Creating a legacy

I would like to think that because I cook and bake a lot (assuming of course that the results of those efforts are tasty), I am instilling in my offspring a love of food, a justifiable wonder for all food's many flavors, a joy of food preparation perhaps, a desire to appreciate the many flavor combinations that can excite our palates... You are probably thinking that I am aiming a little too high. But, no, there are signs that it is bearing fruit. I know I have mentioned my eldest son's appreciation for baked goods before:

Yes, he could have mentioned overwhelming generosity, strength of character and beauty, but it was the muffins that won the day.

And this is not an isolated indication of the impact my cooking is having on my family. Witness, for example, youngest son's post-school, pre-homework snack this afternoon:

In case you're wondering, it is a lemon curd and pretzel sandwich. Undeterred by the fact that this combination does not appear anywhere else in our culinary heritage (or indeed, I would hasten to guess, anyone else's), but spurred on by quality ingredients like stale dutch crunch bread, honey wheat pretzels and Trader Joe's lemon curd, and a desire to eat all three, not in succession, but simultaneously, my son invented this new dish (then ate most of it... and didn't clear up). Yes, I can tell my culinary efforts are making an impact!

Spurred on myself by the incontrovertible evidence that I am successfully raising a brood of food lovers and fearless food adventurers, I can but continue confidently in my endeavor. Tonight's combination may not have the sheer creative audacity of the lemon curd/pretzel marriage, but it is a classic, nonetheless - ginger, orange and soy. May your kitchen smell like mine does (and your counters be free of sticky lemon curd fingerprints).

Gingered Beef and Mixed Vegetables
From Cooking Light's Slow Cooker Cookbook
Serves 6-8

3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 1/4" strips
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce, divided
3 TBSP peeled and shredded fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch/cornflour
4 TBSP hoisin sauce
2 16oz packages of frozen mixed Asian-style vegetables (I used a pack with broccoli, carrot, water chestnuts and bell pepper)
hot cooked jasmine rice to serve

1. Place beef, orange juice, 6 TBSP soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a large slow cooker and stir well. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour and then on LOW for a further 2 1/2 hours.
2. Combine 2 TBSP soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch/cornflour in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to slow cooker. Stir in hoisin sauce and vegetables. Cover again and cook on low for a further 40 minutes-1 hour, until vegetables are tender enough for your liking. Serve in bowls over rice.