COOKING and COCKTAILS

This cookbook is inspired by Gregory Montes.

Greg, as I affectionately called him, was a member and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Greg, like many, desired love but could not seem to find a good match. When his relationships would dissolve, he would question his qualities. He would wonder if his hair looked nice enough, if he was too tall or too short, if he should be more tanned, if he weighed too much or too little, if he should change his cologne, if he was pretty enough, if he was smart enough, and if he even wondered if his skin was too dark or too light.

Greg knew that he was a quality person, and someone would be lucky to be in a relationship with him, but he second-guessed a lot of his traits. We talked almost daily and would usually FaceTime around happy hour and have cocktails together while I prepared dinner. Hence the name Cooking and Cocktails. Greg often asked me, during our chats, "Why can't I find a nice guy to date?" Early in our friendship, I honestly did not know the answer to that question. As our friendship grew, I learned that Greg looked for love in the wrong places. Greg was a fan of the Real Housewives' franchise, and we loved getting catty with each other, so when he would ask, "Why can't I find a nice guy to date?"

I would say, "Because you can't cook!"

Although it was a joke, there was some truth to it, and Greg thought it would be a good idea that he learn to cook. I'll never forget the first dish he attempted to make. He was so proud of himself. I went to Arlington, Virginia, to visit him, and he couldn't wait to share what he made. Greg was a fan of healthy eating, so it was no surprise to me when he told me that he made sweet potato fries. We were sitting at the bar inside Epic Smokehouse in Arlington, Virginia, and I asked him how he made his sweet potato fries. He said, "I cut them, laid them on a baking sheet, and sprinkled sea salt, black pepper, and paprika on them, and baked them."

I then asked, "When did you add the sugar?"

Greg's reply was, "Oh, I didn't add sugar," and that's when I laughed at him like Nene Leakes laughed at Porsha Williams when she said, "It's an everyday situation...265 days a year."

After my laughing spell, I told Greg, "See, this is why you don't have a man. You need to put some sugar on those sweet potatoes, otherwise; they are not sweet." Then I told him that I was going to write a cookbook for him. He requested that I put my Mac & Cheese recipe in the book. I typed the recipes in this book and printed them in book format.

Sadly, Gregory passed away in December 2022. To Greg, this collection of recipes was a symbol of our friendship because he was the only person that I had ever shared them with. For me, it was a small token of appreciation. God has blessed me with a rare gift--true friendship. I dedicate this cookbook to the memory of my friend Gregory Montes.