I'VE BEEN IN THE KITCHEN.

And no, the fire department is not on its way. Believe it or not, I've become quite a good cook.

You can stop laughing now, mom.

Okay, I have to tell you the story; otherwise, I'm sure she'll leave it in the comments. I was either 20 or 21, and I was about to attempt making my favorite meal for the first time. Not unfreezing it, not unwrapping it, but actually making it from scratch. I had my frying pan ready and had the chicken going, but what I really wanted was homemade mashed potatoes. So I called my mom, got the skinny on how it was done, and got to work.

I peeled the potatoes, diced them up, and got everything all together. I was following the instructions, and I plugged up the mixer and got ready to beat the potatoes into perfect mashed goodness. Problem is, the potatoes weren't having it.

Switch to mother's perspective. The phone rings again. "Mom," I whined, "I can't mash the potatoes. They keep flying out of the bowl." Those of you who were born with a uterus are already way ahead of me by now.

"Son," she starts tentatively, "did you boil those potatoes first?"

Long silent pause.

"No...."

Pause again for ten solid minutes of laughter coming from my mother's end of the phone.

"Son, are you trying to mash those potatoes raw?"

Another long silent pause.

"Well.... yeah.... isn't that how I'm supposed to do it?"

Pause again for more laughter.

Half an hour later after boiling the potatoes and scorching the chicken, I finally had my mashed potatoes. And my mom still laughs and tells every single person I know, be they girlfriends, friends, or strangers I just met.

So nyah :) Stole your thunder, mom!

Anyway, I just got finished whipping up this amazing salmon recipe that I have perfected, and I thought I'd share it with you chicks and with you men out there who might want to make it to impress your women. (Note: if you don't like fish, this recipe also works just as well with chicken! Trust me, just tried that too.)

Here it is:

Basil Caesar Salmon

* 4 salmon fillets (6-8 oz. each-skinned)
* ¼ cup creamy Caesar salad dressing or more if needed
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup Caesar salad croutons, crushed
* ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 t. dried basil
* 2 T. olive oil

Place salmon in a greased 15”x10” pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon the salad dressing over fillets and spread to cover. Use more if needed. Combine the croutons, Parmesan cheese and basil. Add the oil and toss to coat well. Sprinkle this mixture over the fillets, completely covering the top. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done. You should be able to have four servings.

Oh, and turn on a good Marc Cohn CD while you do this. Since this is a music blog and all.