Easy as shepherd's pie

JIM DINKINS began cooking when he was in the eighth grade.

He wanted to impress his big brother, so he started making cookies for him and his friends.

With each bite that his brother and friends enjoyed, Dinkins discovered what it was like to please those you love with food that you create.

Today, he sees that experience as the beginning of his cooking career.

A 1997 graduate of Johnson & Wales in Charleston, and Providence, R.I., Dinkins, 31, is the owner with his wife, Natasha, of Kendall's Katering and Hanlee Hall, an all-occasion catering business named after the Dinkins' two children, Kendall, 5, and James Hanlee, 2.

The business allows the Dinkinses to structure their work lives so they have plenty of time home with their children -- something both wanted to be sure their careers allowed.

On a recent visit to their St. Andrews business, Dinkins prepared a tasty shepherd's pie in honor of St. Patrick's Day. The dish, originally considered a peasant's dish, began as a one-pot meal that would be made with leftovers such as a Sunday pot roast or leg of lamb. Today, it is made in a variety of ways with different cheeses and meats.

"Regular ground beef works, too, and is much more common now," Dinkins explains. In the South, he adds, the dish typically includes corn and carrots. Americans in the Northeast prefer it with green beans and a tomato sauce. In the Midwest, green beans and cream of mushroom soup are used to create shepherd's pie, which can also be called cowboy pie.

Irish versions of the hearty dish, which actually has early English roots dating to the 1700s, include what culinary experts refer to as the "Irish trinity" of meat, potatoes and vegetables. The pie is made with leftover meats, topped with a satisfying batch of mashed potatoes.

The shepherd name is most often connected with pies made from leftover lamb. Cottage pie often is the name given to the dish when it is made with beef.

"Smoked applewood bacon is good with it and different cheeses -- smoked gouda, fontina" Dinkins says. "There are so many different varieties we can do."

On this day, however, we stick with the basics.

The dish begins with ground beef, which is browned with a cup of yellow onion and two carrots chopped into small bite-sized pieces so they soften easier and create a satisfying texture for the finished dish.

As the beef is browned, salt, pepper and mushrooms are added as well as a bit of tomato paste, some flour for thickening and some hearty beef stock. A bit of Worcestershire sauce seals the deal.

(A delicious broth can be made at home -- much like the broth chefs make with a new product on the shelves called Better than Bouillon. This concentrate is diluted with water, creating the rich flavoring of restaurant broths, a much deeper flavor than you will get with bouillon or ready-made beef broth.)

After the beef mixture has cooked down to a thicker consistency, it is poured into a casserole dish and topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. The entire dish then is baked in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese browns and bubbles.

The results are satisfying and delicious. If you have a child who is suspicious, simply do what Dinkins suggests: "Call it cheeseburger pie."

What child can resist a dish called cheeseburger pie?