Cooking is a skill.

But it’s more than just a skill.

It’s both a skill and an art – not easily appreciated every time by every person.

Sushi is a great example.  Those that like sushi most likely have their favorite sushi restaurant.

               *Side Note 1 – I have 2:  In Rehoboth Beach, DE – The Cultured Pearl and in Kissimmee my neighbor who prepares sushi in Epcot.

When you want sushi and can’t afford or can’t get to your favorite place, you might lessen your standards and lower your expectations.

Yes, I will buy grocery store sushi.  I can sometimes see it being made and trust in it’s freshness and quality of ingredients.

But I am a “Firm NO” on gas station sushi.

One of my favorite movie quotes is, “What I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquire over a very long career.”

Of my mad cooking skills, acquired over a very long career, is the cooking of scrapple and wings.

Cooking scrapple is both an art and a skill.

A painter must have the correct paints he favors and also a high quality canvas.

Like a painter, I require a proper frying pan or skillet.  I prefer a skillet, but I can adapt to a high quality frying pan.

               *Side Note 2 – a skillet is preferred because I don’t like my scrapple to touch, it makes it hard to flip/turn and a frying pan might not have proper size dimensions.

Once you’ve settled on your cooking apparatus, you must then choose your scrapple. 

Everyone has their favorite and I will not disparage choices different than mine.

               *Side Note 3 – this is a rare instance where you get a pass on my choice being THE choice.

I prefer RAPA with Kirby & Holloway being a close 2^nd when RAPA is not available.

And I want it cooked a certain way.  You have to slice it at the proper thickness.  For it’s best cooked/served crisp (not burnt – but crisp) on the outside and kind of soft on the inside.  Not raw, cooked thoroughly, yet still a bit soft.  Scrapple, regardless of brand, comes in a rectangular block.  So if serving solo, I might slice from one side, but if using on a sandwich (Scrapple, egg and cheese) I might slice from the shorter size.

               *Side Note 4 – important to check the size of your bread before cutting the scrapple.

I like to cook one side completely, getting the bottom crisp (again – not burnt), then turning one time to crisp the other side.  I might flip it a 2^nd time to firm up the first cooked side, but that’s sometimes not needed, but I do try not to flip and turn it too many times.

I have tried it at restaurants, but that’s risky.  If I see a server bring out some for another person and I like what I see, I might order it. 

But to go in blind? – HARD pass. 

               *Side Note 5 – have you ever had something you like served badly and you have to either cook another one at home right away or you have it the next day from a place you like?  I do/have.

Okay – now, onto  wings.

Here is where I have to be careful.  See, wings are my signature dish.  And if I give away my secret to making my wings, then I won’t get invited to go anywhere, because there’s always a possibility that if I get invited somehere, I might take my wings.

Have you heard of the singer/songwriter Jimmie Allen (also from Milton, DE)?  Both he and his father-in-law like my wings so much they made me an honorary black man because, “No white guy makes wings that good”.

               *Side Note 6 – that should have been a Side Note

Much like scrapple, you have to have the proper cooking apparatus.

I prefer an air fryer.

I’ve done the oven and I’ve done the deep fryer – and they just don’t cook them correctly. 

I like the skin crisped. 

Again, not burnt, but super crispy.  When you bite into one of my wings, I want you to hear a faint crunch. 

I also find that by making them crisp, the meat inside is properly cooked.

I do not like wings that are sauced correctly, but undercooked inside.

There does occur an issue when I have to make them in advance to go somewhere, as the steam might leave them not as crisp, but I have to cover them or they won’t stay hot.

And speaking of hot, yes, I like my wings hot.

Hot spicy or hot temperature?

Yes.

I do prefer my wings served hot, as in just made and not yet cooled to room temperature.

And I do prefer my wings on the spicy side as well.  But not so spicy that I need to drink a gallon of milk after, but spicy enough where you both get the kick of a spicy sauce and also can taste the perfectly cooked meat.

And that is a skill, “A very particular set of skills, skills I have acquire over a very long career.”

No – I won’t share my recipe, as again, I might not get invited anywhere.

Sauce aside, I have dabbled in a few dry rubs. 

I haven’t had as much success in my dry rubs as in my sauce.  But when cooking wings for a larger amount of people, I will often make both.

I do make other things, I am well known for my crab soup and my crab cakes.

               *Side Note 6 – I will tell you a secret ingredient I use in my crab soup – turnips.

Speaking of turnips – OH MY GOD !!!  Have you ever tried grilled turnips?

Yes – grilled turnips.  Slice them about 1/3” thick (or ½”) and brush on some olive oil and then season and put on the grill. 

I like a little bit of char on each side.  Again, a little bit of char, but not burnt.

Scrapple, wings, crab soup, crab cakes and grilled turnips.

Yes, – I have mad skills.

I guess you’ll just have to invite me somewhere to find out.

• That Guy