University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 3/1996 'Honey, what's for dinner?' When The Ladies Home Journal went looking for men who cook, the criteria was that the candidates had to do so for the family at least once a week. Of the five men selected after the nationwide search, two are UD graduates. Gary Simpson, Delaware '69, '72M, of Milford, Del., and Tom Parvis, Delaware '69, of Plano, Texas, shared their favorite recipes with the magazine, which also published photographs and brief stories on them, in its November 1995 issue. For Simpson, it was Just Plain Meatloaf and Dirty Mashed Potatoes. The assistant director of University relations at Delaware says he considers himself an old-fashioned,"country boy" with a taste for meat and potatoes. "When I cook meatloaf and potatoes, they remind me of what I ate when I was growing up," he says. "There were always fresh vegetables out of the garden. My mom did a lot of freezing and canning, and we always had fresh baked rolls on Sunday. Childhood was a warm and comforting time for me, and the meatloaf and potatoes bring me back to that feeling." Simpson says he has been asked to autograph the article (not seriously, he insists) and his wife, Debbie, Delaware '71, has been kidded about what he's cooking for her and their three daughters. "Actually, I don't cook every day," Simpson says. "Just once during the week and on weekends. Mostly, Debbie and I share the cooking." It's the same situation for Parvis, his wife, Elizabeth, Delaware '72, and their daughter. Tom, a chemical engineer, is a business manager for Occidental Chemical Corp. Elizabeth operates her own business out of their home. He says he cooks only when his wife is busy, about once a week, and that he learned everything he knows from Elizabeth, who was once a home economics teacher. This isn't the first time Parvis has achieved notoriety for his culinary skills. In 1976, he won $10,000 in the National Chicken Cooking Contest for his Sunshine Chicken recipe. That's the recipe The Ladies Home Journal published. But, he says, the magazine ran the 1976 version. The 1996 version is low-cal, low- fat and low-salt, and Parvis says it tastes just as good. -Barbara Garrison Just Plain Meatloaf Prep time: 10 minutes plus standing Baking time: 60 to 63 minutes 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray an 11x7-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. 2. Combine 1 lb. lean ground beef, 1 large egg, 1 cup fresh bread cubes, 1 medium onion (chopped), 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. 3. Transfer mixture to prepared dish; shape into loaf. Bake 55 minutes. Spread 1/4 cup ketchup on top of meatloaf and bake 5 to 8 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Simpson's Dirty Mashed Potatoes Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes 1. Boil 6 medium all-purpose potatoes with skins, scrubbed, in 3 quarts of water with 1 teaspoon of salt, until tender. Drain. Sunshine Chicken (1996 version) Prep time: 30 minutes Baking time: 1 hour 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Combine 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 clove garlic, minced, in a small bowl. Cut one chicken (3-1/2 lbs.) into 8 pieces. (For fewer calories and less fat, remove the skin of the chicken.) Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt (use less salt or none for low-sodium diets), 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and 1/4 teaspoon basil; place in shallow roasting pan skin side up. Pour half the sauce over the chicken and set aside half. Bake chicken, basting frequently with remaining sauce, 1 hour or until cooked through. 2. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar and 1-1/2 tablespoons of slivered orange peel in medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; simmer 8 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Place 3 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned, in syrup. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur and set aside. 3. Combine reserved sauce with the poached orange sections. Remove chicken from roasting pan to platter. Pour orange sauce over chicken. Arrange orange sections on top. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. 2. Mash potatoes with 3/4 cup half-and-half, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, using potato masher or hand-held electric mixer, until fluffy. Makes 4 servings.