Colts defensive end Ben Banogu packs a punch in the kitchen
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The secret recipe to Colts stellar defensive play this season: home-cooked meals from second-year defensive end Ben Banogu.
“So, Kenny asked if I could make them, uh, like a steak. I made a mistake, um, Rock asked for lamb chops. So I made some lamb chops. Q (Quenton Nelson) said that he would think about it, but he wants his meal to be great. So I’m like, alright, Q just don’t make me cook the whole house,” said Banogu.
DeForest Buckner said, “I thought it was a joke at first when he told me he was like, ‘hey, Buck do you want me to cook for you?’ And I was like ‘what are you talking about?’ And he was like, ‘no in my free time I cook and I’m thinking about cooking a lobster tonight. I could drop it off’ blah blah blah. And I was like, ‘sure, why not.’”
“So I, I went to Kincaids and I was like, ‘Hey, can I get the biggest tail you got?’ And I made that for him. I drove it over to him and he loved it,” said Banogu.
So, the team tossed their takeout menus aside when they discovered Banogu had a passion other than pass rush.
“I tell you what, if he had a restaurant I would definitely go their at least twice a week. I would give him a 5 star for sure,” said Buckner.
Julian Blackmon said, “Out of 5 stars, I’ve heard he’s a 6. I’ve heard he’s a 6 star at cooking. I’ve asked him to make me some of his scallops that he talks about.”
“I guess like it’s one of those things I really wouldn’t call it a gift, but um, like I guess I was blessed with like eyeballing a lot of stuff. Like I got that from my mom cause she just eyeballs. So, I should watch her like in the kitchen in like all this she was doing,” said Banogu.
Chrissy Tiegen step aside, chef Banogu’s cookbook is coming to a kitchen near you, and the recipes will be fit for the NFL.
“People will ask me like, ‘hey, what’s your recipe?’ I’m like, ‘I, I just woke up and kind of felt like making this,’” Banogu added, “Yeah. So I guess hopefully like maybe like writing the book is in the near future, but um, um, as of right now, I’m trying to use it as fuel to help me on Sundays during the season.”
No. 52, pack your knives and probably your pads, it’s time to get cooking.