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GREENSBORO — Before Marty Goldstein became a respected educator, he became a respected cook.

He had to. It started in college, when he was a student with little money. So, he learned to cook, a move that lead him into jobs at places as diverse at the Greensboro Country Club and the Duck-In Drive-In Restaurant way out in Oregon.

Then came the Sunset Cafe. And a conversation.

He and his wife, Kim, always wanted to start a restaurant. When they moved to Greensboro to start a family, they did. In November 1976, they opened the Sunset Cafe. And they didn't know a thing.

They learned. The Goldsteins, along with another couple they knew well, ran Sunset Cafe for 15 years -- from the first spot on Spring Garden to a later spot on West Market. Along the way, Sunset Cafe developed quite the following for its eclectic menu.

And, of course, Goldstein's cooking.

The Goldsteins sold the restaurant in 1991 so that Marty Golstein could become the co-headmaster at New Garden Friends School, the school his two children attended and where he spent two decades as a chaperone, parent volunteer and a trustee.

After 18 years, Goldstein will retire from New Garden Friends' at the end of July. But this spring, as a fundraiser, the school put together a 40-page cookbook that contained 19 of Goldstein's favorite recipes.

The book's title? "Marty's Favorite Recipes." But like Goldstein, the recipe book is not just about eating food. It's about seeing cooking -- and creating a smart, safe community for Greensboro's next generation -- as an adventure.

But with retirement, is there another restaurant in Goldstein's future?

Here's what he told a friend a few weeks ago:

"What, are you nuts?!"

Contact Jeri Rowe at 373-7374 or jeri.rowe@news-record.com

CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

2 cups water

3 medium russet potatoes, sliced thin

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried dill

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup milk

½ cup heavy cream

Saute onion in butter. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are done. Blend and adjust taste with salt and pepper.

You can create a cream of broccoli soup with the same ingredients; just include two crowns of broccoli.

CHICKEN DIABLO

3½ pounds chicken, quartered

¼ cup butter

½ cup honey

¼ cup prepared yellow mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder

Wash chicken, pat dry. Melt butter in sauce pan. Stir in rest of ingredients. Pour over chicken. Arrange meaty side up in dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender and glazed. Baste frequently.

SHRIMP IN FETA WITH PASTA

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup onion, chopped

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon basil

1 tablespoon parsley

1½ cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped or canned

½ cup white wine

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a skillet, heat oil. Add garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir and cook one minute. Add shrimp and wine and bring to boil. Cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8 minutes. Pour mixture into baking dish. Top with feta cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the pasta, boil 1 pound until done. Put drained pasta in serving bowl and top with shrimp mixture.

Serve immediately.