BARRISTER BITES By: Angelia Morie Nystrom The University of Tennessee
FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD, I HAVE RAISED A COOK! For the last twenty years or so, I have not been greeted with even as much as a “How was your day?” at the end of the work day. It has always been, “Hey, Mom/Angelia/Honey. What’s for dinner?” That has always been a pretty fair question because, for the past two decades, I have been almost solely responsible for putting food on the table at our house. I do love to cook; however, I will confess that there have been times I have tried to “wait them out” so that they would just eat cereal and call it a night. Sometimes, I’m tired… and cooking is the last thing I want to do. I’ve always sort of “gone it alone” and figured that it would be that way forever. Recently, though, things have changed. For the love of food, I have a cook at my house! My fifteen year old son has become our chef/short order cook in residence. This recent change was brought about two somewhat expected events. First, Trace spent eight days at SeaBase High Adventure camp with the Boy Scouts on a fishing expedition. He loves to fish, and I knew that he was going to have the trip of a lifetime. As a part of that trip though, the Scouts were expected to cook their catches of the day and then clean up after themselves. To my surprise, Trace actually enjoyed the cooking (and eating) as much as the fishing. For a week, I received photos of restaurant-quality food courtesy of some Boy Scouts. And my son was responsible for a lot of it. Second, Trace decided he wanted a job this summer. He applied and was hired as a lifeguard at Knoxville Racquet Club. However, because of his age (15), he learned that he would not get many shifts. His boss did tell the younger guards that she needed help in the snack bar. Trace said that no one was volunteering, so he stepped up. To quote him, “It pays more, AND I get tips.” He loves his job. I’m not sure whether it is because he loves to cook or whether he loves the money he can make by cooking, but I will take it either way. And he practices his culinary skills at home. This is a win for everyone. A couple of weeks ago, Trace called me at work to let me know that he was preparing dinner. Hugh had taken him shopping, and he was going to prepare halibut and a salad. I was skeptical, but he was so proud… and it was a meal I did not have to prepare. For the halibut, Trace used halibut filets. He combined ¼ cup olive August 2021
oil, 2 TBS lemon juice, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 TBS black pepper and 1 TBS lemon pepper seasoning in a zip lock bag. He then added the halibut and refrigerated for 1 hour. He preheated the oven to 400 °, placed the halibut in a cast iron skillet, topped each filet with a slice of lemon and baked until the fish was opaque and the lemon slices were browned. Trace’s salad was a mixture of cubed watermelon, cucumbers, fresh mint, and dried basil. It was simple, but it was delicious. The total preparation time on this meal was about 30 minutes, and the cooking time was quick. It was one of the best meals I have had in a very long time, and Trace even cleaned the kitchen after dinner. Again, this is a win for everyone. At his job at KRC, Trace’s dishes are more of the “kid food” variety. He makes hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, quesadillas, nachos and salads. He works every day, and he practices at home to see what he can do to make his food better. Apparently, it is working. A friend recently reached out to let me know that her daughter said Trace’s quesadillas are the best that she had ever had. Of course, I asked for his secret. For cheese quesadillas, Trace says the key to making a really good one is to cook the tortilla in the same spot where you just finished a hamburger. He says that the hamburger grease adds extra flavor and that the quesadilla gets extra crispy. He also adds lots of shredded cheese. He says that the best quesadillas are a mixture of cheeses, and he likes the Kraft Four-cheese Mexican Blend. He says that it melts well and the variety of cheese give it a more complex flavor. He has also had rave reviews for his burgers, and he says that the secret is in the bun—a trick he says he learned from me. Trace butters the bun and then places it on the griddle until the butter is melted and the bread is slightly browned. He says it adds flavor to the burger and gives a nice crunch when you bite into it. A dear friend once told me “Apple trees make apples.” I love food. I love to cook. And I love that my son enjoys these things, as well. Trace’s culinary skills are quite good, and I am delighted. Maybe, just maybe, he takes after me a little bit.
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