My husband Charles Hamilton is my number one cooking companion and can follow almost any kitchen command. He calls it ‘cooking by remote control’: I can sit back and give instructions and he will get it done. Mostly, though, we cook together. Pizza night is a favorite that we started as newlyweds almost 30 years ago. If I ask, he will put a mean edge on our knives and then puts those sharp blades to work on a board full of vegetables. He also makes a great DJ.

This mystery man is an inimitable girl dad and has roughly zero social media presence. He loves to surf, cycle and get into some fun carpentry projects from whittling chopsticks to creating our work of art front entry bench. For Mother’s Day 20-something years ago, he gave me my first of many Rick Bayless cookbooks and that’s where we discovered and he perfected the recipes for salsa negra and poblano rajas.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Poblano rajas. I think poblanos are a superfood. Blister ‘em thoroughly under the broiler or on a grill. Then let them steam in a covered bowl until just cool enough to handle. There are some more steps, I’ll let you give the recipe. Usually the spice level is manageable for most. Sizzle the rajas in the butter before adding the scrambled eggs to the pan and add the cheese at the end. Fantastic on a pizza with salsa, pepper jack, black beans and chorizo maybe. Reilly just eats them in a bowl with a flurry of salt.

What’s your favorite city? Barcelona, it’s on the water, near the mountains, the food is great and everybody wants to be outside.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? Cocha. The owners are our friends and neighbors and serve super fresh Venezuelan inspired food. The new dog-friendly sidewalk patio is a game changer!

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Black magic. Salsa Negra is the real name but your brother Johnny took a late night first taste and declared “Black Magic”. 50 chipotle peppers are quick fried and reconstituted in molasses water with garlic and then cooked down down down. It looks like tar, spreads like tar, with a heat profile that comes on slow and then lasts with smokey sweet heat.

Who taught you to cook? You did!

What’s your go-to dish for company? I really like that chicken florentine that YOU make for company. Pounded chicken breast rolled with spinach and fontina cheese covered in a luscious beurre blanc sauce. Rice or orzo with it. So good.

What’s on your cooking playlist? Cooking with music is the best. It’s fun to pair the music with to the cuisine sometimes. It's crazy that we have access to almost any song ever recorded at our fingertips.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Strong black coffee in the morning. After eggs.

Date night--at home? or out? I’m a homebody. Love, love, love, date night at home.

Most stained cookbook? I take good care of your books...

Surf? or Turf? Surf. I like those red snapper fingers served with black magic tartar sauce. I’m more of a Surf & Chirp guy. Chicken thighs are the best. Salt & pepper and grilled.

Indispensable kitchen tool? It’s a toss up between a sharp knife and a bottle opener.

Staple childhood comfort food? My mom Claire’s mac and cheese. Made with Velveeta and I think margarine was a factor. You have to serve this with an iceberg lettuce salad dressed with Good Seasons dressing, with little bits of celery on a good night.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I would have breakfast with my two grandfathers, at a local diner in Philadelphia or Chicago. I wouldn’t even say who I was, we’d just have breakfast, sip coffee and talk about the day ahead. Family, sports, work and then walk out in different directions.

Ideal grilled cheese? Ruth Reichl’s. The one with as many varieties of alliums (white onions, red onions, yellow onions, garlic, shallots, green onions, leeks? ramps?) as you can find in the house. Dice ‘em small and mix with your cheese. Raw. Yes I was skeptical... thinking it would be too raw oniony. The ciabatta bread is prepped with butter on the inside! A spread of mayo on the outside and smashed with bit of cheese/onion mixture. Grill in an iron skillet low/med for awhile. Decadent.

Favorite pizza topping? Caramelized onions. Don’t believe those recipes that say you can caramelize onions in 20 minutes or less. Settle in and don’t rush it. Go for the deep sweet mahogany.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I’d go back to Oaxaca and get a masters in mole. Grab a paper cone of spicy chapulinas (fried grasshoppers) at the zocalo while shopping for ingredients.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Learn Julia Child’s technique for mincing garlic. Crushed/smashed is right for some dishes but minced cooks way differently. Peel the cloves without crushing it, keep the stem intact, and cut through the cloves horizontally to form three or four layers, then slice vertically, then chop. The stem keeps it together.

Three things next to your stove? April, a glass of red wine and Gus.

Favorite Sports Team? Florida Gators and Kelly Slater.

Poblano Rajas

These are a staple in our kitchen. You can get a small batch done in 20-something minutes, but we usually make a huge skillet full as an all hands on deck affair. They keep well in the fridge for up to a week and add a festive note to everything they touch. Scrambled eggs, pizzas, blended with a little cream for pasta. Let your imagination soar! Poblanos are deep emerald green cone-shaped chile peppers, best known as the star of chiles rellenos.

Recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen cookbook.

1 pound (6 medium/large) fresh poblano chiles
1 large (8-ounce) white onion
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and freshly chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt, about ½ teaspoon

Heat your broiler to high. Lay the chiles on a baking sheet and roast them about 4 inches beneath the broiler until blistered on all sides, turning occasionally.

Place the blistered chiles in a large bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them steam for 5 minutes. Carefully peel off the charred skin, then use a paring knife to cut out the cores and scrape out and discard the seeds. Cut them into ¼-inch wide slices.

Cut the onion in half through the root end. Cut off the ends and remove the skin, then slice along the grain into ¼-inch slices. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until nicely golden but still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and stir for one minute. Mix in the chiles and stir to heat through, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt.