Words: Yasi Salek
Photo: Gregory Bojorquez
In the kitchen of the beautiful four-bedroom
house he owns in Simi Valley (a city about an hour outside LA), Paul
Rodriguez has set out shrimp, chicken, an egg and various other
ingredients necessary for the preparation of one of his favorite foods,
Pad Thai. It must be mentioned, however, that his lovely girlfriend
Rainbow is on hand overseeing every move he makes. “Baby, you need to
make sure the pan is hot enough,” she says, as Paul wanders around the
kitchen a bit lost. While I’m sure they would prefer I didn’t mention
that P. Rod’s Asian specialty actually comes from a Thai Kitchen
Original Pad Thai box (because really, who actually knows how to make
Pad Thai off the top of their heads?), I find the whole situation so
endearing that I cannot neglect to mention it. As he follows his lady’s
direction, Rodriguez is earnest and obedient. “I’m real focused right
now,” he says to me, as he fries an egg in a large pan while keeping an
eye on the boiling water on his right. It’s apparent that this
single-minded focus reaches far beyond just cooking in young
Rodriguez’s life. “I got on my first skateboard at 12 and never really
got off of it,” he says as Rainbow peers over his shoulder to check the
status of the noodles.
Most kids with famous parents spend their lives in a world filled with
bottle service, shopping and the often inexplicable foray into a
musical career (we’re talking to you, Brooke Hogan/Paris Hilton/dude
from the Wallflowers). Mercifully, Paul Rodriguez Jr., son of famed
comedian Paul Rodriguez, went down a much different route. Having
caught the skate bug at an early age, the man they call P. Rod spent
his youth on a skateboard, and discovered that while he may not be
particularly good at delivering jokes, he was beyond skilled at
skating. In 2002, he was named TransWorld Skateboarding’s Rookie of the
Year at age 16, and went pro that same year. From there it was all
good, the doe-eyed kid went on to win competition after competition and
eventually joined the rosters of such prestigious companies as Plan B
Skateboards, Nike SB, Ogio Backpacks, Von Zipper, Nixon Watches and
Amp’d Mobile amongst others. Now at the age of 22, Rodriguez is
considered one of the top athletes in his field. Paul Rodriguez Sr. has
been quoted as saying that buying a skateboard for his son was the best
investment he ever made—and judging by the luxury sports cars parked in
the driveway and the assistant (his name is Dan, thank you very much)
seated on the couch awaiting instruction/watching TV, he’s right.
P. Rod points at the shrimp that are neatly arranged on a cutting board
nearby. “These shrimp look much pimper than the ones I used last time.”
The pimp shrimp make their way into the pan, and just as they hit the
hot oil, the water in the pot begins to boil over. For a moment
Rodriguez seems a bit overwhelmed, but just like that, his relaxed
demeanor returns. “It’s like being a DJ here,” he says with a grin, as
he deftly stirs the contents of the frying pan with one hand while
moving the boiling pot over with the other. One gets the impression
that little fazes him. While the noodles have become soft, they have by
no means become obedient. “Get outta here,” our chef whispers to them
as they foolishly try to escape the steaming pan. As the whole mess
quickly begins to resemble a tasty Asian cuisine, Rodriguez tells me
that skating is much easier than cooking, and Rainbow giggles.
Rodriguez spends a moment on creating the perfect presentation (the
chopsticks must stick out of the noodles just so) and as Rainbow throws
on the crushed peanuts, our protagonist exclaims, “I’m a tiger!” After
allowing the photographer to get his shots, he steals away into the
dining room to devour the fruits of his labor. With a future as bright
as Paul’s, it’s safe to assume he will leave the sweating in nightclubs
to others (ahem, Brandon Davis) and continue to make his mark in the
skate world.
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
4 oz. cut chicken and shrimp
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Lime wedges
1 Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai box (includes rice noodles and sauce packet)
In a medium saucepan, boil three cups of water. Turn off heat and soak
noodles in hot water for three to five minutes, until they are soft but
firm. Drain well and rinse with cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Add egg and fry until scrambled. Remove and set aside. In a wok or
large frying pan, heat the remaining two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Add chicken and shrimp, and stir-fry until cooked. Add softened noodles
and sauce. Stir-fry for three to four minutes until noodles become
tender and sauce is absorbed into the noodles. Add bean sprouts and a
scrambled egg. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish
with lime wedges.
