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Aaron Rothgeb was 16 or 17 when he realized what he wanted to be when he grew up.
After cooking at home and for church functions – and a stint working at Pizza Hut – Rothgeb, who turns 30 on Feb. 22, began his culinary internship at Pine Valley Country Club. Today, he’s the club’s executive sous chef.
He’s also president of the Fort Wayne chapter of the American Culinary Federation.
“I’ve worked at Pine Valley Country Club off and on since ’97. I interned there from Northrop (High School),” he says.
Rothgeb is a graduate of the Johnson & Wales University of North Miami, Fla.
“Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Ind., I picked the Miami campus. I needed sun,” he reasons. “I went through a couple hurricanes – nothing too crazy.”
While living in South Florida, Rothgeb worked for catering companies at sporting events such as tennis’ Sony Ericsson Open, Royal Caribbean Golf Classic and the Ryder Cup.
“After that, I went out to Oakland (Calif.) and was a sous chef for Jack’s Bistro in Jack London Square – that was for about nine months. I moved back here. I didn’t want to spend vacation time visiting. All my family is back in this vicinity,” he says.
“Jason Stuart had taken me under his wing when I worked at Pine Valley, and he heard I was back in town,” he continues. “Now I work for Chris Zimmerman – for nine years now. I’ve learned a lot under his tutelage.”
Rothgeb says he enjoys fishing, hunting and golfing. But one hobby he and girlfriend Mandee Lehman share is trying out new restaurants.
“I like to try other people’s takes on food,” he says.
Q. You mention that you and Mandee both have crazy schedules, so how often do you eat out?
A. Too much.
Q. Are you the main cook at home?
A. I don’t cook meals every night. I get up and pack her lunch in the morning.
Q. What did you pack her for lunch today?
A. (They look at each other and smile.) Mandee had a chocolate-chip-and-peanut-butter sandwich. (Also) yogurt, grapes, carrots, cottage cheese and an orange. I get a couple proteins, couple fruits and a vegetable every day for lunch.
Q. What do you do to keep meals healthy?
Aaron: We eat whatever. Try not to overeat. We work out.
Mandee: He’ll bring home fruits that I’ve never tried.
Aaron: We have three types of oranges in the fridge right now.
Q. What do you make better than anyone else?
A. I like to go into the cupboards, fridge or freezer and throw something together. It could have started out as something different and I tweaked it. I got third place for my chorizo and hominy chili at Piere’s. I had a no-bean chili. That got third place, too, this year.
Q. Who would you like to take grocery shopping with you and why?
A. Mandee. She’s a fast scanner – otherwise I get lost in the grocery store. Especially at Jungle Jim’s (an international market in Fairfield, Ohio). I could spend days there. I really get teary-eyed when I go in there. Seriously. That could be my heaven.
Q. What’s your favorite cooking utensil?
Mandee: Our new blender?
Aaron: You mean the (KitchenAid) mixer? I like my baking stone.
Q. Who is your cooking idol?
A. I love Anthony Bourdain. I love his books.
My great-grandmother (the late Dorothy Odon). She was a great cook. She had a double-decker oven, and she could put out the food. She was over 100 when she died.
Both my parents can cook, and my younger brother, Joshua. He likes to do desserts. My family has always been supportive of my cooking. And especially Mandee – with crazy hours, backing all my ideas and passion for food and keeping me going.
3 cups prepared au jus sauce
2 pounds thinly sliced roast beef
6 Kaiser rolls, split
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup warm water, plus extra for tops of rolls
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Warm the au jus sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the roast beef and let it warm up at the same time. While the meat is soaking, place the rolls on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Make cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch in a bowl and adding 1/2 cup warm water. Mix well. Brush the tops lightly with water and cornstarch slurry
and sprinkle with salt and caraway seeds. Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are toasted, about 10 minutes. Build sandwiches by smearing horseradish on bun and taking the beef and placing it on the bun, being careful not to drain it. Makes 6 sandwiches.
For each sandwich:
1 petit baguette roll or a 7-inch section cut from a regular-length baguette, purchased or homemade
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Maggi Seasoning sauce or soy sauce
1/4 pound of chicken liver pâté, braunschweiger, pork belly or tofu, sliced and at room temperature
3 or 4 thin seeded cucumber strips, pickling or English variety preferred
2 or 3 cilantro sprigs, roughly chopped
3 or 4 thin jalapeño pepper slices
1 Daikon (radish), thinly sliced
1/2 cup pickled carrots (do chua), julienne-sliced
Slit the bread lengthwise, and then use your fingers or a bread knife to hollow out the insides, making a trough in both halves. Discard the insides or save for another use, such as breadcrumbs. If necessary, crisp up the bread in a toaster oven preheated to 325 degrees and then let it cool for a minute before proceeding. Generously spread the inside with mayonnaise. Drizzle some Maggi Seasoning sauce or soy sauce. Start from the bottom portion of bread to layer in the remaining ingredients. Close the sandwich, cut it in half crosswise for easy eating.
