Lemon Pepper - Heat Things Up

I am blessed to have been born to a woman who really knows how to cook. She can turn a skinny man fat and a vegetarian into a carnivore. She is truly amazing but for some reason I have not been able to follow in her footsteps in the kitchen. She is a true Midwestern woman who can turn a simple supper into a delightful feast. Even after decades of being a taste tester and watching her do her magic, my only secret weapon is lemon pepper.

It may be sad but it is true. Lemon pepper is my only real cooking ally. I put in on chicken at least once a week and that is about as far as my seasoning skills have taken me. Let’s just say that I eat a lot of chicken. I know how to throw salt and pepper on a dish or lob some butter on top but adding lemon pepper is about as fancy as I get.

I don’t know if I have a natural love for lemon pepper or if I learned early on that it was a quick and easy way to fake culinary skills. Sprinkling a bit on top of chicken makes it look like you really did something in the kitchen even though the truth says otherwise. Like a lot of girls these days, I learned to cook during my freshman year of college and my lack of progress since that time is beyond shameful. All of my signature dishes show a lack of cooking enthusiasm.

Not too long ago I went looking for the trusty lemon pepper and find that the little plastic container was empty. I had chicken baking in the oven and about two minutes to figure out how to make it taste less like nothing. To my surprise, I actually had lemon juice in my fridge and the rest of the story writes itself really. I may have felt a bit accomplished that night with my improvisational seasoning skills, but the truth remains that I never veered far from the old faithful lemon pepper habit.

When it comes down to it, lemon pepper is the most reliable seasoning and the only one I really have any experience with. I have had my turn with seasoning packets but with those the work is all done for you. As sad as my peppering habit may be, at least it is an attempt at flavoring, even if failed at best.