Meet the Chef: D & D's Diane Samimi

When I first spoke with Diane Samimi and told her my history with heart disease (I had a heart attack at age 34 back in 1996), she said to me, “Wow! When you come here, come here hungry.”

“Here” is . Diane and her husband Danny own it and she prepared a Healthy Tuna Salad sandwich, a speciality of hers.

Recipe to follow.

What or who got you started in the food industry?

My husband, Danny.  He saw how much I loved cooking and asked me if I wanted to open a deli. That's how D&D was born.

—Did you like cooking at first? When did you start to like it?

Since I was a child, I was always enticed by the way food hits all of your senses, the rhythms of a knife hitting the cutting board, the smell of spices, the feeling of a good piece of fruit, the look of the food that is so good you want to eat it, and the great taste......but then I also realized that special things happen with food, like Sunday night family dinners, summer barbecues with friends, or a wedding; all these things make life better when paired with a delicious meal

—Have you had any formal training? If so, what is the most important lesson you learned? 

No, but does this includes watching Julia Child or Jacques Pepin? The food has to look as good as it tastes.

 —What other delis or restaurant have you worked at (if any)? How have you survived in an industry that most of the time means long hours and hard work?

My first job ever was at a small town deli called Elmer's Country Store and the same year we opened this deli, the owners sold Elmer's and came in to congratulate us and wish us luck. If you had told me at 15 that years later I would end up back behind a deli counter, I would think you were crazy!

I have had the pleasure to work with my husband and family. Also our staff and customers have become our extended family over the years and it has created a nice work environment.

—Is there a difference between working in a deli as opposed to a restaurant?

 Yes, there is more time to prepare in a restaurant and a deli is more fast-paced and higher demand.  I have known great chefs who tried to open a deli but just couldn't handle the pressure and went back to the restaurant biz.

—When it gets busy at the deli, how do you keep on track?

Keep track of what...the food, the workers, the customers, the money—there is a lot to keep you on your toes!

—Tell me about your most popular dishes and one or two that you call "your own creation."

First of all, every recipe is my own creation.  But my most popular are my Antioxidant Soup, which is a vegetarian lentil soup filled with herbs, vegetables and spices that I believe rev up and clean out your system.  Healthy Tuna Salad, this tuna salad forgets the mayo and gets dressed with fresh lemon and a small amount of olive oil which is lighter than our traditional tuna salad. D&D Meatloaf, I make this every Thursday and have clients who have moved from the area and make sure to come back for a visit on Thursday just to get it.

—Which type of food would you like to become more familiar with, or learn more about? Why?

 "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"—Hippocrates. Healthier food because this is the "new" way of living.  I am very interested and constantly educating myself on more nutritious eating and the effects food has on the body. 

—How much fun is it "creating" at D&D? What is the most important part of the "creating?"

Lots of fun. Cooking is all about creating and I love what I do, but being adaptable to any given situation is the most important part of the process because it can lead you somewhere exciting even if you weren't planning on it.

—When you eat out where do you like to go?

D&D. I know what's happening in my kitchen. But to tell you the truth, I cook at home so we don't go out a lot.

—Any advice for someone who wants to become a chef, or own a deli?

Be prepared for hard work, very long hours and sacrifice. You have to be present, work hard and love what you do. These things are necessary to make it in the food business. 

Ingredients:

• 10 oz white albacore tuna
• Diced celery
• Diced red and green pepper
• Carrots
• Coarse ground pepper
• Garlic clove
• Salt
• Ground pepper
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Parsley

Instructions:

1. Rinse tuna in a bowl with water and squeeze it dry, and break apart with fingers
2. Add celery, peppers, and grate carrots into bowl with tuna
3. Add a bit of ground pepper
4. Crush or smash garlic clove with knife and toss a bit of salt on it, then crush the garlic with knife some more and add to tuna
5. Add ¼ cup lemon juice and two tablespoons olive oil mixed together to tuna.
6. Slice fresh parsley. Add to tuna.
7. Toss tuna salad, and serve. Served best on whole wheat, sun-dried tomato wrap, but great on toast, or over a bed of salad or romaine

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