~By Jaclyn Liechti

They say that women are attracted to men that remind them of their fathers, and I suppose in my case, it’s at least partially true. My father is a great cook, and I find this quality immensely attractive in the opposite sex. Growing up, I didn’t have the normal ideas of gender roles as other children because, while my mother was responsible for some domestic tasks like laundry and washing dishes, grocery shopping and preparing dinner fell generally into the domain of my dad.

I can’t say why I never learned to cook; but even after I moved out on my own my skills in the kitchen were just about maxed out cooking (and occasionally burning) grilled cheese and Easy Mac. So when I met Tj, and he told me he not only knew how to cook, but liked it, it didn’t take long for me to fall for him. I remember fairly swooning the first time he made dinner for me—salad, corn (my favorite vegetable), pasta with a homemade sauce, and chocolate-covered strawberries—and just like that, my heart was taken.

While we dated, there were a lot of things we did together, from mini golf to shopping to house parties, but my favorite times were the times spent alone, cooking together in the kitchen. Over the course of our relationship, we made grilled chicken parm and Cajun chicken. He was even gracious enough to tell me that the ricotta and reggiano parmesano mac and cheese and the over-cooked almond chicken with golden raisins I made for him were delicious (they weren’t).

Eventually, though, things ended between us, and I was left with an empty stomach and a broken heart. So for now, I’m learning to cook for myself. And the turkey burgers and Western-style scrambled eggs that I’ve mastered so far are enough to quell the hunger in my stomach, if not my heart.

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Western Scrambled Eggs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 2 tbsp)

Red Pepper (diced)

Green Pepper (diced)

Onion (diced)

Tomato (diced)

Dijon Mustard (about 1 tsp or to taste)

Salsa (about 2 tbsp or to taste)

Monterey Jack cheese

Eggs

Milk

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Cowboy Hat

Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onions and peppers to the pan. Blend the eggs, milk, mustard, and salt/pepper in a small bowl. Add the tomatoes to the pan, and then the egg mixture. Add the cheese and salsa. When the eggs are scrambled, you’re done! Put on your cowboy hat and eat ‘em up, pardner