Mom's Teriyaki

One of the absolute temporal joys of my life is cooking. If you've seen me in the kitchen, chances are you've seen a very happy lady. I love to mix, chop, measure, and whisk. I cook all of the time, for special occasions or just every day.

Truth be told, it was bound to happen. I come from a long line of amazing cooks on both sides. Most of my favorite meals and recipes are those that have been handed down. Although, I cannot perfect my mother's lasagna, try as I might. No one can. We could follow the recipe word for word, and it is just not going to be as good as it would be made by her hands. One thing that I am working on perfecting is her teriyaki. You see, my mother is not only a lasagna master, she is also a marinade master. And there is no concoction with which you can marinate meat that matches Mom's teriyaki. An absolute classic meal at our house is grilled chicken teriyaki. My current favorite is grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs that have soaked in the teriyaki for about 4 to 6 hours.

So, what is this marvelous recipe, you might wonder? Well, I could say that it's a closely held family secret, but that would be a lie. We're all open books, and since I'm sure Mom would tell you if you asked, here it is:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oil (don't use olive oil if you're grilling-it has a low smoke point)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix, marinate, enjoy!