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!

Here a Pie, There a Pie, Everywhere a Pie ~ Let's Celebrate National Pie Day!

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Right-Click here then choose "save link as" to download the podcast to your computer so you can listen to it on your portable device.

National Pie Day is January 23rd, 2011 and we're celebrating here on Dishin' In the Kitchen. Today my interview is with Sunny Hernandez creator of For Your Pies Only! Sunny is a gal who really knows her pies. She's been learning how to make pies from past generations, and today is carrying on with that family tradition.

To celebrate National Pie Day Sunny shares with you a savory pie recipe and her family secret on how to make a flaky pie crust. Enjoy our conversation, and be sure to visit Sunny and her scrumptious pies!

How will you be celebrating National Pie Day this year?

Steamed & Sautéed Green Beans With Caramelized Red Onions

I know, it's the holiday season, we're coming up on Christmas, and you all have cookies, cakes, and candy canes dancing around in your heads. Well, snap out of it for a second! I'm here to help bring a little balance to your life. Never mind that I recently turned your head with that scrumptious Raspberry-White Chocolate Tart inspired by pastry chef Abigail Dodge. Just never-you-mind. After all, there is another beautiful color of the season to go along with red and white. Green. Steam - Sautéed Green Beans with Caramelized Onions to be exact!

Seems to me whenever the holiday seasons pass through our lives they tend to call for a gathering that includes a special meal.  And green beans tend to pop up as an easy go-to veggie dish (as they should). They are easy but, I think, often thought of as a "B-list" dish because our minds tend to run to that old traditional stand by the "Green Bean Casserole". You know the one, with mushroom soup and French Fried Onions. Yes, I've been there and done that, too! But no longer.

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How to Make Don't-Fence-Me-In Bruschetta ~ Something Special

You may remember me sharing with you our discovery of the "We Olive" shop not too long ago. Hubby and I were pretty excited with our new found bottles of "liquid gold"! But what to do with the "Blood Orange" and "Jalapeno Garlic" flavored oils once we got home? True to the don't-fence-me-in-with-a-recipe cooks we're becoming, we leaned slowly into the open fridge to seek out which tasty morsels would jump out at us pleading to be given a soothing bath in the new flavored olive oils we carted home. There they were: Ms. Juicy Red Tomato and Mr. Cool Crisp Onion, with little savory garlic cloves popping up from behind. At the very same moment "BRUSCHETTA" came rolling out of our salivating mouths in a low anticipatory tone. Something special was about to happen! Something very special indeed.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Blood Orange and Honey Glazed Water Chestnuts

Okie dokie, as promised, here's the soup I made that was inspired by Chef Fraser's Roasted Squash and Chestnut Soup. As you know I'm more apt to pull out a cookbook and follow a recipe before I am willing to "play" with a recipe, especially one without measurements for the ingredients. Today's self-imposed cooking challenge was nerve-wracking and exhilarating all at the same time! I have to admit that always using a recipe is a bit like having a crutch in the kitchen to lean on. So as I'm expanding my cooking skills I'm beginning to take more chances. Are you? I hope so. Come on we'll do this together.

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