Name: Goldie Herrieze Jones
Restaurant: Goldie's Oakwood Bar-B-Que, 1940 University Ave., East Palo Alto
Education and background: "I grew up in the kitchen with my mom. I started in pastries with her. Also, my father taught me what he could from his work as a chef. He worked in Fresno, and his expertise was potato salad."
What do you like best about your job? "I love the variety of people I get to meet. I also get a kick out of watching the ribs cooking on the spit."
What is the most challenging aspect of your job? "Trying to guess every day how much I need to prepare against how much I'm going to sell. That's something I've mastered--knowing what your Monday's are going to be like, your Tuesdays, etc."
What was your most traumatic kitchen experience? "That would be when, in the middle of a catered event, the meat in the pit caught fire and burned beyond recognition. I had to start back at the very beginning but managed to have the meal ready in spite of the setback."
What cuisine or technique would you like to master next? "Breads. I would love to make yeast breads--working with the dough and enjoying the smell of them cooking. I've never really had the opportunity to do that."
Where do you like to go out to eat? "Any place that serves fish or seafood, especially crab."
What is your favorite meal of the day? "Lunch. I'm not much of a morning person, so at lunch is when I'm up and running."
What do you normally prepare at home? "Spaghetti, mostly. Usually I eat at my restaurant since it's more geared to a lunch or dinner crowd."
What food or ingredient is most overused today? "Pasta dishes seem to be everywhere you look these days."
What do you predict will be the next movement in cuisine or dining? "I really don't know. We've gone through the pasta series. We've been through the chicken era. Maybe more salads."
Who is your culinary hero? "My (late) husband. He was a great cook. He was in charge of the dining room at Metropolitan Life in San Francisco. His specialty was sauces, and he taught me my recipes."
With what person, living or dead, would you most like to share a meal? "Oprah Winfrey. We could discuss her financing mass production of my sweet potato pie!"
When did you decide you wanted to become a chef? "Early on. My first job was at Three J's Barbeque in Menlo Park. It was there I met my future husband."
If you weren't a chef, what would you be? "I've always been fascinated by libraries. So I'd probably be a librarian somewhere."
What goes on in the kitchen that diners don't realize? "There's a lot of chaos getting it all together and keeping track of orders."
What cookbook do you most recommend for the inexperienced cook? "I like the books by Paul Prudhomme."
What are the secrets to being a good chef: "Being organized, being clean, being thrifty and always striving for perfection."
What is your most indispensable appliance or gadget in the kitchen? "My Hobart mixer."
What is your favorite ethnic, regional or national cuisine? "I like Cajun and seafood."
--Marc Igler @sub:Peach cobbler Note: The Weekly asked Jones for her sweet potato pie recipe, but she politely declined. "That's top secret," she said. @quan: 1 gallon sliced peaches in light syrup 3 cups sugar 2 sticks butter 2 tablespoons nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 2 cups water 1 prepared pie crust, about 11 by 8 inches, with extra strips Stir water into flour until mix is smooth. Meanwhile, heat the rest of the ingredients in a pan over medium heat. Then, pour flour mix into pan and continue heating for 15 minutes. Pour mix into pie crust. Place extra strips on top and dot with butter and sugar. Place in oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Back up to the Table of Contents Page