Chef Lynn Crawford dives into the Frozen Shrimp biz

Chef Lynn Crawford seems to be everywhere and a part of everything these days.  Not only does the popular Food Network Chef have her own show called "Pitchin In" but she is also one of the judges on  "Chopped Canada" and is currently working on a new show where she travels around Canada looking for the best cookbook recipes from people across Canada.

She is also the owner of the well rated Leslieville restaurant RubyWatchco.   And if that's not busy enough she is also a Brand Ambassador for KitchenAid and Hellman's and probably a whole lot more that I don't even know about.  She is always involved in charitable events and has participated in the Culinary Showdown for Breast Cancer as well as many other events.   I have seen Lynn at many consumer and professional trade shows doing the most hilarious food demos.  She is one of the most entertaining and skilled chefs in Canada.

I don't know how she has the time to do it all but she seems to make it work and do it very well.  If all that isn't enough she has just launched a new line of Frozen Shrimp Products by Waterview Market.

Teriyaki Shrimp

It comes in 6 different flavours currently, including:  Maple Mustard, Teriyaki, Lemon Garlic, Carribean, Honey BBQ and Teriyaki BBQ.   The are currently available in stores like Fortinos but check your local grocery store as they will be expanding to many more stores.   The shrimp is frozen and packed with a sauce packet that is really easy to cook.  You can either defrost the shrimp and packed by running it under cold water or leave it in the refrigerator overnight and drain excess water.  It is sustainable shrimp and the sauces are Gluten Free with no MSG and no Palm Oil.

You can literally cook up the shrimps with the sauce in minutes and add some rice or pasta and you have an easy and quick flavourful meal.  No need to have a million spices in your cupboard so it's perfect for the rushed mom or the space strapped busy single professional or student.

Lemon Garlic & Caribbean flavour shrimp

I sampled 4 of the flavours,  the Teriyaki, the Caribbean, the Maple Mustard and the Lemon Garlic.  My favourite was the Lemon Garlic and I was told that it is their most popular flavour that they can't keep enough in stock even.

If you are clueless in the kitchen but sick of take out try this and I bet you will feel like you can cook like the chefs on Chopped Canada too.  They are great for parties and I taste tested them with my friends at a party I hosted on the weekend.


Disclaimer:  Samples of the frozen shrimp were provided for review by Premiere Marine Canada but the opinions and photos are my own.  Waterview Market Package photos provided by Premiere Marine Canada.

For more info about the products:  www.waterviewmarket.com

Chef Lynn Crawford's Pitchin In

Chef Lynn Crawford the star of Food Network's Pitchin In and Restaurant Makeover was Pitchin to the Students and Alumni and myself at a talk at George Brown College on a Snowy winter night. She was there to talk about her new and 1st ever cookbook from the recipes she has whipped up on the first 2 seasons of "Pitchin In". Lynn has been a chef for many years and has worked in the top Hotels in major cities and now has her own restaurant downtown on Queen St. East with a new little shop a few doors down. The restaurant is called Rubywatch Co. and the shop is called Ruby Eats. I think Chef Lynn had to be talked into finally producing a cookbook but from the looks of the cookbook it was worth the wait. It's a beautifully laid out book with photos of Chef Lynn at the farms she visited during the show and recipes that are beautifully photographed and drool worthy. Some cookbooks are sort of like coffee table books but this book looks like you want to cook all these recipes and that they are something that can be done at home with a little bit of basic skills and a great recipe.

Pitchin In is one of my favourite Food Network shows for a few reasons. The number one reason is that Chef Lynn is hilarious and passionate. She puts every ounce of her soul into her cooking and into the hearts of the people she meets. She has tremendous respect for the farmers and food providers and it comes across on her show. She loves people and respects everyone's contribution to what she does. She couldn't be a great chef without great food to cook with.

I also love the show because it really shows what local and organic means in food production. The show show almost a start to finish process on how food is grown and made for consumption. From the chicken to the egg process of what goes on the ground and what comes out of it. It's a full circle process with Lynn creating works of food art to reward the great growers and farmers that have demonstrated their skills.

Chef Lynn will try almost anything even with a fear of heights she soars in what she does.

I have tremendous respect for her because when she started as a chef there were few woman who would have been in the kitchen for her to look up to but now she is the Chef women aspire to be as good as. I admire her culinary skills as well as her personal integrity and passion.

I got a gift certificate for Rubywatchco for christmas and I am looking forward to finally tasting her food very soon.

Check out Chef Lynn Crawford's new cookbook "Pitchin In" or her show of the same name or drop into her restaurant RubyWatchCo or her shop Ruby Eats and see what Lynn can do.
I promise you will have fun.