About HomeboyCooking.com
V-man
I began to practice, what I thought I'd learned about cooking, while away at college in Nashville, Tennessee. Feeling homesick for particular dishes she made, I would call my mom and ask, "Now how did you make that, and how did you get that certain flavor?"
Then I would take her words and go work it out in the kitchen, because this is a venture in an oral tradition. My mother, at the knee of her mother and grandmother learned to cook by doing and not by recipe.
I never won any new friends for cooking while at Tennessee State University. But while at school I discovered a lot of guys were really into cooking. I lived with three roommates including my cousin. Sonny J., Amos C., and Skeeda were always experimenting in the kitchen for themselves or to impress a date. But wait a minute, I had been around men in the kitchen all my life. My Dad cooked, my younger brother Phil is professionally trained in the culinary arts. I am learning from him every time I am in the same kitchen. Phil is truly amazing and makes it look too easy. I had Uncles who were magnificent in the kitchen, and my older brother Larry always cooked. In fact, Larry invented the original split fried hotdog with grilled onions and every topping imaginable in Momma's kitchen in 1967. Not to mention both Grandmothers had their own styles that became imbedded in my memories, my Aunts were and are all wonderful cooks and without question my mom can, as we say, put her foot in it! I made my first cornbread in my Aunt Ruthie's kitchen. My sisters Terri and Sybil both know their way around in the kitchen. LOL! This food thing has been huge in my life. I guess I really did pay attention to this influence.
Now over many many years I have studied Mechanical Engineering, Organizational Management, Law, and hold a Masters in Business Administration. I have worked in the Aerospace, Paper and Pulp, Automotive industries, State Government and Information Technology. In over 12 trips abroad I have visited Ireland, Scotland, England, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. I have been through all the Canadian provinces east of Lake Michigan and British Columbia to the West, and practically every state in the Union including three trips to the US paradise of Hawaii. Now after 30 yrs of cooking (over 10,000 hours) in my own kitchen and raising my family I can say that cooking is one of my passions.
About the name
While at school, everyone who was from the same city or state you were from called you their Homeboy! My roommate was my first cousin and he was from Cleveland, so by hanging out with the Ohio folks also, I became not only a Chicago Homeboy, but an Ohio Homeboy too! Being on campus for 4 or more years you become everybody's Homeboy! Its a very endearing title when you are away from home. It means you belong with us. So now I choose that to be the name of my space because when you share a good dish, you are home. I may not prepare the fanciest or healthiest food, but it is made with love. And we can always discuss ways of making things healthier. I'm down with that. If "salt is the devil!" then "sugar is his cousin". LOL!
Maybe I can even win over a few friends with a tasty morsel or two. Oh yeah! Now that's truly the spice of life!
These are my original recipes or my take on some dishes. If not an original, I will tell you from where they came. These aren't all 30 minute recipes. Sometimes you have to spend some time.
Layers of Flavor, Layers of Love
Then I would take her words and go work it out in the kitchen, because this is a venture in an oral tradition. My mother, at the knee of her mother and grandmother learned to cook by doing and not by recipe.
I never won any new friends for cooking while at Tennessee State University. But while at school I discovered a lot of guys were really into cooking. I lived with three roommates including my cousin. Sonny J., Amos C., and Skeeda were always experimenting in the kitchen for themselves or to impress a date. But wait a minute, I had been around men in the kitchen all my life. My Dad cooked, my younger brother Phil is professionally trained in the culinary arts. I am learning from him every time I am in the same kitchen. Phil is truly amazing and makes it look too easy. I had Uncles who were magnificent in the kitchen, and my older brother Larry always cooked. In fact, Larry invented the original split fried hotdog with grilled onions and every topping imaginable in Momma's kitchen in 1967. Not to mention both Grandmothers had their own styles that became imbedded in my memories, my Aunts were and are all wonderful cooks and without question my mom can, as we say, put her foot in it! I made my first cornbread in my Aunt Ruthie's kitchen. My sisters Terri and Sybil both know their way around in the kitchen. LOL! This food thing has been huge in my life. I guess I really did pay attention to this influence.
Now over many many years I have studied Mechanical Engineering, Organizational Management, Law, and hold a Masters in Business Administration. I have worked in the Aerospace, Paper and Pulp, Automotive industries, State Government and Information Technology. In over 12 trips abroad I have visited Ireland, Scotland, England, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. I have been through all the Canadian provinces east of Lake Michigan and British Columbia to the West, and practically every state in the Union including three trips to the US paradise of Hawaii. Now after 30 yrs of cooking (over 10,000 hours) in my own kitchen and raising my family I can say that cooking is one of my passions.
About the name
While at school, everyone who was from the same city or state you were from called you their Homeboy! My roommate was my first cousin and he was from Cleveland, so by hanging out with the Ohio folks also, I became not only a Chicago Homeboy, but an Ohio Homeboy too! Being on campus for 4 or more years you become everybody's Homeboy! Its a very endearing title when you are away from home. It means you belong with us. So now I choose that to be the name of my space because when you share a good dish, you are home. I may not prepare the fanciest or healthiest food, but it is made with love. And we can always discuss ways of making things healthier. I'm down with that. If "salt is the devil!" then "sugar is his cousin". LOL!
Maybe I can even win over a few friends with a tasty morsel or two. Oh yeah! Now that's truly the spice of life!
These are my original recipes or my take on some dishes. If not an original, I will tell you from where they came. These aren't all 30 minute recipes. Sometimes you have to spend some time.
Layers of Flavor, Layers of Love
