Off the court, in the kitchen

While you might more easily picture him dishing out assists than macaroni and cheese, All-Star NBA guard Ray Allen of the Sonics is actually right at home in the kitchen. Especially if it involves pancakes.

For Allen, cooking is mostly an offseason activity in the home he shares with his fiancée; their two sons, ages 2 and 8 weeks; and Allen's 14-year-old daughter.

What's the first thing you ever cooked for your fiancée?

Pancakes. She didn't eat breakfast. When I was in college, it was mandatory breakfast every morning. So I try to impose that on people, because it's healthy. Then I came to find out she liked crêpes ... . I just can't make crêpes.

How do you cook your fish?

On the grill. I wrap it in aluminum foil and let it cook in some butter with some mushrooms. Growing up, I ate catfish a lot. The only way I knew it was fried. Now I've started baking it on the grill. I've always eaten it fried, but as I've gotten older, I've started eating healthier. It tastes really good baked.

Are you more of a recipe person or an improviser?

I improvise. As you cook, you taste. We have plenty of spices in the pantry. You know what it needs.

What's your slam-dunk dish?

Baked chicken and rice. That's pretty much game-day eating right there. It doesn't settle too heavy on the stomach.

What one thing do you have to take with you if you're cooking at someone else's house?

Pancake mix. There's only a certain type I can use — Aunt Jemima pancake mix.

What do you like on your pancakes?

Butter and syrup. Occasionally, I will mix in blueberries. Blueberries are something we've added to our diet, for the antioxidants. So we keep that in the fridge.

Any kitchen disasters?

A long time ago, Shannon [his fiancée] moved in and was making banana bread — you know, you make it when bananas are going bad. But I told her, "I don't like banana bread; don't make it." But then we went out, and when we came back after the game, she still had the bread in the oven. Luckily, we caught it at the smoke stage.

How was the bread?

It was crispy.

Butter or olive oil?

Butter. But I've learned to use olive oil in the last couple of months. It's better for your heart ... . Olive oil has really come along. But you can't put olive oil on pancakes.

— Marc Ramirez, Seattle Times staff reporter