Chicken wings seem to have developed something of a bad rep as relates to their enjoyment with music. Perhaps it's the association with more jock-oriented pursuits such as an entire Sunday spent watching inferior 4-down American-style football. Perhaps it's the sometimes negative connotation of the term "chicken-wing band" (usually meaning a cover band, albeit often a good one that does lots of James Brown and stuff.) Perhaps it's the long-time association with the city of Buffalo, and by extension perhaps an unconscious association with the Goo Goo Dolls. Whatever. I'm here to offer my take on the humble wing, and perhaps change your mind on scarfing down a pound while cranking the tunes.

This is a variation on a recipe my mom used to make, which I think was based on a Chinese-style wing recipe she found in a magazine. At some point for some reason my friends started referring to these as "bamf feet", a reference to the little characters who served as sidekicks to the character Nightcrawler from the X-Men in his eponymous limited edition series. My friends and I were geeks. Big, big geeks.

But I digress...

First, you need chicken wings (well, duh.) Start with around a pound, more if you're sharing or just hungry. Me, I'm not a big one for this whole "measuring" business, so I just like to dump in ingredients to taste. Just don't overdo it. Now, cover 'em with a couple of squirts of your favourite mustard (yes, "Grey Poupon" is fine. Thanks for asking, Wayne.) I usually add some hot sauce, but it's totally up to you whether or not you're a big pussy. Pour on some soy sauce - once again I'm not big on measuring, but probably two tablespoons or so will do the trick. End it with a squirt of lime - a wedge about the size of the one floating around in your Corona should do very nicely.

Mix this up so all the wings are nicely covered. Remember, WASH YOUR HANDS when dealing with any raw meat, especially chicken. Safety first, kids.

Heat your oven to 350ËšF, cook the wings for about 15 minutes on each side. Give 'em a couple of minutes under the broiler for that crispy-good finish. Worried about whether they cooked through? Take one wing, cut into the middle. See any pinky-bits? If not, you should be good to go. Just cover and let 'em cool (or "rest" if you want to sound like a fancy gourmet to your buds) for 5 to 10 minutes.

Screw Flanders... err, I mean, bon appetite!

By Jay Moonah