Chicken Wings, Football, and Young Adults
Certain dishes create distinct memories; of my mother or of happy celebrations. The Super Bowl LIII is this weekend. When I think of the Super Bowl, I recall visions of chicken wings and young adults.
In junior high and high school, my son hosted gatherings of friends at our house. I enjoyed the background noise of young adults laughing late into the night. Many gatherings were impromptu, and others were planned events. Watching the Super Bowl was one of those planned events. The annual party started in junior high and continued for many years. My husband and I used these opportunities to cook for a group of hungry kids.
My favorite recipe for chicken wings comes from a Minnesota born chef, author, and Napa Valley restaurant owner, Cindy Pawlcyn.
We would make sure we had plenty of wings to go around, at least twice. I have pictures of the kids smiling with sauced faces and sticky fingers. After the hosting responsibilities were passed on to his other friends, my son engaged us to help him make the wings to take along with him.
Parents would tell us stories of stashing away the chicken wings for themselves for later.
Click on the picture to access the recipe.
The recipe is simple. The main flavoring ingredient is mushroom soy sauce, with large amounts of chopped fresh garlic and freshly ground black pepper. You can get the mushroom soy sauce at an Asian specialty market, or you can use a good grocery store brand such as Kikkoman. It is worth firing up your grill to cook these wings. I live in a northern state, and we grill outside all year around. I think that makes them even more enjoyable in the middle of a cold winter.
After a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) fundraiser to honor my son, we hosted a gathering at our house. As we were bringing out the food and talking with his friends while they filled their plates, they reminisced about the chicken wings and my son’s gatherings at our house.
I miss my son beyond words, but these happy memories I share with you keep him present in my life.
Happiness is the background noise of young adults laughing late into the night.
References
Pawlcyn, Cindy, et al. Big Small Plates. Ten Speed Press, 2006.
