“… I called while you were cooking dinner. So what did you make?”

Tio Pete’s e-mail response:

“… You requested what I made for dinner last night and I forgot to mention it in my reply: scallops with mushrooms and water chestnuts in garlic sauce, served with steamed fresh broccoli and fresh carrot slices, all mixed in with teriyaki noodles. To drink: chardonnay.

Tonight: nothing as fancy as last night, meat loaf with rosemary potatoes and peas to drink: merlot. In addition to the basic American stuff, I cook Italian, Chinese, Jewish, and some Cuban but I usually leave the Cuban to *A*.”

So, that’s how my cooking adventure continued to develop. The day before I’d called my friend’s husband to get some computer advice, but he couldn’t come to the phone because he was making dinner. Impressed that he was cooking and curious about the menu, I later asked what he made. His response had me wanting to show up uninvited at their doorstep for dinner the next evening. Lucky for them, they live a state away from me.

Up until that point, with the exception of my recently prepared dishes courtesy of the recipes from The Food of Love, I rarely cooked. Once in a while I’d make a few dishes from recipes that my friend Francine shared with me. She’s a great cook and always encouraged me to cook, but until then, I’d cooked sparingly and instead preferred to eat her home-cooked meals than what I prepared (I still prefer her cooking.).

The next few days, I developed an obsession over what *A* and Tio Pete were having for dinner. “So, what’s for dinner? What are you making for dinner?” I’d constantly ask them.

I’m still surprised they paid attention to me. Their response, depending on the day included the following: Grilled jumbo shrimps marinated in ginger teriyaki sauce with lemon grass Thai noodles and green beans; grilled salmon seasoned with lemon pepper and dill; baked salmon seasoned with Lawry’s Honey Dijon; Sesame ginger rice with cut leaf spinach; meatloaf; Chicken Française… The list went on.

The menus didn’t sound bad at all and after more food talk, the wheels of thought were set into motion. Hmmm…perhaps, I could try that.

Later, I asked *A* for one of her chicken recipes. It looked easy to make. This is what she sent me:

Season chicken tenderloins with Garlic and Herb seasonings (recommended: McCormick Salt-Free Garlic and Herb Seasoning) and salt; then flour the chicken pieces. Sauté sliced mushrooms in olive and a little butter. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside; Add the chicken into the pan and sauté it (you may add more olive oil/butter) until it is lightly brown (about 8 minutes); throw the mushrooms back in the pan; add a generous splash of sweet vermouth (enough to stir the chicken and mushrooms until the chicken is coated with a nice glaze. Cover and reduce the heat for a few minutes. Serve.

I actually cooked a decent dinner! Yay! Everything turned out well. Almost.

The first time I made the chicken tenders meal; my chicken was a little salty. I couldn’t find the Garlic and Herb Seasoning, so I bought and used Garlic and Parsley Salt Seasoning instead.

In addition to that, I used regular salt on the chicken. Yikes! When I tasted the chicken, it was then that I found out that the Garlic and Parsley Salt was not the same as the Garlic and Herb seasoning.

Despite the salt overload, the chicken wasn’t bad at all and no one complained. The chicken was moist and the seasoning enhanced its flavor. I used Portobello mushrooms, which are meaty-tasting and juicy. It went well with the chicken. Later, I learned that I could use the white button mushrooms too.

Everyone at home was pleasantly surprised with the results and gobbled all the food. The dogs had some chicken too and they didn’t complain, either.

Paz