Evans' father was cooking role model

Wendell Evans grew up watching his father transform simple ingredients into unforgettable meals, sparking a lifelong love of cooking.

“He would read cookbooks like some people read novels,” Evans said. “He’d sit down and study what combinations of seasonings made a dish Italian, French, Spanish, or whatever he was trying to cook.”

Evans said watching his father cook was awesome, like when he made homemade turducken—long before the dish became commercially available in stores.

Originally from Baton Rouge, La., Evans moved to Union after marrying Sheila Evans four years ago. Together, they share a blended family of five children. For the past year and a half, Evans has worked at Prince Oil, where he drives trucks, manages the warehouse, and handles product purchasing.

Evans began experimenting in the kitchen at age 12, often crafting unique recipes. One of his early inventions was making pancakes by mixing Raisin Bran cereal with eggs and a splash of milk.

Today, his go-to dish is jambalaya, a family favorite he proudly considers his best recipe. His wife, Sheila, is also a talented cook known for her chicken spaghetti.

When his children were younger, Evans often surprised them with creative meals, like mango chicken or his “asteroid and comet casserole,” a playful hamburger ball dish made with cream of mushroom concentrate.

“You need three T’s and a P to make a great meal,” Evans said. “Taste is obvious, but texture is the second T, and temperature is the third. The P is for presentation. If you get all four right, the person will truly enjoy the meal.”

One of Evans’ fondest kitchen memories is the 30-plus-year Thanksgiving tradition he shared with all three sides of his family.

“We used Country Rose dishes, red tablecloths, and even lit candles,” he said. “The food was all made from scratch, and there were so many dishes that you couldn’t get a sample of everything in one plate.”

Evans encourages aspiring cooks not to be afraid and just try it. “Whatever your idea is, just try it and see if it works,” he said.

Outside the kitchen, Evans enjoys financial analysis, brainstorming ideas, and finding ways to make things bigger and better.

“I enjoy cooking most when the meal has been truly enjoyed by whoever ate it,” he said. “That’s the most satisfying thing to me.”

VEGGIE TALE SALAD

1 bunch of broccoli, separated into florets (Don’t use the main stalk)

1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets (Don’t use the main stalk)

1 lb. of bacon, fried and crumbled

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup tomatoes cut into small pieces (seeds removed)

6 boiled eggs, sliced

1 cup mayo

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. vinegar

In a large salad bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, onion, tomatoes, and eggs; set aside. In another bowl, combine mayo, sugar, and vinegar; mix until smooth and chill. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss so all ingredients are covered with dressing.

IMPOSSIBLE PIE

(From Granny in 1975)

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour

½ stick butter

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup coconut

Stir everything in blender. Pour into a 10” pie plate. Cook for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.

HIGH PROTEIN JAMBALAYA

(Chicken and Sausage)

1 ½ lb. of raw chicken

1 ½ lb. of beef or pork sausage

10 oz. bag of Pictsweet seasoning blend

1 stick of butter (4 oz)

Tony Chachere’s seasoning

Black pepper

Margaret Homes Seasoned Pepper N Peas

1 box Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix

2 ½ cups of chicken bone broth

Put the butter and the Pictsweet seasoning pack in a pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the onions turn clear. About 15-20 minutes. If it gets dry add butter. You want this to be very well cooked. Sprinkle with pepper.

While this is simmering cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces and cut up the sausage in pieces about ½ inch thick. Brown the sausage. Once the sausage is browned, combine it with the simmered seasoning and add the chicken.

Cook until the chicken is white. (It will simmer for 25 minutes in a later step, so it does not have to be fully cooked in this step). This is where you decide how spicy you want the recipe to be.

I usually sprinkle the Tony Chachere’s until I see the meat all has visible Tony Chachere’s on it. If you like heavily seasoned dishes, add to your taste.

You need 2 ½ cups of liquid per Zatarain’s box. Drain the Pepper N Peas into a measuring cup and add chicken bone broth to make a total of 2 ½ cups. Add the 2 ½ cups of liquid to the pot and the contents of the Zatarain’s mix to the pot. Add the Pepper N Peas. Bring to a good boil and then simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir occasionally to be sure it is not sticking. Have the heat low enough the last 10 minutes so that you don’t have to stir it, but it is still simmering.