Photo/Illutration Newly harvested potato and onion with bagna cauda dipping sauce (Photo by Atsuko Shimamura)

Editor’s note: In the Taste of Life series, cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.

* * *

Recipes created by Shino, half of the cooking expert duo Gucci Fuufu, reflect her desire for people to enjoy seasonal ingredients.

The idea was instilled into her back when she spent time with her grandmother, who ran a fruit and vegetable shop.

Shino grew up in a house where the first floor was the shop. Different vegetables sold in small baskets colored the storefront. Vegetables have been part of her daily life since her childhood.

Newly harvested potatoes and “shin-tamanegi” onions arrived at the start of spring. Her grandmother would steam the potatoes whole in a large steamer and roll them onto a big platter. The onions were sliced and served as a salad.

“I was happy to enjoy in-season vegetables sooner than other people,” she said.

She recalls vegetables were the main topic of conversation with her grandmother, who taught her ways to tell fresh vegetables apart, when they were in season and how to eat them.

For example, one tip was to tap on a watermelon. A dull sound meant it would taste good.

In due course, Shino became interested in food. She went to Kagawa Nutrition University to study nutrition and chose to work for a food-related company upon graduation.

Her grandmother was happy to hear about the recipes Shino came up with and receive her cookbooks. Her grandmother passed away two years ago at the age of 96.

“I owe it to my grandmother, who turned me into a fan of vegetables. I would like to pass that love on to the next generation as well,” Shino said.

In this week’s recipe, she chose to steam the vegetables in a frying pan instead of a large steamer like her grandmother did. By steaming slowly in the frying pan instead of using a microwave, she says the vegetables turn light and airy.

The new potatoes have thin skins, and she also wants anyone trying the recipe to “enjoy the sight of the skin bursting open.”

She added a twist to her grandmother’s way by serving the vegetables with bagna cauda dipping sauce. Enjoy the seasonal vegetables by dipping them in the creamy bagna cauda spiced up with garlic and salty anchovies.

Gucci Fuufu is a team of cooking experts made up of husband Tatsuya, 34, and his wife, Shino, 35. They have written books that include “Iroiro tsukutte kitakedo yappari kono aji” (We’ve cooked different dishes but this is what we come back to) from Fusosha Publishing.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

Main Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 newly harvested potatoes (280 grams, shin-jagaimo), 1/2 new onion (shin-tamanegi), 2 Wiener sausages, pinch of parsley, 2 Tbsp olive oil, bit of coarsely grated black pepper, 3 slices anchovy (about 20 grams), 1 clove garlic, 100 ml fresh cream, 1 tsp katakuriko starch

  1. Cut potato with skin still on into bite-size pieces. Cut onion in wedges that are 2 cm wide. Slice Wiener sausages at an angle. Finely chop parsley.
  2. Pour 1 Tbsp olive oil in frying pan and place on medium heat. Add vegetables and sausages and lightly stir-fry.
  3. When oil has coated all ingredients, add 2 Tbsp water, place lid and steam on low heat for about 10 minutes. When bamboo skewer goes through potato easily, take off lid, raise to medium heat to cook off water. Cook by stirring the ingredients until they color.
  4. Chop anchovies and grate garlic. In a small frying pan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and garlic and warm on low heat. When aroma rises, add anchovies and briefly cook. Add fresh cream and heat further. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Thicken sauce by adding mixture of the same amount of katakuriko starch and water.
  5. Serve (3) on plate, sprinkle with coarsely grated black pepper and parsley. Fill a small bowl with sauce in (4) and serve with vegetables.

About 540 kcal and 2.0 grams salt per portion
(Nutrient calculation by the Nutrition Clinic of Kagawa Nutrition University)

* * *

From The Asahi Shimbun’s Jinsei Reshipi (Life Recipe) column

Related News