James St. Onge displays a stuffed, rolled flank steak made...

James St. Onge displays a stuffed, rolled flank steak made with feta, spinach and sun dried tomatoes. ((May 9, 2011) Credit: John Dunn

Lives in Melville with his wife, Lisa, and two sons, Alex, 17, and Nicolas, 9, and his mother, Marie. Recently started Melville-based Secret Caterers.

How did you decide to get into catering? When I worked as a sales rep for transportation companies, it involved a lot of entertaining. — dinners, shows, anything to entice clients. Eating in some of the better restaurants in Manhattan, I’d always take the dish and deconstruct it.

Did your upbringing influence your interest in cooking? We have a Sicilian background, and my mother was my first teacher. I think I got my inspiration and affection for cooking from her. She took the initiative to go outside her ethnic roots and try different things.

Besides catering, how do you practice your love of cooking? A few years ago, we got together with five or six couples and started a gourmet club. You can do nothing store-bought; you do soup to nuts from scratch. But because it can run hundreds of dollars, you’re not doing pigs in a blanket, you’re doing appetizers like salmon with crème fraîche and caviar -- we decided there would be a door fee, usually $100 a couple or $50 per person. Each couple hosts about once a year. We have a waitress, so even if you’re exhausted from the cooking, you’ve got help with the serving.

Are you the main cook at home? My wife and I take turns. There are days earlier in the week she doesn’t work, when she cooks, and those days I don’t go near the stove. Sunday dinners, if everyone’s going to be together, it’s usually my deal. A few weeks ago we did a rib roast, very basic, salt and pepper, with fingerling potatoes on the side that were sliced in half and caramelized with rosemary. We had a simple Greek salad and roasted eggplant and zucchini.

What do you do for food when you’re not cooking? Friday night, we tend to go out to dinner. We like Bellagio in Farmingdale. For what’s perceived to be a pizza place, their main courses are wonderful. We also like Matteo’s in Bellmore, Barolo here in Melville. A personal favorite for me is La Pace with Chef Michael in Glen Cove, where we got married.

How did you come up with this rendition of flank steak? I found a similar recipe on the Internet, at allrecipes.com, and I tweaked it. It’s simple, almost fail-proof. What people like is that it’s not heavy or overfilling. You can also make it ahead up to the point of searing it, then you can just finish it in the oven.

BUTTERFLIED FLANK STEAK WITH SPINACH, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND FETA

1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, butterflied
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach
1 pound sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil and garlic, drained, reserving oil mixture
8 to 10 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lay flank steak inside out and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange spinach evenly on steak. Then, arrange rows of drained sun-dried tomatoes in a single layer on top of spinach; sprinkle with feta cheese. Tightly roll the flank steak lengthwise and tie securely with butcher’s twine.
3. Heat over medium-high heat a skillet large enough to hold the rolled steak. Film with olive oil. Sear rolled steak on all sides until well-browned.
4. Place in a roasting pan and finish in oven until medium-rare, about 20 to 25 minutes. (You can cut off one end of the unfinished roll to check for desired doneness.)
5. While steak is in oven, heat reserved olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes in a small saucepan over medium-low until garlic pieces just begin to turn color (do not let them brown).
6. Remove steak from oven and let rest briefly. Slice steak roll ¼-inch to ½-inch thick, drizzle with heated olive oil and serve with rice pilaf. Makes 4 servings.

Know a great home cook? Write WHO'S COOKING, Food Dept., Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250, or Linda Perney at lperney@worldnet.att.net

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