Dad in the kitchen

Growing up in a one parent family, I had to learn how to cook at an early age. My mother created a chart with all the chores for the kids to do. My sister and I switched off on setting the table, cleaning up, loading the dishes and sweeping up. Once a week I had to cook. I was only 10 and didn't have much experience so my mom was always nearby. I started with the easy stuff, franks and beans, hamburgers, baked potatoes and spaghetti. Taking a jar of sauce out of the cabinet and warming it up was a major accomplishment. It was especially gratifying when I saw my family eat it all up. At the time I didnit know it, but I was building a foundation for a love of food and enjoying the experience of cooking and quality time in the kitchen.

My college years are when I began to cook on a regular basis. Tossing a hacked up chicken in a pan, smothering it with BBQ sauce and baking for 45 minutes was miles ahead of soggy pizza and gristle burgers down the street from my tiny apartment with 3 roomates. On Fall Sunday mornings, I would soak a few dozen wings in beer for a few hours from the previous nights keg party and then mix soy sauce, brown sugar and lemon and pour it over the drained wings and throw them on the grill. By gametime, there was only a pile of bones and no hangover. The ladies loved the Asian style wings over the spicy buffalo style. That's why we always had girls over, they love a good chef.

Being in Boston, the best college town in the U.S.A., gave me access to very fresh seafood down at the Haymarket. With my hangover at hand, I would knock down a half dozen "hogs" (quahogs) with tabasco and lemon. Then I would get huge amounts of fish and meat for very cheap prices. There were always exotic crustaceans and I would always grab something unusual to try out. My subway rides home were always more interesting when I bought some barnacle covered giant crab with it's creeping claws sticking out of my bag.

These days, when work consumes my life, cooking is an escape and one that is rewarded with a delicious finale. I have realized that to cook well, all you need are quality ingredients and a passion for creating. My wife doesn't like to cook and considers it a chore just as much as scrubbing a bathroom, which she doesn't do either. So it's all up to me, cook well and eat well, or don't cook and starve. Having lived previouisly in the city, we spent over $30 a night on dinner delivery. Now living in the suburbs, food is cheaper and my kitchen is bigger.

I prefer to make things fresh instead of buying packaged foods. Bread and fry up (or bake) some chicken cutlets for dinner and make a few extra cutlets for the kids. Don't put sauce and cheese on them, keep them whole. Throw them in a freezer bag, suck all the air out and put in the freezer. The kids will have home made chicken fingers on demand. Miles above supermarket nuggets and if you use organic chicken, seasoned breadcrumbs and healthy oils, it's much better for them. Make some french toast on a Saturday morning and grill up 5-6 extra pieces. Cut them into strips, wrap up well and freeze. Instant french toast sticks that taste like homemade, not factory processed.

There are thousands of recipes to be found online, hundreds of cooking shows on cable and millions of books to be read, but it's you who will ultimately decide what recipes you will master and love to create. Start with one things that would love to eat on a regular basis. Then cook it, and again, and again. I guarantee you that by the third time you will have perfected it.