AUBURN – Jim Mingo’s introduction to cooking was a simple dinner with friends. A co-worker fixed dinner, and the evening was such a hit that Mingo decided to host a meal and invite a few more couples. Each time, the size of the party grew. “I took it as a challenge to make something new every time,” he said.

Comfortable with experimenting, he bought a Betty Crocker cookbook and began modifying recipes to his taste. These days, he doesn’t use cookbooks much, but occasionally searches the Internet for new recipes. Mingo has compiled his recipes in three-ring binders. “I am currently in the process of getting two cookbooks together for publication,” he said.

When he isn’t entertaining guests at home, Mingo brings his appetizers elsewhere. One time when he was visiting Tortilla Flats in Portland, Mingo overheard someone saying stuffed mushrooms were too difficult to make. “I told them I would bring some in the next time I came,” he said. True to his word, Mingo delivered, and the mushrooms were such a hit that on his next visit, people asked him where the appetizers were. Now, he brings in something every time he goes to the Mexican restaurant and has befriended the manager, employees and repeat customers.

While Mingo’s forte is appetizers – he has more than 200 gourmet recipes – he also enjoys cooking many other types of food. “I do Italian. I do seafood. I guess you could say it’s American,” he said. “My food has exciting flavors. It is spicy, as in full of spices, not hot. I don’t like flavor to make my mouth uncomfortable.”

Mingo is always looking for new ways to prepare old recipes. “People ask me where I like to go out to eat and I tell them I prefer to stay home. I like what I make,” he said.

Employed as a carpenter, Mingo also enjoys playing golf and snowboarding, which he teaches. He is also an aspiring blues keyboard artist and plays at open mic nights at the Midnight Blues Club and Restaurant in Auburn. He would eventually like to develop his cooking skills into a catering business or a restaurant.

Hawaiian teriyaki bacon-wrapped chicken and pineapple

Ingredients:

1 container Maui Mountain Hawaiian Teriyaki Marinade

¼ cup pancake syrup

1 can pineapple chunks (in syrup)

4 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

1 package onion soup mix

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

6 slices hickory-smoked bacon

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Combine teriyaki sauce, pancake syrup, hot sauce, onion soup mix, black pepper, garlic and syrup from the can of pineapple in a large bowl. Mix well. Place bacon strips on a cutting board and cut bacon in thirds. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes, then wrap bacon around the chicken. Secure with wooden toothpicks. Stick a pineapple chunk on the toothpick and place in the marinade bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Remove appetizers from marinade and place in an oven-proof baking dish. Pour marinade over appetizers and bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, drain marinade off and discard it. Sprinkle chicken with a little cayenne pepper, to taste. Place 6 inches under the broiler and broil until bacon is crisp (about 2 minutes on each side). Remove appetizers and place on a warmed serving platter. Serve hot.

Garlic shrimp

Ingredients:

2½ pounds large, raw shrimp

2 3/4 ounces butter, melted

3/4 cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic, crushed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices

Method:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Peel shells off the raw shrimp, leaving tails intact. Pull the vein from each back, starting at the head end. Cut a slit down the back of each shrimp. Combine butter and oil and divide among four cast-iron pots. (Mingo uses four pots for presentation purposes. The shrimp can also be baked in an oven-proof glass baking dish.) Divide half the crushed garlic among pots. Place pots on a baking tray and heat in oven for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven and divide shrimp and remaining garlic among the pots. Return to oven for 5 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked. Stir in scallions. Season to taste. Serve with bread to mop up the juices.

Jim’s Mexican dip

Ingredients:

2 packages cream cheese

½ large jar chunky, hot salsa

½ cup black olives, diced

½ cup jalapeno peppers, diced

½ cup onions, diced

½ cup fresh tomato, chopped

1 package finely shredded Mexican cheese blend

Method:

Blend cream cheese, salsa, black olives, jalapeno peppers and onions in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir in fresh tomatoes. Spread mixture in a 9- by 13-inch pan or dish. Cover with shredded cheese, then top with slices of black olives, jalapeno peppers and pieces of chopped tomato. Serve with Tostito-style corn chips.

Note: May also be made in a pie plate.