In 'House’s' Kitchen

I first met Andrew Robinson in the fall of 1998. I was a guidance counselor at a private high school in Rhode Island and he was one of the students assigned to me.

I heard a knock on my office door one morning and there he stood. He introduced himself and said, “Hi, I am Andrew, but you can call me 'House.'”

I looked up with a quizzical look on my face. Here was this baby-faced freshman, who was as big as a college lineman. I said, “Hello” and my first questions to him were, “How big are you, do you play football and what does your mother feed you?”

He laughed and said, “I am a little over 6-feet tall and I am about 260 pounds. I play football a little and I like to eat just about anything.” I chuckled to myself and we continued to talk.

Andrew was a frequent flyer in my office. He would stop by to chat when he could. I do believe he would try to get out of class by coming to visit with me, but that is just the way high school students are. I always enjoyed our talks; he was affable, engaging and funny.

We spent a great amount of time talking about what he would do once he left high school, as well as what was going on in his life.

I venture to say that most of our conversations were not about academics, rather about the trail of broken hearts that he left while in school.

Andrew preferred the social aspects of school over the academics. He was a Don Juan in the making—a consummate flirt.

I told him that if he put this much effort into studying instead of chasing the girls, he would graduate with top honors. He once told me, “I can’t help it; I just like women too much.”

Needless to say, I laughed on so many occasions with him. This gentle giant was a bright young man with a kind heart. The world beyond these school walls was his for the taking—he just needed to decide what path to follow.

While Andrew was in high school, he started to work at a local restaurant. He was doing entry-level restaurant work— scrubbing toilets, washing dishes and trash details. He would tell me how much he liked the environment despite doing the grunt work.

He wasn’t sure that this field was for him, but he liked working in a restaurant. He liked to cook and to eat, and he just wanted to leave his options open.

The decisions that he made while in high school would eventually lead him on a culinary journey. I was looking at a future chef in the making—he just did not know it yet.

Andrew had the perfect combination for life as a chef—he was talented, smart, creative and witty with a slightly rebellious side.

He liked the fast-pace environment of the restaurant world, but did not like being told what to do. It was his destiny to work in a kitchen.

I had to leave halfway through Andrew’s senior year. My husband accepted a job in Pittsburgh. I was always curious what my students did after graduation and what paths they had chosen in life.

Several years later, I was able to reconnect with some of my former students. I loved seeing how they turned out and what they were all doing. I was able to find Andrew. I was anxious to see what he was up to—I had to see how the budding culinary Casanova turned out.

Andrew tried the college track and it was just not the right fit for him. He was still working in restaurants (in one form or another) while he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do.

This decision would prove to be a beneficial one. His perseverance paid off—he eventually became an executive chef.

He climbed up culinary ladder the old-fashion way—through hard work, blood, sweat, burns and tears. It was not an easy path for him to take.

According to this culinary journeyman, “He would not have had it any other way.” He found his niche and became a successful chef in the process.

Here is the best part—he became my food consigliere (leader)!

I now had access to a professional chef. I could ask him various questions about food any time I wanted. He would provide me cooking tips and recipes—a foodie’s dream.

Andrew would text me pictures of special dishes that he created and tell me about some of the new recipes that he was working on.

Looking back, I realized that every student who came into my world added something to my life. I always learned so much from them. This is certainly the case with Andrew.

The roles in our lives had changed—now I was the one asking for his advice and guidance. I needed his help and expertise on projects that I was working on. The teacher became the student and the student became the master.

I treasure the foodie relationship that I have with "House." This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. He never tires of my questions and is always willing to share his knowledge.

This young man has a great deal of patience when he interprets “complicated” foodie techniques and philosophies, and explains it to his 40-something-year-old former guidance counselor who needs time to process information.

Andrew is still the same person that he was when I first met him—the same gentle giant with a warm smile. I admire what he can do in a kitchen, and the way he can cook. The dishes that he creates and the food that he produces, it just blows me away!

He is currently working as executive chef at —the small island off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. 

I asked Andrew to create a special recipe for my blog. Since he works at an old-style New England restaurant that specializes in seafood, I asked if he could give me a seafood recipe. He was happy to do this for me.

I was so giddy with excitement when he sent me the recipe. I knew it would be wonderful—and it is!

It is a simple baked cod dish with a twist. I have made this dish several times and I can tell you that it is a keeper!

I am happy that I can share this recipe because it is the perfect dish for warm-weather cooking. It is delicious and so easy to prepare.

Buon Appetito!

'House’s' Garlic and Mustard Crusted Codfish

You will need the following:

1lb of codfish (or one whole side, skin off)

1 cup whole grain Dijon mustard

¼ cup of mayonnaise

1 lemon halved

5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

½ small shallot minced

2 stems of thyme finely chopped

Olive oil and salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. As you are waiting for your oven to preheat, place the mustard, mayonnaise, juice from half a lemon, minced shallot, chopped garlic and chopped thyme in a mixing bowl and mix together thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated throughout. 

Next rub down a sheet pan/cookie sheet with olive oil, coating it thoroughly so the fish won’t stick to the pan. 

Place the fish on the pan, season with salt and pepper. 

Next take the mustard mixture and rub the top of each piece of fish with it, don’t be afraid to be generous. Place the fish in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the fish is flaky and moist. 

The mustard crust should brown nicely making the fish flavorful and moist. Serve with your choice of sides and a fresh wedge of lemon.

A side note from Andrew about this recipe:

Fresh fish is the best option and works best in this recipe—frozen cod is a good substitute (adjust your cooking time according to the directions). Also fresh herbs are best, but dried thyme will work.

You can serve this dish with a side of rice or salad.

Check out Nancy’s Restaurant’s at nancysrestaurant.com. Visit Martha's Vineyard Patch to check out some of the coverage on Nancy's, too.