Ever since I took on this endeavor – penning this monthly column – I have been able to measure the impact of my wares as I read the emails I've received from Eccentric readers. Some are complimentary, some genuinely need help and some need a cooking class.

Below are a smidgen I'd like to share with you.

Q: What makes you qualified to be teaching or giving advice on anything epicurean, let alone be writing about it? Anonymous, Middleburg, VA

A: Good question "Anonymous," but if you're going to email someone anonymously, you may want to take your name out of your email address and Internet header. It really kind of kills the whole point.

Bloodline is your answer. I'm the 4th of now six generations of restaurateurs. My great grandfather and grandfather ran full service inn's in Krakow, Poland before immigrating in 1938. In the '70's my family had eight restaurants running at once. The smallest, a four-diamond that seated 50, and the largest a huge, expanded mansion that sat 1,650.

I grew up and worked in the latter, the family's flagship property called "Dibble's Inn" outside of Syracuse, NY. My childhood consisted of child slave labor with a mixture of hands on learning and helping people regain composure after doing a face plant in one of our fountains after four hours of open bar.

My earliest memory is of scooping ice cream on Saturdays at the ripe old age of seven on a stepping stool my grandfather made so I could reach into the freezers. From then on, it was a pretty strange childhood as my Dad "fast tracked" my brothers and me.

I thought every kid had to clean and debone 400 whole roasters (chickens) every Tuesday afternoon after school. Wednesdays we'd break down all the sides of beef that come in for the weekend. Thursdays we'd load into a 1969 International Scout and go collect the local produce needed for the week from the local farmers. Fridays, we'd prep it all. In between all of this madness we'd have to service the scheduled banquets, business meetings and buses and buses of tourist groups (filled with blue hairs).

During two weeks of the summer I would get sent off to a CIA-sponsored summer camp titled "Camp for Kid Cooks." While other kids were camping and canoeing, I'm learning Béarnaise and how to make a sour dough starter. How messed up is that?

Our trade was large banquets but our specialty was weddings. Huge weddings. 500+ people, three or four of them at once. Many at $3.99 for a 40-piece buffet and $4.99 for a four-hour open bar. Then, we'd tear it all down and prepare for 1,100 inebriated Shriners to come in for surf and turf with banana fosters for dessert followed by an evening of dancing and debauchery.

I'd always check the fountains before heading home.

The entire time we'd have a three-diamond formal dining room open to the public that seated 75 (coat and tie required) under the watchful eye of my mother, "Mrs. L." that was booked months in advance.

I worked as a line cook's helper from the age of 11 until 16, and then my brothers and I would rotate working as head expediter for the formal dining room. I worked with CIA-trained chefs as well as off-the-street 30-year line cooks who were alcoholics.

My Dad used to salt the cooking sherry to cut down consumption and improve performance. Some had a better sense of taste and palate then most of the CIA graduates. Nothing beats experience. So I watched and learned. If Chef passed out in the beer cooler, I'd take over the line.

My Dad was a perfectionist (stickler) about many things. The biggest was that everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) was made from scratch. Figure that out; you're cooking for the better part of 3500 people every weekend and the stock, the gravy, the bread, each and every garnish was made from square one. I don't think you see that around much these days.

I was shipped around to different family restaurants for short periods. (This was to help the family decipher better what type of restaurant you would best fit into upon gradation from college.)

I cooked my way through college and continued to take courses. I was the first (in four generations !) to leave the family business. Needless to say I'm the outcast. But my life took a much better road than having to deal weekly with brides worried about the quality of my tomato sauce for the ziti and if a six-tier cherry cheesecake will feed 500.

So am I qualified ? Probably not, but I'm a damn good cook and it's ingrained in my soul. I'm pretty confident I could bury some of those chefs in the "Iron Chef" challenge on Food TV.

Q: I loved the "No Beast Feast" article you wrote about vegetarian cooking. What else can I do with Quinoa? I read that it's a "superfood." What does that mean ? Lindsey, South Riding, VA

A: It is a superfood, with _ cup serving containing more protein than a 12oz piece of filet. Go here http://www.quinoa.net to find out the facts. There are a lot of different ways to cook it. This is one way I've been preparing it lately with fresh veggies from the Farmer's Market.

Quinoa Sunflower Stuffing

This is a protein packed, savory stuffing. I've used it to stuff zucchini, eggplant, acorn squash or I'll put a scoop under a chicken breast and bake it. It's great.

2 glugs Olive or Canola oil
3/4 cup Quinoa rinsed well, drained
1 med Onion, chopped
3 lge Celery ribs, chopped
12 oz Mushrooms, sliced
2 lge Carrots, grated
3 cloves Garlic, minced
3 med Sage leaves, crumbled
3 med Basil leaves, crumbled
2 med Thyme, sprigs, crumbled
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano, crushed
1 Tbl Tamari™
1 cup Sunflower seeds, toasted
Dash Sea salt

In a cast iron fry pan over medium high heat pour in the sunflower seeds and toast them until they are light brown. Plate and set aside. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the onion, salt and sauté, after 2 minutes add the celery and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, carrots, garlic, sage, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, and oregano. Sauté until the mushroom and carrots soften and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of cold water, Quinoa and Tamari and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Stir occasionally until the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fold in the sunflower seeds. Stuff something with it.

Q: Someone told me you gave a killer "Brew Butt Chicken" recipe last year? Can I get it again please? Mark T, Aldie, Va

A: Sure here it is. I've gotten a lot of great feedback on this recipe. Remember the secret is tipping the chicken over towards the end of the cooking.

Fallen Down Drunk Brew Butt Chicken

Two important things to remember: 1) You've got to get the beer to temperature without boiling it so slow cooking is a must; and 2) You have to use a good dark beer. Important: Don't use Guinness. You don't cook with Guinness. You drink Guinness.

1 Young Roaster Chicken
1 can of dark beer, room temperature (I used an Amber Bock)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed

Open the can and punch 2 more dime size holes in the top of the can. Leave the can 3/4 full of beer (go ahead and have a sip for inspiration). Crush the garlic cloves into the beer can and insert into the chicken cavity. Sit the chicken up on the can in a roasting pan to capture the juices. If the legs are placed forward, the chicken will usually sit right up on the can without any help needed. If help is needed to keep straight, prop with oven safe cups/saucers. Cook at 350º for 45 minutes then tip it over on it belly. Cook for 10 more minutes then flip it over on its back for another 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked. It should be pretty close to finished when you can twist the leg bone easily.

Q: You use a term in your recipes that I'm not familiar with. What exactly is a "glug" of olive oil ? RKM, Middleburg, VA

A: It's larger that a "drizzle" but smaller than a "dollop". Seriously, if you have a bar pourer on your olive oil, it's about a good three "Mississippi" count. If not, it's close to three tablespoons.

Q: "I'm all out of ideas with what I can do with ground turkey. Can you give me some ideas ?" Kendrick, Upperville, VA

A: I know what you mean. There's only so much you can do. The biggest thing to remember since turkey is very lean and has little fat, mix in some herbs and veggies as this will give it moisture.

Mojito Grilled Turkey Burgers

2lbs Ground Turkey
1 cup Plain BBQ Sauce
1 cup Mojito mix (use Margarita Mix if you'd like - it's just as good)
1 cup Red bell peppers, diced
3 Tbs Fresh Basil, Minced (about 10 good size leaves)
1 tsp Ground Pepper
2 tsp Sea salt
2 med Ripe Tomatoes, sliced served on side

Combine all the ingredients and form approximately 6 burgers. Make sure your grill is hot and clean. If not, these burgers will stick. Cook 3-4 minutes a side until they're done to medium. DON'T OVERCOOK. Turkey is very lean and dries out easily. Also be careful flipping, ground turkey is a bit more fragile than beef.

Serve on your favorite roll with a nice slice of tomato.

Q: I don't cook that much. In fact, I'm pretty lame in the kitchen so I need to keep it simple. What can I make for my future mother-in-law that will impress her? Help! Jeff, Unison, VA

A: Reservations. Never experiment on family, especially your "future" mother-in-law. It'll come back at you in spades.

Comment or catastrophes?
fbts@middleburgeccentric.com