cooks profile
CREATIVE SPARK
James Kosta has a simple recipe for happiness.
WRITTEN BY SUE EDMONDSON
PHOTOS BY JACI GOODMAN
James Kosta’s recipe for success in the kitchen is simple: “Find the best ingredients and try not to mess them up.”
By “best,” he doesn’t mean gourmet store items, but rather fresh foods such as those grown organically in his Gardnerville garden.
“There’s nothing better than taking what you have on hand and making an amazing meal,” he says.
It may seem contrary that the person who loves to fashion dinner from a few modest ingredients is the computer whiz, founder, and CEO of 3G Studios Inc., a company on the forefront of groundbreaking technology, from creating video games (such as Rock Band and Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii) to video stream technologies, to social media games, and now to specializing in mobile gaming. But it all makes sense when offered a glimpse into Kosta’s history and the workings of his keen mind.
Growing up in the Wyoming countryside, Kosta ate from the family garden. During his early childhood, he trailed behind his mom, pulling carrots. It was then that he acquired a lasting appreciation for seasonal eating. At night he tagged along with his dad to the college computer classes he taught. At just the age of 5, Kosta learned computer programming by inputting students’ homework for his father. More intellectual than athletic, he focused on programming.
“I couldn’t catch a football, but if I got a chance to help someone with a computer, I was a rock star,” he says.
By 11, he was selling software to business owners. Within two years, his earnings reached $1,500 a month.
Kitchen Experiments
As his passion for programming grew, so did his interest in cooking.
“Both my parents worked, so when I came home from school I’d make my own snacks,” he says.
Fueled by scientific curiosity and an empty stomach, he experimented. Kosta laughs when he admits one experiment resulted in various incarnations of ramen, vegetables, Spam, and soy sauce.
“I’d cook the noodles al dente, then dry them,” he says. “That was the best.”
Rough Patch
Although successful in business and in the kitchen, things weren’t going well on the home front.
“I was skipping school and bringing home Ds,” he says. “My parents didn’t know what to do with me.” (They get along great now, he adds). At 14, he emancipated.
For fun, he and his buddies developed computer games, and an unfortunate affinity for hacking. But when they hacked into government computers, the fun ended.
“I was arrested on 45 counts of federal hacking,” he says.
The 14 year old faced adult charges and substantial incarceration because he was emancipated.
New Beginning
The misadventure ended well — a judge recognized Kosta’s abilities and made him a deal.
“I had to finish high school and enter the military, or else,” he says.
He “blew through” high school in two semesters, then joined the Navy. For many, the story would end with a military pension. For Kosta, it was the beginning.
Naval intelligence work led to the CIA, where he specialized in ferreting out terrorists’ funding sources.
“I enjoyed that,” he says. “It was sanctioned hacking!”
At 21, he was recruited by Microsoft. A few years later, he and his brother ventured into dot-coms. When they sold their companies, Kosta was 24 and a millionaire.
“I semi-retired and spent time in France,” he says.
There he learned to refine the art of cooking simply, modeling a French friend, “who made the best meals with nearly nothing.”
Sharing Creativity
Ever the entrepreneur, retirement didn’t last long, but his enjoyment of cooking continues.
“I love to experiment to reach different interpretations using the same five ingredients,” he says. “For me, cooking is the ultimate mixture of science and abstract creativity.”
To unwind, the now 37 year old may head to the garden with his wife, Gina, and their daughter; pluck at the guitar; or ride horseback. His greatest pleasure, though, is bringing friends and family together to cook.
“The rituals of cooking and eating are meant to be social,” he says. “There’s nothing more rewarding than having a group of people put together a meal.”
Freelancer Sue Edmondson writes for various publications in Nevada and Northern California. She admires creativity in the kitchen, a talent that has completely escaped her.
Tomato Tart (two variations)
(courtesy of James Kosta, serves 5 to 6)
One 1-pound box frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm is best), thawed in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours
1 large egg white
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (or Italian cheese blend)
1 pound Roma or heirloom tomatoes
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt
Pepper
Italian Style:
2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
French Style:
8 tablespoons brown mustard
8 tablespoons crème fraîche (or Philadelphia cream cheese)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and move rack to lower-middle position. Beat egg white in small bowl with fork. Dust work surface with flour, and lay pastry flat. Overlap two pieces of pastry by one inch and use a rolling pin (or your thumb) to press together. Cut four, 1-inch-wide strips, taking two strips from top of pastry square and two from a side. Lay strips on edges of pastry to form rim. Overlap at corners. Trim any excess. Rub olive oil onto a baking sheet and place shell on it.
Brush shell with beaten egg, sprinkle inside shell with Parmesan cheese. Poke holes all over center with fork. Bake 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until nearly golden brown (about 15 minutes more). Let pastry cool on a wire rack. Then turn oven to 425 degrees F.
While pastry bakes, cut tomatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices and place on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and cover with another paper towel, pressing down slightly. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
For Italian-style tart: Sprinkle mozzarella cheese into pastry shell. Layer tomatoes into shell evenly. Mix garlic, olive oil (add salt and pepper to taste) in dish and brush mixture over tomatoes.
For French-style tart: Layer tomatoes evenly into shell. Mix mustard and crème fraîche. (If using cream cheese, soften in microwave.) Brush on tomatoes.
Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until pastry is browned and cheese is melted. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with basil.
Add sausage and mushrooms to create a main course.
