Bon Appetit

I've always loved to cook. My Great-Grandma Hicks and my Grandma Mamie began teaching me the family recipes at the tender age of three. I was fortunate to live with both of them for the first 5 years of my life in Columbus, Ohio. Then our family moved out to California when my father got transferred to Vandenburg Air Force Base (about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara, CA). That's another story I'll share someday.

The first dish is chicken breast with red peppers and leeks. It was seasoned with 5-spice powder, sesame oil, some fresh ginger, white pepper, and minced garlic. Serve with some wild rice and a simple green salad.

The second dish is my Pork & Garlic-Pepper Tofu Stir-fry (with fresh ginger and leeks). It's pretty basic - sesame oil, minced garlic, some sesame seeds, 5-spice powder. I usually cook with plain firm tofu but thought I'd give the favored one a try. The taste was ok, but I still prefer it plain. This allows me to do my own experimenting with the seasoning. I served this dish with Thai Jasmine rice and with some Wasabiyaki sauce on the side.

For me, the kitchen is the heart of a home. Some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother's kitchen. The smells, the chatter, the laughter, the radio slowly playing in the background. Such wonderful memories, and as I think about it, both my grandmothers prepared our food without using a cookbook. It was always a pinch of this or a handful of that. To this day I cook the same way, even though I own over 50 cookbooks. I'll follow a recipe for the most part but I definitely make it my own.

There's nothing better than breaking bread together with family and good friends. Toss in some board games after dinner and you've got a wonderful evening full of laughter, good conversation and yummy food in your belly. Life is good.