The Kitchen Kings

One evening last summer, about two weeks into our 17-year-old German guest’s visit, he asked an interesting question. He was eating dinner, cooked by my hubby on the grill, and asked, “Do all men in America cook?”

It occurred to me that our guest had spent time in several family members’ homes and, yes, all the guys cook.

“My mother always does the cooking at our house,” the young man said.

I told our guest that in summer, many men take over the grilling duties, but on par probably most men don’t cook all the time. It was just a guess on my part.

The men in our family, though, are the ones who pretty much rule the kitchens.

My nephew came by it via his dad, who always did the family cooking. As he grew up, my nephew became more and more interested in the culinary arts. As an adult, he became a sous-chef in two very prestigious restaurants. As he took on the responsibilities of a husband, he decided what he really needed was a job which offered a little more variety and a lot more benefits. For the past ten years he has been a police officer. He still cooks though and we all reap the benefits of his talent. When he comes to the mountains for a visit, he often cooks, too!

We actually have two public service guys in the family. My eldest son is in the fire service. He always enjoyed cooking,  but really honed his talents in firehouse kitchens. He loves good food and eating well and it shows when he is “home on the range”. He makes the most interesting salads. I like pine nuts in salads, but when he adds them, he always sautés them in garlic and butter. If he barbeques meat, it is always rubbed or marinated in something incredible. He also bakes and his chocolate cakes are what dreams are made of. As if you can’t tell, I really enjoy it when he invites us to dinner. Yes, I do.

The younger of the sons is just amazing when it comes to food and, he too loves good food and good eating. He is another grill master who often does whole meals on the grill; summer, winter and in-between. He does the most interesting things with chicken and it always tastes great. Sitting down at his table is always a treat.

My hubby also enjoys cooking and frequently does breakfast with great omelets and breakfast meats. He’s pretty darn good on the grill, too.

Thanksgiving at our house is easy for me. I pop the turkey in the oven in the morning and my chores are done for the day. Our sons show up with all the other food and take over the kitchen. My job for the day is to visit with everyone and have a good time. When the meal is over my daughter-in-laws help with clean up. Life on Thanksgiving Day is good indeed.

For several years now, my 14-year-old grandson has displayed a real interest in cooking. When its lunchtime and he’s in the kitchen, he always asks if he can fix you a sandwich. What the young man actually does is “build” a sandwich and always with the greatest stuff.

This kid gets out avocados, butter lettuce, heirloom tomatoes and meats and cheeses. I’ve never seen anyone get an avocado out and sliced the way he does it. No fuss, no muss, just perfect slices of avocado. Then he starts deliberately layering on. Each slice of meat and cheese is placed just so and the veggies are also put on with great care. Sometimes he uses a little olive oil or light salad dressing. He likes ciabatta bread or something multi-grain. His sandwiches are masterpieces.

Oh, and there is another family member who shows great culinary promise. My 7-year-old great nephew, the son of the former sous-chef, recently asked his mom if he could have a snack and would my Sis, his grandmother, and I like one too. We said, “Yes” and I expected some milk and crackers or something similar. Oh, no. Not his kid. 

He started by laying out dipping bowls by each person, then, after rummaging in the bread drawer, brought out some flat bread called non and asked his mom to warm it up. When it was warmed, he put a plate full in the center of the table. He then brought over two cruets, one containing olive oil and the other with balsamic vinegar. He very seriously asked if we enjoyed this kind of snack and warned us not to put too much vinegar in our bowls unless we liked it kind of sour.

I just stared at the little guy. Then he said, “I really like truffle oil best, but we’ve run out. Mom, would you put that on the shopping list?”

Don’t know why I was so surprised; he is, after all, his father’s son.

I don’t really know why all these family guys cook, but all I can say is that I am grateful. After cooking for so many years, I’m really glad for the break. 

Thanks guys, you do such a great job. Pass me the non and the truffle oil.