More Than Just Food: What Cooking Means To Me, Then & Now

When I was growing up, we rarely ordered takeout. My dad made home-cooked meals several times a week: Sunday dinner was always the biggest. He was a great cook. Don’t get me wrong: my mom was too, but my dad was home more often so he usually did most of the cooking. He took pride in everything he made and being from the Bahamas, infused a little island flavor into even the simplest dishes. My dad wasn’t always the best at expressing himself with words, but he expressed himself in other ways, especially through the meals he made. As I grew older, I began to see cooking as an expression of love, creativity, and culture.

My parents passed away when I was in my late teens, about two years apart from one another, so revisiting those old recipes always fills me with nostalgia. Now, as an adult, I appreciate my father's flair in the kitchen even more, and although my brother Dwayne is the one who picked up most of his techniques, I hope to one day live up to his culinary legacy in my own special way. Dinner in my house today looks a lot different than the meals I had growing up, for a few different reasons, but I do have some recipes in my arsenal that I can go to when I want to revisit my childhood. Here's a glimpse of what has become my signature dishes over the past few years (recipes to follow).

Sautéed Kale

I didn't try kale until I was an adult; collard greens were the leafy greens of choice in our household when I was growing up. But as the health benefits of kale became more well-known and the vegetable became “trendy” in recent years, I jumped on the kale bandwagon and I’ve been hooked ever since. There are several ways you can prepare kale, but my favorite way involves sautéing it in olive oil, seasoned with simple ingredients, and lightly doused in balsamic vinegar. Yum. You can find the recipe here.

Pan Seared Salmon

I love salmon: the flavor, the texture, the many ways you can prepare it. Salmon is probably the most frequently cooked fish in my household. I have to admit, cooking fish used to intimidate me. I just always felt like there was so much room for error, and there’s nothing worse than overcooked and/or bland fish. I have my partner Reggie to thank for showing me how to pan-sear salmon to perfection. It took some practice but the recipe for success involves salt, pepper, oil, and a cast iron skillet. Click here for the full recipe.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

I’ve always been accustomed to steaming my broccoli because that’s how we always made it when I was growing up. But I wanted to try something different, so I started roasting broccoli in the oven, and this is now my preferred way of cooking it. Oven roasting broccoli brings out this great almost nutty flavor and crunchy texture. After I season the broccoli, I pop it in the oven, set the timer, and voila: perfect broccoli every time. Here's my recipe for oven roasted broccoli.

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

I love all kinds of shellfish but sea scallops have a special place in my heart. Scallops have a great tender, chewy texture and a lightly sweet flavor. I like to pan sear them in a cast iron skillet (you’ll be hearing that a lot - my cast iron skillet is my favorite piece of cookware). They’re pretty easy to prepare once you get the hang of it. They come out best when they’re lightly seasoned and cooked over high heat. When they’re cooked right, scallops will be crisp and browned on the outside and buttery and tender on the inside.

Whether I’m making a dish I grew up eating, or trying something new, I often think of my parents fondly when I cook: the way they always made sure I had a home-cooked meal, no matter what was going on in our lives, and the way I used to sit and watch or help them prepare meals. Revisiting old recipes is just one way to help honor their memory; thinking about the greater significance of all those meals and the techniques I picked up from them is another.

What significance does cooking have in your life? Let me know!