Nominated by Rowland Barnes:

"I am a Superior Court judge in Fulton County and, along with my staff, would like to tell you about Julie Brandau. She is our court reporter, and every day of every trial, she creates something special for our jurors. They have dined on everything from peach bread to the best oatmeal cookies, and on every concoction in between. Sometimes she invents a recipe and sometimes she doesn't, but she has never ceased to please the crowd.

"Everything she makes is delicious. We have received hundreds of comments from jurors who, although they might not have enjoyed downtown parking, nevertheless loved the food. And it's no wonder, since her bright and cheerful personality overflows into the ingredients. She simply loves to cook.

"The staff and I are sometimes jealous of her attentions to the jury, and lament the usual lack of leftovers. We wish she would feed us half as well as she does the jury members. Things we wish we could have eaten include Crisp German Meatballs, shrimp puff pastries, chocolate cream puffs, poppy seed cake, banana blueberry bread and doughnut holes."

Most citizens accept jury duty as a necessary civic responsibility, and serve, if not with unbounded glee, at least with a sense of fulfilling an important duty. That is, unless you happen to be serving as a juror in Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes' court. Then, thanks to Julie Brandau, you just might be gleeful at the prospect of a long, drawn-out trial. The longer the better, because every day you could expect to be served delicious homemade food from Judge Barnes' longtime court reporter, who deems it a "privilege" to feed the folks on the jury.

Family/background: "I was born in Moncks Corner, S.C. I had the best parents in the world. My father was of German descent, and my mother was from Pineview, Ga. I have two sisters and I am the youngest. My sister Trudy and her family live in Costa Rica. I have a 15-year-old daughter, Christina."

Career: "I have the privilege of working for Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rowland W. Barnes as his court reporter. He is always in my corner. I have been a court reporter for the past 22 years. There is never a dull moment with my job. I have heard it all."

Hobbies, interests: "Most of my free time is spent with the love of my life, my teenage daughter, and her teenage friends. I also enjoy being with my golden retriever, Heidi, feeding the birds, traveling and decorating."

Who taught you to cook? "I have to attribute this to a few people. My mother bought me my first cookbook at the age of 6. I was always by her side when she was preparing the family meals. It was so special to set the table with the best china on Sunday afternoons. She always reminded me that part of cooking was cleaning up the kitchen afterward.

"My sister Rosemary, who was in charge of the Palace Kitchen at Colonial Williamsburg, Va., was also a big influence on me. Her food had to look as pretty as it tasted. Then there is my ex-mother-in-law, Gerda, from Germany, who by far is the best cook. Her German meals on the dinner table are unbelievable. There was always the red cabbage, dumplings, German potato salad and sauerbraten -- oh, and gravy to die for."

Culinary roots: "Definitely good old Southern soul food."

Cooking style: "I keep it simple."

Early food memory: "My mom making me eat collard greens, and a longtime family friend, Ray, forcing my first raw oyster down my throat. Now I can't get enough of either."

For whom do you cook? "The jurors for our trials. Judge William Daniel's wife used to bake cakes for his jurors. When Judge Daniel passed away, I thought it would be nice to keep up the tradition. It's always a surprise to them. The jurors don't ever expect anything, and it's gratifying to know that they know their service is appreciated. The food also helps to bind them together as a jury, which is important. It has been a thrill and a privilege for me to do this."

What is the most enjoyable aspect of cooking? "The compliments. I also enjoy getting cards and thank-you notes from jurors. I just got a gift certificate in the mail from a former juror. What a surprise that was!"

Specialties: "I love to bake -- Tipsy Peach Bread, banana blueberry bread, oatmeal raisin cookies and poppy seed cake."

What is your favorite thing to cook? "Different kinds of sweet breads. I also love to barbecue meats."

What is your favorite thing to eat? "Mexican, Mexican and more Mexican."

Memorable flop: "Serving fried chicken that wasn't quite cooked enough. It was not a pretty sight."

Do you favor a particular ingredient? "Garlic."

Most memorable meal you ever prepared: "I cooked salmon, fresh green beans and garlic mashed potatoes and served Shirley Temples for my nieces, Rosie and Ellie, ages 11 and 12. They thought I hung the moon."

What's the magic ingredient that makes some cooks turn out great food? "Personality."

Do you have a tip for today's cooks? "Use as much organic and natural ingredients as possible."

Favorite cookbook: " 'A Taste of Georgia' [by the Newnan Junior Service League, out of print], which is just one of the millions that I have collected."

When I eat out, I like to order: "Seafood -- mussels in butter with bread to dunk in the sauce, and a glass of good red wine."

If you could prepare a fantasy meal for anybody, who would it be and what would you cook? "My grandparents on my father's side, whom I never got the chance to meet. They loved to eat, so I imagine it wouldn't matter much what I cooked. I would serve a very big German feast."

-- Betty Parham

APPETIZER

Crisp German Meatballs

Makes 60 meatballs

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours to chill

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Brandau combines 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing and 1/4 cup prepared mustard for a dipping sauce. Cooked meatballs may be made in advanced and frozen. To reheat, place frozen meatballs in a single layer in a 15-by-10-by-1-inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

1/2 pound ground pork sausage

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 (16-ounce) can chopped sauerkraut, drained

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fine, dry bread crumbs, divided

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil

In a large skillet, combine sausage and onion. Cook until sausage is browned and crumbles. Drain well. Stir in sauerkraut and 2 tablespoons bread crumbs.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, parsley, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Add sausage mixture, stirring well. Cover and chill 2 hours.

In a small bowl, combine eggs and milk and set aside. Shape sausage mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in flour. Dip each ball in egg mixture, then roll balls in bread crumbs.

In a Dutch oven or deep frying pan, pour 2 inches oil and heat to 375 degrees. Fry several meatballs at a time, 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise and mustard (see above). Serve with meatballs.

Per meatball: 57 calories (percent of calories from fat, 73), 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 5 grams fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 92 milligrams sodium.

Who are the best cooks? We're looking for Georgia home cooks who deserve recognition for their talents and who have interesting recipes to share. Fax at 404-526-5509, e-mail kitchen@ajc.com or write to Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. Give us your name and phone number, as well as the name and number of the cook you'd like us to consider. And tell us a little about what makes this cook special.