This is dedicated to my boyfriend. He has been my culinary guinea pig for the last three years. He is a Iowa born "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, so cooking for him is pretty easy. He has smiled through my beef enchliladas that had about 1/2 cup of chipoltle peppers in it (I misread the recipe that called for 2 Tablespoons instead) and said "This is great babe!" He has also tasted my food that I have cooked when we are not getting along, he has commented after the fact that the food had no "love" in it. I do believe that cooking is an act of love, you put your heart into a meal that takes two hours to prepare and is consumed in less that 30 minutes. Cooking professionally is a hard job but the rewards you get from customer smiles and compliments are well worth it. My reward comes from my boyfriends simple comment of "That was really good" and a kiss. That is all I need to sometimes. The following recipe is one of his favorites, it is taken from the Martha Stewart publication Everyday Food , it is a quick and easy recipe that can be made ahead of time and frozen for future use. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
P.S. Happy Birthday to the man in my life, I will try to always cook with love for you!
Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka

Shepards Pie - Serves 8

Ingredients:

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook lamb until no longer pink, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to a colander set in a bowl; let fat drain off and discard.
  
• Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
  
• Add Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups water, and lamb. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Divide among eight 8-ounce ramekins or two 9-inch glass pie dishes.
  
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1 inch; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
  
• In pan, bring milk and butter to a simmer; remove from heat. Return potatoes; mash. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread over pies; use a fork to make peaks. Bake on a baking sheet until tops are browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly; serve.