Kitchen Classroom

As a kid, Mom always made sure I helped out in the kitchen with minor tasks like measuring ingredients or stirring a bowl. I even prepared a few meals once in a great while, but I never considered myself a good cook. I’m not helpless in the kitchen like my Dad, but it still intimidated me a little.

When I was living by myself, I usually only cooked one meal a week for myself. It always seemed like such a hassle for just one person to waste so many dishes and cook large portions, so I usually did it on Sunday evening, and then I had leftovers for the next few days. After meeting Tracy, we started staying at home once in awhile on weekends and cooked a meal at my apartment. Needless to say, I didn’t cook very often and my culinary skills weren’t that sharp.

Now that Tracy and are living together, we trade off cooking every night. Typically we only go out to eat twice a week, so we’ve really started cooking a lot more and trying out new recipes. Some nights we do something simple like grilled chicken or pasta, but about once a week, we cook something more elaborate. I guess the extra practice has been paying off: tonight was my night for something elaborate, and I just wanted to brag a little at how well it turned out. But it could also be that the TV in our apartment is constantly tuned to Food Network...

One of my favorite dishes to order at seafood restaurants is blackened swordfish, and I thought I would try it at home. I had never grilled swordfish before, but I thought I would give it a shot. Besides, if it was awful, we are going to Real Seafood next week for our anniversary. I found a recipe online for blackening mix that included ingredients we already had in our spice rack. I added the rub to some frozen swordfish steaks before pan grilling it in olive oil. As I’ve said, I have low expectations for my food, but holy crap was it amazing. The rub was spicy without being overpowering and the fish was cooked perfectly.

With a side of mashed potatoes, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever cooked. So if you want reservations at Chez Schick, better call soon, as the guest list is filling up quickly.