The smooth, tasty flavor of Kobe beef

So you’re planning on taking that “special someone” in your life out for dinner on the town this week.

After first stopping at the bank and taking out a second mortgage on your house, off you go in search of that special eatery in hopes of finding that perfect mouth-watering dish.

As usual, you first park the car, enter the restaurant, wait to be seated, check out the menu from top to bottom and then finally, order your meal.

Question. Who cooked your meal? Even at fast food drive-thrus, we get to see the faces of those who serve us. Thus the reason for this column - to introduce our local area chefs to the Mid-Valley community - kind of like putting a plate to a name, or a name to a plate, depending on what part of the country you’re from.

I got a call recently from one of our readers about a young man whom the caller said was not only a great chef and a hard worker, but the nicest guy you could ask for who went out of his way to make his "special" evening special.

Gathering up my notepad, ink pen and my Nikon camera, I headed over to The Refuge in Yuba City and found sous chef Richard Ramirez slaving over a hot grill.

After introducing myself and taking a few photos of him, we sat down together in the dinning room to get to know each other.

Richard, 28, is father to a 5-year-old daughter named Anjelica, who makes his eyes sparkle like diamonds when he speaks of her. It is very obvious that he loves being a daddy.

“Being with my family and doing special things with them is what it is all about. Besides my job and my love for cooking, there is nothing as important to me as my family. I also love sports and I try and tie sports in with our family activities as much as possible.” Richard said.

Starting at the bottom of the food chain, like most chefs do, Richard began life at The Refuge as a dishwasher 11 years ago. Hard work and learning from the many chefs over the years, he worked his way up to become the sous chef three years ago.

“Food is my passion and that passion drives me to want to do better each and every day. I also love to interact with our customers. Every chance I get, I go out into the dinning room and talk to our customers to make sure they are enjoying their meal," he said.

“I love cooking so much that my dream is to someday open my own catering service. Until then, I am very happy right here, where I can learn from the very best chefs in the area,” Richard said with that same sparkle in his eyes.

This recipe, though a bit pricey because of Kobe beef prices, is a challenge and not for the faint-of-heart cook. Yet if you want a wonderful challenge, your culinary efforts will be rewarded by trying this incredible, melt-in-your-mouth dish. Not only was it delicious, but it plates up very nicely as well. I almost hated to take a bite of it because it looked like a piece of art, but somehow I forced myself to overcome that obstacle.

Add this recipe to your collection and when you want a great, challenging dish for that “special someone” at home, you will have just the right dish for that special occasion.

American Kobe Skirt Steak

With potato gratin, asparagus, shiitake salad with fava beans and white truffle oil.

Skirt steak

Peel, clean and defat, then cut into 10-ounce portion; season with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Rub with softened butter, grill over high heat until desired temperature. Let steak rest for five to seven minutes.

Gratin potatoes

11 russet potatoes, peel and slice three paper thin

6 cups heavy cream, heated

11?2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Putting it together

Add sliced potatoes to heated cream with seasonings. Cook potato mixture on medium-high heat until cream is absorbed, about five minutes or more. Take the potato mixture and lay into gratin dish or any shallow baking dish. Evenly distribute potatoes and cover with grated Gruyere cheese, about 10 ounces. Let gratin cook in 350-degree conventional oven for 45 minutes or until top is browned.

Salad

10 to 15 shiitake mushrooms, destemed

1 shallot, sliced

Take whole mushrooms and sliced shallots, add 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Putting it together

Cook in oven at 400 degrees for two to three minutes. Set aside.

Use raw asparagus tips and slice thin on bias, about six spears.

Blanche fava beans outside of pod. Shock in cold water and put beans in a bowl.

Add sliced asparagus tips, sliced shiitake, fava beans, micro greens, aragula and beet.

Season with salt, pepper to taste, plate and serve.

Don’t forget - a free, full-color recipe card of Richard Ramirez’s “American Kobe Skirt Steak” is available today in the lobbies of the Appeal-Democrat in Marysville and Yuba City.

Your Neighbors’ Favorite Recipe column will return April 18. If you have a favorite recipe you would be willing to share, call me and I will come out to your kitchen. If you are 9 or 99, male or female, I would love to come to your kitchen. I go to everyone’s kitchen who invites me. To nominate someone or to submit a recipe for Your Neighbors’ Favorite Recipe or The Golden Chefs of the Mid-Valley, call Michael E. Reed at 749-4720, mail it to 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901 or e-mail him at mreedd@appealdemocrat.com.