K-Town Eats

By Marilyn Hunter

Stepping into one of the myriad Korean barbecue restaurants in L.A.’s Koreatown is the next best thing to dining in Seoul. Koreatown, or K-Town as locals call it, lies just west of downtown L.A. and is our city’s center of Korean culture, shopping and food.

Korean barbecue is one of our family’s favorite nights out. The boys love cooking their dinner on a grill built into the table, from the fancy spots with gas grills to the smoky dives with charcoal pits. After all, for two little boys, it’s all about the smoke and fire.

Here’s a recipe for our favorite Korean salad that pairs perfectly with grilled beef, chicken or pork.

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Southern Fried Chicken

By Marilyn Hunter

When my niece first told us she was coming to L.A. for a visit last summer, the boys and I quickly made a list of things to do and places to eat. There’s certainly no shortage of tourist attractions or dining experiences in the City of Angels but the boys wanted to find the perfect spot to please their Southern cousin. They decided on The Ivy, not because it’s a paparazzi-heavy celebrity hangout, but because they have great fried chicken.

Fried chicken is a dish that has well stood the test of time…through generations of change and tradition. There’s a reason this comfort food can be found on menus from roadside diners to fine dining, and for a Southerner, it’s a dish that celebrates mothers, grandmothers and generations of cast-iron cooks.

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Traveling by Fork

By Marilyn Hunter

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

I also believe a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single bite. There are so many ways to travel. My family taught me the joy of a journey through books, movies and food. I like to think of our dinner table as a place to gather together for sustenance and adventure – a way to explore and discover. Eating together and trying new foods is such a great way to learn about different cultures, traditions and customs.

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Rediscovering Pimento Cheese

“What’s this stuff?” Nicky asked, holding up a giant tub of pimento cheese at our neighborhood market. “Oh, it’s just a Southern thing.” I said. “I used to carry it in my school lunchbox.” Then Andrew added, “Well, it’s actually a Midwest thing too.”

Almost everyone has a dish they remember from childhood or family gatherings of years past. I don’t know exactly when I had my first taste of pimento cheese, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was a lunchbox sandwich. As memory serves me, my childhood sandwiches were often pimento cheese, PB&J, olive loaf or bologna on white bread.

Andrew even remembers pimento cheese balls coated with slivered almonds and a maraschino cherry on top from Schuler’s Steakhouse every Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, it was a part of almost every holiday buffet spread we could remember.

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Andrew and Marilyn Provide Help for Busy Moms and Dads every Thursday

By Andrew Hunter

All this week, we will be re-introducing our bloggers by re-posting their very first post for Special Fork. Next week we’ll be back blogging with more cooking insights, helpful tips and delicious recipes that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time, all to solve your daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now!

Today we feature Andrew Hunter’s introductory blog. Andrew and his wife, Marilyn, post every Thursday to provide cooking help for busy families.

Andrew is the founder and owner of Culinary Craft, where he develops food products for such brands as Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Niman Ranch and Martha Stewart. Previously, he was a VP of Culinary Development for Wolfgang Puck and before that, Andrew managed the culinary operations for the 525-unit Olive Garden chain. Earlier in his career, he was chef de cuisine of Barbara Tropp’s China Moon Café.

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