Amber Litzenberger

It may seem surprising that someone who works in a restaurant doesn't really like to cook - or maybe it makes perfect sense. You are around food all day, cooking or serving it, that you don't even want to think about ovens, meat or dishes. That is the way I am. I don't really cook at home (although many of my coworkers love to cook) apart from macaroni and cheese and instant rice.

With a day off in the middle of the week, however, I do get rather bored and instead of clawing at the walls I have been known to crank up the oven. If I cook I usually try simple recipes, that way if I screw up you can't really tell and I'm not out of a ton of money that I spent on, say, cream cheese or beef. My pancake recipe is something from my mom, who liked to find cheap ways to feed three kids when they were tired of sandwiches. I love pancakes, and I don't like to spend a lot of time on them either. My simple recipe is this:
1 egg
1 cup of flour
pinch of salt
water
You mix it all together, adding just enough water to make the
concoction smooth and slightly runny. I tend to generally be a little
light on the water and as a result end up with really thick pancakes,
especially when making double batches, but that's okay with me and
mine. Thick pancakes just go better with syrup.
Another simple recipe, this time from my grandma, brings my house the
best chocolate chip cookies around. They are soft, thick, and gone
within two days unless you hide them.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 a 300g bag of chocolate chips
Melt the butter first, add everything but eggs, chips and flour. Mix
in the eggs (mixing them now prevents the eggs from getting partially
cooked from your previously heated butter) then add the chips and the
flour last. If it’s a little thick add a little water. Bake for 10-15
minutes at 350. They will come out looking very soft and not very done
generally, but that’s okay. That soft not-quite-done-ness is what will
keep them soft and chewy for days. Very yummy.