Dana Rene Bowler / Star staff Chicken Parmesan was the first meal Tara Thomas made 17 years ago for her boyfriend, now husband, Chris.

Name: Tara Thomas.

City: Newbury Park.

Specialty: Baking.

Secret: Patience.

Sentimental journey: Chicken Parmesan has not only survived but flourished throughout the years. It was the first meal Tara Thomas prepared for her high school sweetheart (and later husband), Chris, 17 years ago, and the recipe continues to impress.

"My husband and everyone else who tastes it thinks it's a dream," she said.

Born and raised in Ventura, Thomas attended Ventura High School and enjoys her role as a stay-at-home mom for her children, Paityn and Rhylan.

Advance cooking: Thomas' biggest role model has been her mother, who has always cooked, always baked and always had a hot meal on the table.

So creating dishes came naturally to Thomas, who now finds herself constantly trying to perfect recipes.

"My mother is the Martha Stewart of the family, a gourmet cook and baker, so I just watch and learn from her," she said.

With former pro football player Chris' football clinics on the rise, coupled with Rhylan's baseball schedule, Thomas often has to plan meals in advance, like her enchiladas.

Her recipe features chicken breast cooked with chopped onions, celery and garlic, then strained and shredded. Add enchilada sauce and tomato sauce, then roll in lightly fried corn tortillas, along with olives and cheese.

"They're lots of fun," she said.

Sporty cookies: Her chocolate chip cookies are said to taste like Mrs. Fields, which she considers a grand compliment, but she is reluctant to release her recipe, except to say that hers are thicker and bigger.

Her friends have encouraged her to sell them at well-known coffeehouses, but Thomas hesitates.

Her cookies are named after her children, bearing their middle names: Christopher Ciara's sporty chocolate chip cookies.

"It's all about the batter, just like baseball," she said with a smile.

Chicken Parmesan

8 chicken breasts

8 to 10 slices fresh French bread

2 tablespoons fresh basil

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 to 5 tablespoons fresh shredded Parmesan, Romano and asiago cheeses

2 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

5 to 6 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the chicken breasts, pat lightly with paper towel and set aside.

For homemade bread crumbs: Place French bread into blender or food processor; add basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper; add cheeses. Blend. Place crumbs in a zip-lock bag. Set aside.

For lemon garlic olive oil: In a frying pan over low heat, cook olive oil, butter/margarine, lemon juice and garlic cloves. (Warning: The garlic will cook very quickly, so stir constantly for just a few seconds; don't burn the garlic.) When finished, strain the oil mixture into a glass bowl for later. Remove the garlic completely.

For egg mixture: In a small casserole dish, blend eggs and milk; then set aside.

Putting it all together: Return the oil mixture to the same frying pan you used to make it; cook over medium heat.

Place one breast at a time into the egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture (in the zip-lock bag). Shake well, coating breast with the crumbs. Place breast in the frying pan. Continue the process of dipping the breasts into the egg mixture and then into the crumb mixture. Cook breasts 2 minutes on each side, just browning and crisping them.

Note: You will not be cooking the chicken completely. You will be placing these lightly browned/crispy breasts into another casserole dish (sprayed with Pam) to be placed in the oven for further cooking.

Once all of the breasts are browned and in the casserole dish, you are ready to place in the 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes (depending on how thick your chicken breasts are).

Cover with foil. Keep a close eye on the breasts, as they tend to overcook.

If desired: During the last 10 minutes, sprinkle a combination, to taste, of shredded jack, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses on top, and finish cooking uncovered.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce and your favorite pasta. Makes 8 servings.