Friday Fives

1. How often do you cook at home?

Nightly

2. How did you learn how to cook?

College. It wasn't so much hating school union food, but a need to express myself creatively. I do that as much through cooking as music or writing.

3. What is a meal that has special meaning to you?

I make this dish called 'Lono chicken' that I pretty much lived off of in college. It goes something like this: boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into cutlets. diced onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Generally a jalepeno or two thrown in. Throw all this in a skillet with some olive oil, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and whatever else is in the fridge that seems good. Salad dressings often work well. Throw this around and towards the end thow in half cup of heavy cream to thicken. Pour this concoction over a plate of rice a roni (broccoli and cheese, for example). Then... top with fresh grated cheese.

I can't tell you how many times in my life I have had this, but it is many. I call it default cooking. As long as I have chicken and onions, pretty much every other ingredient is negotiable depending on what is left in the fridge. That, my friend, is Lono Chicken. Oh, and if you serve that to a girl with a bottle of white wine... you will get laid too. Another reason why it was a college staple. Chick's are amazed when a guy cooks well.

4. What is the last meal you cooked?

that would be last night. We had 'Buffalo chicken'. Since I am from Buffalo, I can tell you. I marinate boness skinless chicken breasts in buffalo wing marinade hot sauce for an hour or two. Then, grill it (frequently basting with fresh buffalo sauce as you go). Important tip: use a different bowl and sauce for marinating the chicken. You can't use the existing marinade the chicken was sitting in. it is a cross contamination issue and raw chicken juice will KILL you. Sanitation is super important when cooking with chicken, I can't stress that enough. Seriously, you should wash your hands just for reading this.

Then, throw the cooked breasts on a hamburger roll and you got yourself a delicious and juicy $8 sammich for about $1.50. Add lettuce and mayo and tomatoe of course.

5. What is your least favorite thing to cook?

I love cooking just about everything. The thing I can't do, and don't do... is bake. It is too precise and boring for me. When I cook, everything is done on the fly and improvised according to mood and resources available. You can't do that with baking. Baking is boring, just like you.