For more than 30 years, Darrell Bender of Fort Wayne has been known as “NOMAD DB.”
That’s what his license plate read during the 15 years he lived in California.
“That’s my cyber-name (the.nomaddb@gmail.com),” says Bender, 59, who has a gold “Nomad DB” pin, matches and stationery to match.
At his southwest Allen County home, he and his wife, Elizabeth, talk about their life together.
“Between the two of us, we’ve lived in 13 states and 43 towns. We met on the Internet, married eight weeks later. I was in Atlanta and she was in Montana. We’ve been married eight years,” he says.
The couple has a blended family with his two children and her three.
“I’ve got a son in high school, Southwood in Wabash, and one in college, Ball State,” Darrell says.
Elizabeth adds, “My kids live in Texas.”
For a couple of years, Darrell Bender has been doing marketing for Servicemaster by Restoration Contractors, which fixes homes after a flood or fire. He also spent 40 years in photography and at Williams-Sonoma in Hilton Head, S.C., so his hobbies aren’t surprising.
“Photography, antiquing. … I am a cookbook collector. I have 300 books on photography, 200 on antiques. I have a cookbook collection now exceeding 2,000 cookbooks,” he says. “My cookbooks are cataloged on my computer and my phone. I can find them by author or subject.”
He has 10 filled bookcases.
“The overflow (is) in the garage,” he says. “I always have a stack of 20 or 30 beside the bed.”
Bender has a book he’s named “Personal Recipe Index and Entertaining Journal.” It contains 30 categories with dividers for vegetables, meat, etc. Inside are lists of recipes, the name of the cookbook and the page where it appears. He also has recipes flagged in cookbooks with Post-It notes.
“The entertaining journal is so I don’t serve the same thing to the same people,” he says.
DB’s Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Water
6 to 7 pounds of chicken parts
1 quart of chicken stock (minimum)
1 (10- to 12-ounce) container of frozen orange juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup prunes, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 pound carrots, sliced
2 pounds of potatoes, chopped
2 onions, chopped or sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 apples, peeled and shredded
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 orange, zest and juice
2 tablespoons thyme
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 tablespoon paprika
4 bay leaves
1 cup slivered almonds
1 (3- to 4-ounce) jar capers
1 (12-ounce) jar mixed olives (pitted), partly chopped
1 (12-ounce) can black olives (pitted), partly chopped
Fill stockpot with enough water to cover the chicken; bring to a boil. Boil 15 minutes; turn off and cover. Let chicken cool in the stock. After cooling, de-bone. Add bones and skin back into stock pot and continue brewing the stock.
In separate pan, combine 1/2 quart of stock, orange juice, brown sugar, wine, prunes, apricots; bring to boil and then turn off to cool. In another pan, lightly sauté carrots, potatoes, onions; add garlic at end (for 5 to 10 minutes on medium low). Add chicken, apples, orange peel, zest and orange juice, spices, including bay leaves, almonds, capers, olives and prune mixture to vegetables; mix well. Add enough stock to have mixture moist with just a little extra on the bottom. Put in covered baking container and bake 1 hour in a 375-degree oven. Check to see whether potatoes or carrots are done, if not, cover and check every 20 minutes. If getting dry, then add small amount of stock, depending on size of pan, cooking will probably take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Makes 5 to 6 quarts.
Beef Stroganoff
2 pounds of quality beef, sirloin or steak
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cups of beef stock or bouillon
1/4 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon fresh dill (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Cooked rice or noodles
Trim fat, if any, from beef; then slice into thin 1/2 -inch-wide strips. In a skillet, over high heat, brown the beef quickly in 1 tablespoon of butter, then remove the beef. Add the rest of the butter to the skillet and sauté the onion, mushrooms and garlic for about 5 minutes, turn off heat. Stir in the flour, Kitchen Bouquet and ketchup and keep stirring until smooth. Over medium heat, gradually add the bouillon and bring to a boil while continuously stirring; reduce heat and simmer for additional 5 minutes. Add wine, dill and sour cream and simmer for a few minutes, add beef and cook until it is heated through. Serve over the cooked rice or noodles. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
DB’s Ginger Lime Grilled Chicken Salad
2 cooked chicken breasts, preferably grilled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, minced
1/2 (8-ounce) can of sliced water chestnuts
2 or 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
Zest of 1 lime
Dressing:
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh garlic
Sprigs of cilantro, optional
Dash of white pepper, optional
Blend all dressing items in blender or food processor. Combine non-dressing ingredients and add the mixed dressing. Chill.
Garnish with lime zest and cilantro if desired. Serve on a bed of lettuce. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
