The Cooking Gene

I believe there is a cooking gene. There are lots of people who do a creditable job of cooking but hate it nonetheless. And there are lots of people who just tolerate it. That’s the way I feel about cleaning; yet I know people who actually enjoy that!

When I was keeping house and raising children, I was a stay-at-home Mom for quite awhile and I kept a pretty mean house. I always saved the cooking for last, because it was so much fun I actually felt guilty about doing it. (That’s a topic for the psychologist’s couch, I think).

I have a granddaughter who, at the age of eight, was standing at my butcher block, chef’s knife in hand (I was right next to her) and chopping and mincing for at least thirty minutes without speaking until she finally looked up with a huge smile and said, “Grammy, I just love cooking, don’t you?” That’s the cooking gene.

Now, I have three grown sons who never showed a single bit of interest in cooking while they were living at home. Maybe once or twice they made macaroni and cheese from a box or put together a hot dog or heated a frozen pizza when I wasn’t available to make a home-cooked meal, but nobody ever said, ”Mom, could I cook a whole dinner?” or, “Could I bake a cake?” Yet, on one trip to Madison to visit my oldest son’s family we were treated to a wonderful dinner—the main dish and dessert cooked by my son.

I’ve known for some time now that he was interested in cooking—but it began with grilling and then smoking meat—and has developed into a real innovative repertoire to which he adds his own creations. He has mastered some difficult techniques without attending any cooking classes or prestigious culinary schools. I wouldn’t have guessed in his growing-up years that he would be the one—if indeed there was to be one—but he has the cooking gene. Although he has spent most of his adult life as a CPA, he recently purchased two Buck's Pizza restaurants in Madison.

Here is the delicious lamb dish Jed (my son) made for us:

Adapted from Executive Chef James Babian, the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii
Serves 4

Marinade:

4 ounces olive oil
3 ounces good red wine
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus more for inserting in meat
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. pineapple juice
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup orange juice
4 ounces sliced onion
1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed
Garlic cloves, peeled
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over lamb. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove lamb from marinade. Stud with garlic cloves and rosemary leaves. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill to medium rare over Hickory or mesquite wood coals. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Mango Mint Sauce:

2 ounces rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 ounces good dry white wine
3 ounces mango puree
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
2 ounces beef stock
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped mint leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In small saucepot add the vinegar and sugar. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and begins to turn light brown. Add wine and cook down, reducing by half. Add the remaining ingredients and half the mint. Simmer 10 minutes to let flavors marry. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining mint just before serving.

Slice lamb across the grain in thin slices and serve with Mango Mint Sauce.

Evidently Jed has been experimenting with lamb because he also sent me a recipe he created with leftover lamb. The directions and amounts are his—but it really does work out very well.

Lamb Stew

¾ onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. cooked lamb in bite-sized cubes
Chopped carrots—2 handfuls
Peas—2 handfuls
2 Roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
5 cups beef broth
1 cup good red wine
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 large sprigs of rosemary
4-8 sprigs of thyme
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Orzo pasta—1-2 handfuls
1 handful chopped Shitake mushrooms
Salt and pepper

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add the cooked lamb, carrots, peas, red peppers, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add beef broth and wine. Bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, then add to stew. Add pasta. Allow to simmer until the pasta is tender, stirring regularly. Change stove temp to low and allow stew to stop simmering. If it is not as thick as you’d like it, add more cornstarch (mixed with cold water) and simmer some more. Taste stew and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender. Pull out the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Eat with delicious bread.