Original Intro

For my family and friends

It is no surprise that Jim and I have a relationship with food. We find it inspirational, in more trying times we find comfort in preparation.

I had thought, more or less, that my exploration of food began about 17, when I started my first restaurant job at Woody’s Smorgasburger. While compiling the recipes and information for this cookbook (a more daunting task than I had ever envisioned), I discovered a deeper foundation… the story and history of my life, family and friends… told in food and recipes. My memories included many “food firsts”- milestones of culinary discovery. I remember the first time I tasted shrimp scampi, lobster and oysters, who I was with, where, and what my first impressions were. (For the record, the first oyster I ever tried was horrible… the second time I tried one it was heavenly.)

Our favorite food and dishes remind us, on some subliminal level, of different times and people. Each recipe brought new sets of memories… first bites, dates, traditions, places, and people.


Me, Grandma (Elsie Shilling) and Mom
in Grandma's kitchen - Lawton, OK 1969

My grandmother, from a generation when daily meals were made from scratch, was a wonderful cook. Mom has always associated certain dishes with her mother: fried chicken, black-eye peas, homemade macaroni & cheese, corn bread, and biscuits with country gravy… to name a few. Recipes that come from the Depression and Oklahoma, tell a story of their own. The recipes were designed to “stretch” the flavor and nutritional value of an ingredient, as well as fill the stomach. They “stretched” food by adding flour or corn meal, or utilizing the lard. Cooking with bacon fat, not only added taste, but supplied the calories needed to labor on the farm all day. With the modern standard for large portions, these dishes have become occasional due to their high cholesterol and fat content. Enjoyed in moderation, they still have a place on our tables today.

Mom (aka Grandma Sue) and Me (aka Stacey)

Along the way my mother collected a few of her own recipes, which now are family staples. When we lived in Denver, I believe the recipe for Sausage Chowder was given to her by a friend who lived in the same town home complex. I also have a very vivid memory, in Denver (I believe I was about 4), of my very first bite of cheese enchiladas. Mom had prepared them, and I wanted a bite, Mom thought I would not like them (“too spicy”)… to this day cheese enchiladas rank in my top ten.

Me, Mom and Kristi - dining in Mexico

As we grew, Mom continued to introduce new flavors… and we moved to California. About this time was when I first tried Blue Cheese Dressing, we were at Straw Hat Pizza’s salad bar. Chili and soft tacos made an appearance at dinnertimes, after my parents divorced.

I have memories of a period when Mom, Kristi, and I thought Fajitas were all the rage. As a family, our tastes have changed and evolved. New friends and partners brought their own “seasoning”, we incorporated what we liked… forgot the rest. We have bumped along from exciting new fad to exciting new restaurant. Chinese, Cajun, Thai, Southwestern, Mediterranean… at some point we have touched on them all.

Me coaching Matt and Stan
on potato mashing

Of course, our appreciation grew for finer foods and our tastes refined. At some point Mom, Kristi and I decided that Christmas dinner should not be a repeat of Thanksgiving. We decided to treat ourselves to things we really enjoy… no surprise, this lead to oysters on the half shell and steamed clams. Now many years later, the family has grown and new spouses and children enjoy our shellfish holiday tradition.

Our family is quick to share exciting new restaurants and favorite new flavors. Exposure to different cultures, restaurants, travel, and friends has added spice to this history. Of course, with this culinary exploration has come a few side effects… the obsession with proper kitchenware dishware, glassware and utensils to the point of no cabinet space; curiosity for new flavors leads to long forgotten items cluttering the back of every pantry and refrigerator shelf; and the desire to gather and feed everyone on every possible occasion monopolizes our weekends.

I discovered, at some point and time, I really enjoyed cooking, and I was pretty good at it (or at least you all ate what I made). As my career in restaurants and catering took form, the culinary world widened my knowledge and tickled my taste buds. I do not believe it startled anyone when I married a chef. Jim shared his talent and expanded my understanding of gourmet. This also has infused the sauce.

The following recipes are: nods to our past, some silly, some traditional, as well as favorites that we just can’t stop making… why would we want to?

Our family recipe for love and a good life is almost always surrounded by food.

Our advise…

Contrary to popular thought, cooking is not an exact science.

The most difficult part of writing many of these recipes, for Jim and I,

was trying to quantify many of the ingredients.

How much chopped onion do I put in the spaghetti sauce?

Cooking involves all of the senses… if it doesn’t look like enough onions – add more… if you wish it had a stronger garlic taste – add more… if you don’t like mushrooms – don’t use them… if you like things spicy – throw in some red chili flakes... If the meat doesn’t feel like it is cooked – it probably isn’t. The best cooks don’t let the recipe control the final product.

Look, smell, feel, and taste frequently while cooking

And don’t be afraid to add your own flavor to the pot