch or dinner there whenever we could. My favorite dish to order was the cold noodle salad typically known as  "Hiyashi Chuka". Hiyashi Chuka would be served in the summer if you were in Japan, but in Hawaii you could find it year-round. The dish is a basic meal consisting of cold ramen noodles with various julienned vegetables on top, and served with a dipping sauce.

 These days I'm not eating any traditional noodles that would be heavy in the carbohydrate department, so I was extremely excited to find Tofu Shirataki Noodles at one of my local markets (Ralphs)! These noodles are made from Tofu. They are gluten-free,  have only 20 calories per 4 oz serving, 0.5 grams of fat, and only 3 grams of carbohydrates! Oh "Hiyashi Chuka" here I come!

You'll want to rinse the noodles in a colander with cold water. This will help wash away the juices that the noodles are packed in which, to me, smell like mushrooms.

Yesterday for lunch I grabbed whatever veggies I had on hand, which were a red bell pepper, cucumber, mushrooms, and celery. You can use whatever you like. My dipping sauce was made up of a tablespoon of Dijon Mustard and 1/2 a tablespoon of light soy sauce. Simple, easy, and best of all healthy. Enjoy!

If you'd like to make a donation toward relief in Japan, please click on the above Red Cross logo for more information

My Walk In The Rain ~ Sunday's Snapshot

It’s Sunday morning, seven-thirty-ish. It’s dark; unusually dark for the hour. As I come out of my overnight sleepiness I begin to recognize the staccato tapping sound dripping down from the roof’s eave to the outside window ledge. Now I know why it’s uncharacteristically dark for the hour of the morning. It’s raining. I mean it’s RAINING! Which is fine because I’m tucked down deep into my cozy, warm down-filled comforter, ignoring the rain and wind outside. I take in a deep breath, turn to my side and try to fall back asleep. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…nope, no more sleeping on this first day of Spring. Time to rise and shine! Well, rise anyway.

  Then came my spur-of-the-moment decision:  I’m going for a walk…in the rain. Told hubby what I was thinking. He was silent, but he heard me. “Why am I doing this?” I wonder as I dress. Next thing I knew I was in the kitchen grabbing a quick breakfast drink and wondering if I should bother with a jacket. Well, sure, why not. I mean, after all, I’d want to at least appear somewhat sane as I head out the door– somewhat. Just before I left guess who joined me? Yep, Hubby.  God I love that man!

It’s cold, but not bone-chilling cold. Mostly it’s just, well, wet. The wind is blowing. The raindrops are pecking at my face.  Our neighborhood was a ghost town. As we passed by the storm drains I could hear the waterfalls of rain cascading down, beginning its journey out to sea. The air was filled with a smoky, wood-burning-in-the-fireplace kind of smell. It was comforting. We took a good long walk.

Once back home we were dripping wet, and that was with jackets on! My pants were sticking to my legs like a second skin, so cold my knees and thighs were stinging. My hands were slightly waterlogged, my shoes squishy wet. Drenched, and it felt great. I had a smile on my face. This was exhilarating. Walks in the rain, especially on the first day of Spring, are life-affirming.

Happy Spring , everyone!



Meet Sanam Lamborn ~ My Persian Kitchen ~ A True Ambassador

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What a joy it was having the opportunity to chat with Sanam Lamborn, creator of the food-blog My Persian Kitchen. Sanam takes sharing her Persian cooking seriously, but sure knows how to make you feel right at home with it, too.

I'm intrigued by the Persian culture and their food. In fact, if you'd like to know more about some traditions from the Persian New Year be sure to visit Sanam's site. Someday I'd like to really know how to cook up some Persian dishes. I think after meeting Sanam, and getting to know her a bit better makes me think there will be a time when I really will have the chance learn. Sanam is currently trying to work out the details of setting up some cooking classes in the future. I look forward to being her student some day. She likes to teach, it seems to come naturally to her, so it's the perfect fit.

During our talk I told Sanam she was like an Ambassador for her culture with all she does to share her recipes and traditions on My Persian Kitchen. She told me later that the title "Amassador" really made an impression on her. She's taken it to heart.

Be sure to take a listen to my chat with Sanam as she drops by to do a little "Dishin' In The Kitchen".  (click the arrow above) Sanam shares a couple of Persian recipes with you that you won't want to miss. Enjoy!

Remember "Fish Friday"? ~ Italian Shrimp and Broccoli ~ A Perfect Dish for Lent

Good ol' "Fish Friday" has rolled around again. At least that's what a bunch of my friends used to call it "back in the day". Traditionaly during Lent many of us do give up eating meat at least once a week. So when I found out that Smart and Final has frozen Bay Harbor shrimp*   going on sale I pulled all my shrimp recipes out and planned to take advantage of the sale during Lent.  I'm stocking up! Fish is fine, and I do eat it, but whenever given the chance to choose between fish or shrimp, I'll almost always choose shrimp. Here's a quick weeknight recipe for you to add to your recipe list during Lent. Hope it helps add an option to your meatless "Fish Fridays". This is a great dish to add pasta too!

 For a printer-friendly, text-only version of the recipe, click here.

Italian Shrimp and Broccoli
Take Shape For Life

Serves 2

Prep Time: About 5 minutes (make sure your shrimp has thawed)

Cook Time: About 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

7 oz raw, peeled, cleaned, tail-off frozen shrimp, thawed
(I used Bay Harbor Shrimp, 41-50 CT. Raw Tail-On Shrimp, Frozen, Sold in a 2 LB. bag for $9.98 at Smart & Final)*

2 Cups raw broccoli, chopped

1/2 Cup Cherry tomatoes, chopped

2 Tablespoons Kraft Fat-Free Zesty Italian Dressing

1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)

Optional: If you want to spice this dish up, consider using a jalepaneo infused olive oil, or add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce to the shrimp while they are cooking.

What You'll Do:

1. Thaw frozen shrimp following directions on package.

2. In a skillet, heat olive oil; add broccoli and chopped grape or cherry tomatoes; saute 3 - 5 minutes until veggies are tender-crisp. Place on a plate, cover with foil, and set aside. 

3. Spoon dressing into skillet; add shrimp and pepper. Saute until shrimp is heated through and opaque. About 5 minutes.

4. Combine shrimp and veggies into one skillet; cook 2- 3 minutes.

5. Plate, top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

You may also like:

Garlic, Shrimp and Sauted Zucchini

South Beach Shrimp Salad in seconds

Tequila Lime Shrimp

 * Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this recipe in any way. My opinions are my own.