Curry Chicken and How did I get interested in cooking

I started cooking when I was about 12 or 13. I was with my grandparents at the beach cottage they rented in Bethany Beach. I said to my grandfather, Poppa, I'm hungry. He said, "Okay, get yourself a pot and there is hot dogs in the fridge. I said, "What do I do next?" He responded with his Italian face and deep voice, "Mike, put water in the pot, throw in the dogs, turn on the stove, and wait to see the water boils, then stop, and eat!" I said, "Oh okay". It turned out I really enjoyed the process of preparing my own lunch and felt proud of myself after I had succeeded the dogs to boil.

My mother would always prepare all of the meals for me and my three siblings for a long time as she liked to be in charge of everything when it comes to meals, laundry, and house cleaning. God bless her soul for raising four of us on her own after dad died in 1974, the oldest was 7 and me being the youngest was 4. How did she find the energy to do all of this and work part-time? When we would be hungry for lunch, mom would say, "Okay, so what would you like?" Even if we answered "peanut butter and jelly" she would still announce the entire lunch menu to be sure. "Okay, we also have tuna, egg salad, ham, cheese. Would you like your crust on or off? Toasted or plain? Wheat or white bread?" She was definitely a saint, St. Anne who is so dearly missed as she passed away on March 4, 2007. So I was shocked when Poppa said I was to make my own lunch! :) But I am glad he did. I loved Poppa. He was my step-grandfather as my real grandfather died when mom was 4. Her mother, Nana, remarried to Poppa, a full-blooded Italian who was there for all of us before we were all born. I considered Poppa my true full blooded grandfather. He said in his deep voice, "Why do you love me? I am not your blood?" I said, "I love you because you are so good to me and I consider you as my true grandfather." He would make homemade spaghetti and I am sad to not have his recipe for he made the sauce from scratch. He would make his with meat and for Nana, he would make it without meat for she had digestion issues.
My next success after I made hot dogs was grilled cheese sandwiches. I would make them for friends and my cousin Sean for he requested seconds. I use real butter and real cheese. Heart attack plates but man they are so good to the palate.
So now I have my own kitchen, I am able to cook more. I will try more recipes and maybe make some of my own one day.
For now, I will like to share with you this dish, Coconut Curry Chicken. Here is the recipe:

COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY
4 to 6 servingsHave ready: 2 pounds chicken thighs or breastsSeason with: Salt and black pepper to tasteHeat in a large skillet or wok, over high heat: 2 tablespoons vegetable oilAdd chicken. Brown on both sides. Remove from pan.Add: 1 cup chopped onions 1 large carrot, sliced 1⁄2 cup peas, thawed if frozen 2 scallions, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely choppedCook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add and bring to a boil: 1 1⁄2 cups unsweetened coconut milk 1⁄2 cup golden raisins 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon saltAdd the chicken, reduce the heat, and simmer 20 minutes for breasts, 25 minutes for thighs, or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked. Serve with: Cooked rice