Hello folks! Today I’m excited to share with you a profile of one of my favorite home cooks, Heidi Prada! Heidi and I have been BFFs since our college days in the Philippines, and despite living much farther apart these days (Heidi is in Norwich, England; I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area), we have managed to keep in close touch and have exchanged many many emails over the years about a common passion: food!

An avid gardener and prolific home cook, Heidi hasn’t had to rely on store-bought produce to feed her family since, oh, the late 80s. Together with her husband, Mike (an Italian chef who has cooked for the likes of the Queen of England over his 30-year career in the hotel and catering industry), Heidi grows an astounding variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables in her garden and serves up daily home-cooked specials from her kitchen.

Some years ago I got the chance to reunite with Heidi at her home and experienced their amazing garden-to-table process, as well as some cross-cultural creativity, first-hand: Mike served us a uniquely tasty spaghetti that turned out to have patis (fish sauce) in it! I loved it. I feel so lucky to have these two to turn to anytime I have a gardening or cooking question, and they are so eager to share their knowledge. Here’s a little more of Heidi’s story and some tips you might find useful as fellow food-lovers and home cooks. Keep reading because Heidi is also sharing one of her favorite “weeknight cooking” recipes. Enjoy!

Why do you cook everyday and like to eat at home as often as possible?

Because we know what we put in our food. More hygienic and price-wise (it costs a lot less than eating in a restaurant). I like to cook not only because we need to eat but it is simply satisfying to see the whole dish devoured within minutes of hitting the table. It must be good!

How do you plan your menu for one week?

On a Saturday, we go to the Butcher and/or Fish Monger to buy different types of meat that is on sale, then get a few vegetables and other ingredients that are needed. By the time we buy the meat we already have an idea of what kind of meals we will be preparing during the week.

Do you cook with cookbooks?

I have loads of cookbooks. I like to see what other people are cooking. I usually flick through them and see which recipe I would like to try. Normally, I do exactly as the recipe book says the first time then modify it to my taste the next time. Usually my version is way better! :-)

Mike is an experienced cook, so he has quite a good repertoire of recipes that he has done when he was in the restaurant business but at the same time he is also very creative, so he usually makes something from whatever ingredients we have left in the fridge. In my case, I have quite a few recipes I have tried and tested through the years but always keen to try new ones especially ones that I have seen on TV.

How do you manage to cook everyday, even during those busy or lazy days?

When I get home from work I usually cook something like stir-fry or steaming in the oven, or marinate something before either stir-frying or roasting it in the oven. I like weekend cooking more because I am not in a hurry and usually try to cook something a bit more substantial like braised neck of lamb or roasting some chicken or anything that is a bit more interesting than what we ordinarily cook during the week.

What is your advice for those who lack time, lack space in the kitchen and are budget-conscious?

Always buy vegetables that are in season and work around the meals that you can cook from them. When you go to the supermarket or butcher and fish monger look at the prices and buy the affordable meat that can go far. I usually have a couple of pieces of Pork Belly in the freezer. It’s good to use for stir-frying with vegetables. Mike always says that the cheaper the meat cut the tastier it is or the closer the meat is to the bone the tastier it is.

I buy a whole chicken and Mike cuts it into pieces taking the carcass out for making soups, pulling the breast of the chicken to use for stir-fying or escalopes and then the rest of the chicken pieces cut up either to make a stew or kentucky fried chicken or barbecued chicken pieces in the oven. One whole chicken depending on the size is usually good enough for 4-5 different meals. That will save you some money.

How do you deal with leftovers?

Some leftover meals like stews can be frozen. If it’s not frozen, it can be eaten the next day. It really depends on what type of meals they are. Pasta for instance doesn’t usually keep too well after being frozen or even re-heated is pushing it a tad bit especially if you’re re-heating spaghetti vongole (with clams) or seafood type spaghetti.

What about surplus fruit or vegetables from your garden?

Tomatoes in particular are never too much to grow. Whatever is left we make use for tomato sauce. Soft fruits can be made into jam or preserves or frozen. Items like zucchini glut, well, this one you can’t really store very well so either you cook it and freeze it or sometimes we give away to friends and neighbours.

And now for Heidi’s recipe…

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Thank you, Heidi, for being such an inspirational figure in the garden and kitchen! Comment below or send me a message if you have any thoughts or questions for our Creative Cook!

All images courtesy of Heidi Prada