My love for cooking started at a very young age. Every night while my mom was cooking, I would pull a chair next to the stove and watch. It was magic to me – taking a piece of smelly, slimy raw meat and turning it into something mouthwatering. We were not, by any means, well off. Many nights we were stuck with macaroni and cheese or spaghetti, but we were a happy family. Dinnertime was family time, even if we were sitting down to grilled cheese sandwiches.
I soon discovered that, not only did I have a passion for cooking, I had a natural ability for it as well. Regardless of what ingredients we had, I could make a delicious meal. I never truly understood it until I started attending The Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College. I learned about the marrying of flavors and how seasons actually affect the taste of food. I soon discovered that there was way more for me to learn than I ever could have dreamed. It has been an incredible experience for me.
When I started at FVCC, I already had five years of restaurant cooking experience under my belt. I figured it would be a breeze, and then I could just start cooking at high-end restaurants. I can’t believe how wrong I was. It was hard for me to adjust, going from “do as your told and don’t ask questions” to being able to express myself and modify recipes to my liking. At FVCC, the teachers really encourage you to treat recipes like guidelines and not follow them word for word. It has been, in one word, exhilarating.
I would like to share with you a recipe from my childhood. It’s special to me because it was the first recipe I ever cooked on my own. It’s also very simple, very easy, very cheap, and (most importantly) very delicious.
Honey-Mustard Chicken
You will need:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Honey
- Mustard
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix enough honey and mustard to generously cover all the chicken. I prefer a two parts honey to one part mustard, but I have a sweet tooth, so mix to your liking. Lay the chicken in a deep baking dish, and cover with the honey mustard. Cover with tinfoil, and bake for approximately 45 minutes.
Enjoy!
Natasha is a student of The Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College. FVCC is currently accepting applications for the fall 2012 program. For more information, visit www.culinaryinstituteofmt.com or call Instructor Hillary Ginepra at 756-3862.
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