Wise beyond his years! Good for him!! I must have been 21 before I appreciated a properly cooked steak. In most restaurants I'll still order med-rare just because I'm not in the kitchen and can't observe food handling practices. At home, it's black and bleu! You get so much more of the natural beef flavor. Note: My wife tends to disagree and Medium is her limit....and she will look away if I'm slicing anything cooked cooler than Medium. Thus: I cook two Prime Ribs for Christmas.
I really like the sauces from Tutto Italia as a base for a lot of Italian dishes. Meatloaf from 50's Prime Time is another solid favorite that we tweak to fit our taste. We love the Cobb salad from Hollywood Brown Derby, but running a business from home and the hours my wife puts in make if difficult to make the time for all of the knife work.