Smith experiments in the kitchen
Walker Smith’s cooking journey began in his now late grandmother Mavis Smith’s kitchen, where he was inspired by her homemade lasagna, dressing, and chicken spaghetti.
“Anything you could name, she was cooking,” Smith said.
Smith then learned to prepare simple meals like spaghetti from his mother, Melinda Gilmer, before branching out into Southern classics like pork chops with peas, butterbeans, and macaroni and cheese.
“After that, I started cooking by myself and following recipes,” he said.
In addition to spaghetti and pork chops, Smith’s repertoire also includes garlic chicken Alfredo, which he considers his specialty.
“I experiment with a lot of stuff,” Smith said. “When I cook spaghetti, I try different sauces and season my ground beef with different seasonings every time to see which one fits best. I try new things all the time.”
Smith works as a laser operator at KDS Windsor. Having recently purchased a home on Peebles Avenue, he now enjoys whipping up meals on his new stove.
During the holidays, Smith typically lets his family handle the cooking. They also host crawfish boils at the Fairgrounds, where he assists in the kitchen during Fair Week.
Smith said one of his favorite cooking memories to look back on is from a first date with his girlfriend, Maggie Nance.
“We tried to make homemade pizza from scratch, and it was not good,” he said. “But we learned from our mistakes, and the next time we made it, it was really good.”
Their successful pizza was half pepperoni, half cheese, topped with blocks of mozzarella and shredded cheese.
Smith said his kitchen essentials include an air fryer, garlic powder, salt, pepper, barbecue sauce, ranch, and paprika.
His advice to aspiring cooks is to avoid putting hot grease under water, a lesson he learned the hard way in 2018 during his freshman year at East Central when he suffered a severe burn requiring a $45,000 surgery.
“Before you start experimenting, find a few recipes and follow them step by step,” Smith said. “Once you’re comfortable, then you can start putting your own twist on things.”
For Smith, the best part of cooking is the peace it brings.
“Nothing is on your mind, and you’re just doing your own thing,” he said. “It’s just a calm and easy environment to be in.”
GARLIC PARM CHICKEN AND POTATO SKILLET
2 large russet potatoes
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Paprika
2 large chicken breasts
Parmesan garlic sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Cube two large russet potatoes season with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook in air fryer at 400° for 20 minutes.
Cube chicken breasts. Heat butter in skillet on medium heat. Put chicken in and season with paprika, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook chicken.
Add parmesan garlic sauce. Add potatoes to skillet. Put mozzarella cheese on top. Cook skillet at 375° until cheese melts.
10 MINUTE TERIYAKI CHICKEN BOWL
2 large chicken breasts
Teriyaki sauce
Garlic powder
Pepper
Instant rice
Asian salad kit
Cut chicken into bite sized chunks. Drizzle teriyaki sauce on top of chicken along with garlic powder and pepper. Air fry for 4 minutes at 400° then flip for another 4 minutes.
Make instant rice in microwave. Assemble salad. Assemble bowls. Drizzle of yum yum sauce.
SPAGHETTI
1 lb. ground beef
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Salt and pepper
Chunky garlic and herb sauce
Regular Italian sauce
Thin spaghetti pasta
Brown 1 lb. of ground beef and season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Start boiling noodles when ground beef is almost browned thoroughly.
Boil noodles for 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly after adding ¼ cup of butter and 1 tsp. of salt. Drain grease from ground beef and add garlic herb chunky sauce and Italian sauce.
Mix it up and let bubble for 2 minutes then cut eye to a simmer. Drain noodles. Serve and enjoy.