By Melanie Evans – Rivera

When it was announced Amar’e Stoudemire was going to be a guest on The Dan Patrick Show, fans expect to see an interesting discussion about various aspects of the game of basketball, especially in regards to the recent news and rumors surrounding the New York Knicks.

During Amar’e recent appearance on the show, listeners did indeed hear talk surrounding the Knicks with STAT fielding interesting questions about Phil Jackson’s arrival at the club as President of the Knicks and his upcoming basketball camp in Israel.

However, Amar’e also appeared on radio for another reason. To join his personal Chef Maxcel Hardy in cooking a delicious breakfast for Dan and the Danettes using just one of the  recipes showcased in their upcoming book ‘Cooking with Amar’e: 100 Easy Recipes for Pros and Rookies in the Kitchen.’

The dish that Chef STAT, Stoudemire’s culinary alter ego, and Chef Max served up was a delicious combination of Chicken and Waffles.  The dish, Chef Max explained, originated decades ago in Harlem, when people working late were looking for the perfect combination of a dinner dish and breakfast treat.

Recipes that have a story behind them, and also a modern flair, are an ongoing theme in the new cookbook. Together, Chef STAT and Chef Max drew inspiration from a variety of cuisines, from French and Southern cultures and as far as Asia and the Caribbean.  The pair added several of their own inspired food creations, to create a fascinating cookbook that is part ‘instruction manual’ and part the chronicle of Amar’e’s own evolution as a ‘foodie’ and chef.

When Stoudemire first met Chef Max, the center quickly put him to the test. Hardy had just made dinner for a client and was packing up when Stoudemire called him. He was looking for someone to cook for him and his friends before they went out to a club. As in: That night. Immediately. “I looked at my watch. It was almost midnight,” Hardy recalls.

As Chef Max once explained to the Huffington Post, he was able to come up with a feast consisting of “grilled lobster tails, steaks, Yukon-garlic mash, and a chocolate souffle,” with little notice. “I remember thinking, We may have a winner here,” Stoudemire says.  Not long after, Hardy packed up and moved to New York to work with Stoudemire full-time.

Stoudemire also wanted to learn how to prepare and cook healthy meals for his family himself. Under the expert tutelage of Chef Max, he has learned to do just that.  The vast majority of the recipes featured in the book are those which shaped Chef STAT’s ‘training’ which means the tile of the cookbook is fulfilled, as it offers recipes for those with all levels of cooking experience and allows the reader to follow a similar path to culinary independence.

‘Cooking with Amar’e: 100 Easy Recipes for Pros and Rookies in the Kitchen’ will debut on June 10th, 2014 and is available for preorder at Amazon and via iTunes now.