For this family recipe, too many cooks were just enough

I come from a family of excellent cooks, one of whom was my father. Our German heritage influenced the flavors of their creations, starting with my dad. He favored aromatic bay leaves, an abundance of garlic, Kitchen Bouquet sauce, and Lawry’s seasoned salt in his roast beef. Mom always sliced in fresh onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes to round out the meal.

We lived on a Kansas farm and raised beef cattle. We