Chicken Wings

 

Let’s get reading with this month’s Cook the Books Club pick - Aaron Sanchez’s (Food Network Star) book Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef.  

This one immediately piqued my interest, since I’ve seen Aaron Sanchez on Chopped.  I have to admit - Sanchez was never my favorite judge, but I was intrigued nonetheless. 

After reading this memoir, I was impressed.  The memoir was well-written and gave a lot of insight into Sanchez’s past.  It gave the chef I’d seen on Chopped a lot more dimension.  I feel like I will watch old episodes of that show with fresh eyes.

Sanchez takes us through his childhood and his career and relationships.  Plus, there are recipes shared at the end of each chapter!

I had several recipes dog-earred but kept going back to his recipes for his mom’s chicken wings.  I was on the verge of gathering ingredients, when I remembered that my mom gave me her recipe for chicken wings along with many other favorite recipes in a recipe box that she gave me as a wedding gift.

I checked, and sure enough, there was my mom's recipe for chicken wings!  Why, I thought, would I make Sanchez’s mom’s recipe when I’d never made my own mom recipe for wings?  Now was the time.

The wings were everything I remembered and I am so happy I read this book, so I was inspired to finally make this recipe!

Chicken Wings

Recipe from my mom

3 pounds chicken wings, separated, & tips discarded

1 cup hot water

1 cup sugar

1 cup light soy sauce

¼ cup pineapple juice

¼ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ginger

Place the chicken wings in a zipper bag or large marinating container.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the wings.

Marinate for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally to ensure that all of the wings are evenly marinated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a double layer of foil.  

Lay the wings onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 25 minutes, then flip the wings.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the wings are deeply browned and crispy.  Serve immediately.