Ottawa ? Marian Getz grew up eating monkey and goat meat in the Congo.

It wasn’t exactly the typical upbringing of a world-class chef.

“I’m still like that – I’m not a food snob at all,” Getz says.

She might not be a snob, but she’s certainly hanging around the elite of the cooking world nowadays.

The former Ottawa resident is a top assistant to world-renowned chef Wolfgang Puck, serving as the cook on Puck’s Home Shopping Network show.

She made a return trip last weekend to Ottawa, where she lived from 1980 to 1992, to teach two classes associated with the “Key Ingredients: America By Food” Smithsonian Institution exhibit at the Old Depot Museum.

Chef Marian Getz prepares a dish during a cooking class in connection with Key

Getz, 43, has come a long way since operating a small catering business from the basement of Ottawa’s First Baptist Church.

Ottawa connections

Getz first came to Ottawa in 1980 as a freshman at Ottawa University.

The daughter of American Baptist missionaries in Africa, she chose OU by closing her eyes and pointing to a list of Baptist-affiliated universities in the United States.

Growing up, her interest in cooking was sparked late at night. With nothing else for entertainment in the Congo, she would read her mother’s copies of “The Joy of Cooking” and “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” – two cookbooks that remain among her favorites.

She wanted to major in nursing, but flunking chemistry gave her a wake-up call. She graduated with a degree in human services.

Cooking remained an interest. She would fill the OU dorms with the smells of fried chicken and mashed potatoes while other students settled for the cafeteria grub.

She often checked out stacks of cookbooks from the Ottawa Public Library and even worked there for a stint as a student.

“At one point I had to encourage her to keep working because she was bogged down reading the cookbooks,” says Barbara Dew, the library’s director.

“She wasn’t in serious jeopardy of being fired,” Dew admits, noting that Getz brought delicious treats to library get-togethers. “At some point, we realized the side benefits were working out for us.”

New horizons

After graduation, Getz opened a catering business, mainly doing local jobs. After awhile, she realized she wouldn’t be able to expand her cooking horizons with Ottawa’s meat-and-potato tastes.

So she and her husband, Greg, a former OU football player, decided to move to Greg’s hometown of Orlando, Fla., for her to pursue her culinary career.

Initially, she spent five years as a cake decorator for the Publix Super Market chain.

(She admits she lied to get the job in the first place, telling her future bosses she had experiences as a cake decorator. She proved able, though; within three months she was training other cake decorators.)

She eventually was hired as a cook at Wolfgang Puck’s Grand Cafe at Disney World, and after three months was named pastry chef. She served desserts to Billy Graham, Michael Jordan and Christopher Reeve. She says her hand-decorated cake for Scout, the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, was destroyed in a family food fight in the upscale restaurant.

In May, Getz started her new career – working on the Home Shopping Network.

Broadcast cooking

For seven years, Puck – an Austrian native who first gained fame for his Spago gourmet pizza restaurant in Hollywood – has sold cookware and kitchen gadgets on the Home Shopping Network.

The live show airs for one weekend every two months, during 21 hours spread over three days. Puck sells $10 million in goods every weekend the show airs, Getz says.

On air, Getz is responsible for preparing the food, using recipes she’s written. She will be on the network – on Sunflower Broadband Channel 32 – again Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Students absorb the culinary knowledge of world-class chef Marian Getz during a cooking class in Ottawa. The dishes she prepares now are a far cry from the monkey and goat meat she ate growing up in the Congo as the daughter of Baptist missionaries.

“It’s addictive,” she says. “It’s scary. It’s all live TV. It’s not really comfortable for me to be doing that.”

When she’s not on air, she spends her time reviewing kitchen tools submitted to Puck, deciding which ones are worthy to bear his endorsement. Often, she helps improve the gadgets before they’re re-marketed under Puck’s name.

“It makes you so loyal,” Getz says of Puck. “He recognizes you and is so generous with his praise. He’s kind, gentle, soft-spoken, as opposed to how he is on TV. He’s totally passionate about food.”

Getz wants to teach cooking to others. If that means having her own show someday, she says, that’s just fine with her.

Home cookin’

For good reason – specifically, good food – the Getz house was a hangout for neighborhood children.

The Getzes have two sons, ages 18 and 20. Greg Getz says he could tell early on that his wife would be a great chef.

“Oh, my,” he says, patting his slightly rotund belly. “I’m reaping the benefits.”

Marian Getz says she loves cooking for anyone who will eat her food.

“When you serve something to someone that’s really, really good food,” she says, “the positive reinforcement you get from those people makes you want to do it again.”

But that doesn’t mean she always gets positive reinforcement.

“There was something with sausage and peppers,” Getz says, recalling one botched meal. “I don’t remember exactly. I just remember the kids looking at it, and we went to Country Kitchen. But why I’m here is I’m willing to make mistakes and find different ways to do things.”

It’s a system that seems to be working. And that makes those who knew her in Ottawa proud.

“I’m so happy for her. It’s great she’s having so much success,” says Dew, the library director. “I’m looking forward to putting her own cookbook on our shelves someday.”

Recipes to try

Recipes Marian Getz taught at the “Key Ingredients: America by Food” workshop last weekend in Ottawa.

Cafe House Vinaigrette

1 shallot, chopped finely

2 sprigs thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup hazelnut oil

1/2 cup walnut oil

Salt

Black pepper, fine ground

Whisk together shallots, thyme, mustard, and vinegars in a mixing bowl. In a steady stream, whisk the oil into the vinegar mixture until it is all incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Dutch baby

5 ounces clarified butter

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Sauteed apples

Syrup

Cranberries

Powdered sugar

Divide butter between two 12-inch saucepans. Place flour, eggs, milk, salt and vanilla in a deep bowl and blend with immersion blender. Let rest. Put saute pans in upper third of 450-degree oven, preheated for 15 minutes. Add 2 1/2 ounces clarified butter. Wait 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Pour in apples, syrup, cranberries and powdered sugar.

Spiced caramelized pecans

Canola oil

2 cups spiced caramelized pecans

2 cup sugar

2 cups water

2 teaspoons lack pepper, ground

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 1/2 pounds pecans

Popcorn salt

In a heavy pot, heat the oil to 375 degrees. In a heavy saucepan, combine ingredients and bring to a boil. On medium heat, simmer until water is almost completely evaporated and sugar forms a thick syrup. Immediately, put nuts into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove from the oil and cool on a rack.

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado Pizza

1 pizza dough

1/2 ounce sundried tomatoes

1 cup cheese mix

6 tomatoes, 5 to 6 inches each

Salt

White pepper

1 1/2 ounces bacon, crisp small diced

1 ounce Parmesan cheese

2 ounces romaine

1/4 avocado, sliced

1/2 ounce tomato, diced

1/2 ounce bacon

1/2 house dressing

Stretch pizza dough to 10 inches. Scatter sundried tomatoes on pizza. Place cheese evenly on pizza. Top with tomato slices, salt and white pepper, bacon and parmesan. Bake until dark brown. Remove pizza from oven and cut into six pieces. In a bowl, toss the romaine avocado, tomato and bacon and dressing until coated. Place the salad on top of the cut pizza. Serve immediately.

Curry Aioli

2 teaspoons ginger

1/4 red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

4 teaspoons curry powder, dry toasted

1 jalapeno, no seeds

2 green onions, chopped

4 egg yolk, pasteurized

3-4 cups Canola oil

3 tablespoons honey

Zest and juice from 1 lime

1/2 bunch cilantro

4 sprigs mint

4 tops basil

Salt

In the blender, combine ginger, vinegar, garlic, curry powder, jalapeno, onion and egg yolk. In a slow stream with the blender on, slowly add Canola oil. Add the remaining ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over-mix.

Cream puffs

1 1/2 cups water

8 ounces butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 whole eggs

6 egg whites

1/2 cup emmenthaler cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Pinch cayenne

Bring water, butter and salt to boil in large saucepan. Whisk flour, eggs and egg whites into water and stir for 3 minutes. Add emmenthaler cheese, parmesan cheese and cayenne off heat. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put cream puffs in oven and immediately increase temperature to 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 300 to dry them.