While the MJHL is on pause, players across the league are looking to keep busy.
For the Winkler Flyers Ryan Monias and Kyle Crewe, they decided to give back to their billets by making them a special dinner last week.
“We’re in code red here, we can’t skate so we got some extra time on our hands” Monias said. “We figured why not cook dinner for the billet family. Got home and went to work making tacos for the family.”
While he may not be a master chef, Crewe says he knows his way around the kitchen a little bit. “I can cook eggs and a little bit more stuff. I took food class in high school but I’m not much of a cook.”
Monias also does what he can in the kitchen. “I try my best. I wouldn’t say I’m a good cook but if there’s instructions, I think I can follow them pretty good.”
The billet brothers came together to make the taco night decision. “It’s a great way to come together with the billets.” Crewe adds. “There’s six people in total in the house so it’s lots of fun. There is never a dull moment.”
Working together on the ice is one thing but working in the kitchen is a whole new world for the pair. They managed to work together pretty well, according to Monias. “Well, I mean, I just did my job and he did his job. I think we stuck to that pretty well because some of the stuff he was doing, I don’t think I could have done.”
Crewe agrees it was a good working dynamic. “We had our own jobs. Ryan was cooking the taco meat and I was on veggies and organizing everything on the table. We stayed in our own lane and it all came together at the end.”
The most critical part of taco’s is the meat and that responsibility went to Monias who explains his process. “I started cooking the hamburger… actually, it’s pretty simple. Added the taco seasoning and the onion powder. Cooked that up and then left the rest to Kyle.”
“I basically just got the cheese and shredded it.” Crewe explained his role in executing a perfect taco night. “Cut some lettuce and washed it. Pulled the salsa and everything out of the fridge and put it on the table. Popped some tortillas into the oven and bam.”
The key to any taco night is the shell. Soft or hard shell.
“We had a mixture” Crewe says. “I eat the hard tacos and everyone else had the soft. I got all the hard tacos to myself cause no one wanted them, so I was like ‘okay, I’ll eat all of these and get them out of the way.”
Here is how Ryan Monias and Kyle Crewe create their tacos.
Crewe: Hard taco shell, taco meat, cheese, lettuce and pack it all down with salsa.
Monias: Soft taco, taco meat, lettuce then the cheese, then the salsa. “I’m not the best at wrapping it up but I did my best.” Monias adds with a laugh.
Giving back to the billets meant a lot to Monias. “I’ve been here for almost two months and it’s my first time living away from home. They’ve been so great, it meant a lot to give them something.”
There are more kitchen adventures coming as Crewe details what they’re working on for the weeks to come.
“We’re thinking of homemade pizza. Down the road, we’re thinking of maybe baking some cookies… if we’re feeling up to it.”
