324216 Fri Sep 08 02:32:48 -0700 2006 130 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1861793 The post about what your mother cooks when you're sick got me thinking about this. Since we usually expect the mother to be the cook of the family, I'd be interested in knowing what your dad made/makes best in the kitchen. I have fond memories of waking up weekend mornings, running to the kitchen, and finding my dad piling on steaming hot scrambled eggs into plates. :) Fri Sep 08 02:32:48 -0700 2006 11006 chica 1 1861889 My dad made a crazy quiche out of pillsbury canned biscuit dough (crust), egg beaters, morningstar farms "sausage," swiss chard, and low-fat swiss cheese (quiche filling). He would serve it for days at a time. It wasn't good. And it was his best work. Don't ask about the lemon pie with whole unpeeled lemons put into the blender, or the beef stew with a whole bunch of unblanched okra. Sorry. I wish it had been eggs and bacon. At least he was ambitious. Fri Sep 08 03:23:08 -0700 2006 1861793 12539 NeNePie 1 1861981 When I was a child, my father made fabulous stir-fried five-spice sliced beef heart, all sorts of flavors of popcorn (both savory and sweet), and in one six-month burst of creativity, an amazing series of variations on the quest for the perfectly chewy, flat chocolate chip cookie. He also made a really fantastic treat called "om balls" (don't know if this was a family name for them or if they came with the name from a 1970s cookbook) made with carob or cocoa powder, powdered milk, peanut butter, and all sorts of other good stuff rolled up in bite-sized balls. He's still cooking, though he hasn't made any of these things in ages to my knowledge. Fri Sep 08 04:02:48 -0700 2006 1861793 22011 Kitchen Imp 1 1861994 I am very lucky that both of my parents are great cooks but the most memorable things my dad made were (are): 1)The best egg/ham/cheese/tomato/onion sandwiches (on rye bread) 2)Great chicken noodle soup 3)Scrambled eggs (he browns the butter first...mmm) 4)...but the one thing me and my 6 siblings requested for an appetizer at all of our birthday dinners was his AMAZING chopped chicken livers. A few years ago I made him show me exactly how he makes them. Fri Sep 08 04:10:03 -0700 2006 1861793 12289 janedoe67 1 1861995 my father was actually the chef of the family (used to be a professional before I was born). He made all kinds of WONDERFUL things, but my fondest memory is of his pesto. The whole house would smell like basil. Still the best pesto I've ever had by far... Fri Sep 08 04:11:04 -0700 2006 1861793 14093 Melanie 1 1861998 My dad was definitely not the cook in our family, but he made the best damn bacon anywhere, period. "Super eggs" and bacon meant it was a good day, because normally we ate cereal (the non-sugary kind) and milk. Fri Sep 08 04:13:17 -0700 2006 1861793 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 1862057 Dad didn't actually "cook" behind an oven--but he was a great griller/barbecuer. His steaks and chicken were the best. He slaved over the grill with such care and love. I haven't had anything via barbecue that rivals his efforts. Also, Dad made the best malteds--ice milk, UBet Chocolate Syrup and Carnation Malt Powder. We had them every Sunday after he played handball with his friends. Boohoo. Fri Sep 08 05:08:56 -0700 2006 1861793 10771 eve 1 1862058 My dad is able to cook most of the basic dishes we ate frequently growing up just as well as my Mom can, but the one dish that seems to be specifically his is a creamed eggs on toast recipe that apparently came from his family. I don't think I've had it since I moved out, but it is quite good (and I don't have a clue how it's made.) Fri Sep 08 05:10:18 -0700 2006 1861793 24644 Vexorg 1 1862239 my dad has always been a fantastic bread baker; i never had store-bought bread at home as a child. he's also a wicked good chili cook. over the past decade or so he has perfected his smoking technique and can turn out pork, beef & fish to rival, if not exceed, that of anybody else. Fri Sep 08 11:51:58 -0700 2006 1861793 12583 mark 1 1862248 Waffles. My Dad makes great thin (i.e. not Belgian) waffles. Also good fried cornmeal mush--fried in butter and topped with maple syrup--great gingerbread at Christmas, and a good smoked turkey for New Years. Fri Sep 08 12:00:30 -0700 2006 1861793 13128 gorboduc 1 1862257 My Dad died when I was a child but I still remember his pancakes with great fondness. It was our Saturday morning tradition...pancakes and Bugs Bunny. Fri Sep 08 12:06:44 -0700 2006 1861793 11990 Janet from Richmond 2 4241359 I pity the kids today...cuz the cartoons suck...but the pancakes live on forever Fri Dec 12 06:40:49 -0800 2008 1862257 109552 garfish 1 1862273 both parents good cooks- I think maybe that is why they disovrced- coulldn't share the kitchen. to this day when I visit; barbeque ribs, lime chicken, a grilled steak with his famous steak sauce,baked alaska, strawberry shortcake Fri Sep 08 12:19:36 -0700 2006 1861793 12675 cocoagirl 1 1862279 My Dad could smoke a mean brisket. He built his own brick BBQ pit, and never would touch a gas grill. Fri Sep 08 12:24:06 -0700 2006 1861793 11222 Infomaniac 1 1862292 My dad made great fudge – he gave it as gifts to lucky loved ones. He also made *amazing* sandwiches. Fri Sep 08 12:31:59 -0700 2006 1861793 10231 mirage 1 1862296 My late dad made apple and sausage stuffing and always roasted our Thanksgiving turkey.He also make porkchops with orange rice beef stew, hamburger patties with celery and onions and seasoning,a pasta casserole from momma's Hunt's Let's Cook Italian booklet,swiss steak, beef stroganoff,honey curry rabbit,and some other stuff. Rarely did anything not turn out.It was always good. Only baking he did was Mrs.Smith's frozen pies.This was after my mom died. Fri Sep 08 12:36:23 -0700 2006 1861793 28392 HollyDolly 1 1862297 My dad used to make cakes. His best one was a marble cake with chocolate frosting. Fri Sep 08 12:37:50 -0700 2006 1861793 12168 ClairfiedButter 1 1862313 I'm not entirely sure my father could cook. I never once saw him cook a darn thing. He married a professional chef - I think he made out pretty well. My uncle Duncan, on the other hand, is from Shanghai by way of Hong Kong and he is the cook in that household. We're so lucky to get his cooking for Thanksgiving! His wife on the other hand - I shudder to think about her and a spatula. Fri Sep 08 12:45:05 -0700 2006 1861793 15217 gini 1 1862317 Breakfast. Especially pancakes and waffles. Of course, he's also a wonder on the grill (built his own brick BBQ in the back yard, with a Santa Maria-style raise-and-lower crank rack that cooked tri-tip perfectly (over oak logs, naturally). Fri Sep 08 12:49:50 -0700 2006 1861793 16490 Bostonbob3 1 1862321 My late father was an amazing cook. He was a true hound as well-- would spend days shopping fo the perfect oil, the best chocolate, etc....when he started using the new he found niche farmers / purveyors worldwide for that special whateverr-- amazing mousse, soups, pastry,you name it. At his memorial service everyone shared a memory of a favorite meal or occasion he cooked for. Fri Sep 08 12:53:41 -0700 2006 1861793 23294 madisoneats 2 1862336 Food is such an important part of our memories of loved ones. I've often told friends that at my funeral mass, instead of prayer cards, I want recipe cards passed out. Fri Sep 08 13:02:34 -0700 2006 1862321 16490 Bostonbob3 3 1863169 Oh my goodness - what a great idea!! Fri Sep 08 18:08:11 -0700 2006 1862336 10231 mirage 1 1862344 My father never had the time to cook though he was leaps and bounds better than my mother. He owned a fabric store in SE Mass. and 14 hour day was not uncommon. He learned from his family's cook since he liked to hang around the kitchen. A well worn copy of Fannie Farmer was his bible. Aside from the occasional Sunday roast or summer clam boil, his cooking extravaganza was Thanksgiving. He would make mince, apple and pumpkin pies in the days leading up to Thursday. On the day of, he made the turkey, sausage stuffing, gravy [as a kid, I ground the giblets], mashed potatoes turnips, butternut squash, Peas with pearl onions, sticky buns, bread and old fashioneds as cocktails. It was a ballet in the kitchen with wonderful sights sounds and smells throughout the day. His recipe was simple; get up at 6:30 am and open a bottle of Sherry. Pour a glass, start the mis en place. In the late afternoon when the bottle was done so was dinner and it was time to eat. He did it that way for 50+ years. His last Thanksgiving, I made the meal. He did not have much time left and would not have had the strength to do what he loved so much. I had big shoes to fill. He would occasionally come in to the kitchen throughout the day to look over my shoulder to see if I was doing it right. While I was not able to do as many dishes as he, and was not able to finish the bottle of sherry, at the end of the meal he was as happy and as proud as I have ever seen him. He had passed the torch. Take Care - P. Fri Sep 08 13:05:52 -0700 2006 1861793 12588 Mattapoisett in LA 2 1863115 P, what a lovely memory. You brought tears to my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing! Fri Sep 08 17:53:34 -0700 2006 1862344 10556 geg5150 2 4206016 >snif< Nice story. And yes, sherry is a wonderful cooking aid! Thu Nov 27 18:20:07 -0800 2008 1862344 160926 Kinnexa 1 1862366 My dad made fabulous home fries with chopped onion and bell peppers in bacon fat. Seasoning was simple: salt, paprika and *tons* of ground black pepper. OMG - I think I know what we're having for breakfast this weekend... Fri Sep 08 13:18:31 -0700 2006 1861793 10787 Deenso 1 1862391 What a great topic! Today happens to be my Dad's birthday, so here's a pretty short list of some of his greatest culinary hits: Linzer Torte, Homemade Pizza, Spaghetti Sauce with leftover pork, Pancakes, Paella, Beef Stew, Plum and Peach Tart, breaded fennel(a holiday staple) and too many more to mention. Happy birthday Pop!!! Fri Sep 08 13:27:56 -0700 2006 1861793 18500 anna banana 1 1862423 My father usually didn't cook but a couple of times a year (not including the grilling, when he was home). But the two things I do remember is him making was sukiyaki in the electric skillet at the table, and he introduced us to satay way before it was popular in the States. He had had it at an Indonesian hotel during a film trip, and recreated it at home back in the mid-70s. It's the recipe I use - not altogether "authentic" compared to other satay recipes I've seen since then, but it's the one I know and like best. Fri Sep 08 13:39:00 -0700 2006 1861793 10532 LindaWhit 1 1862490 My late Father would cook at least once a week. It was his day off and, since he did all the marketing, he would pick out something we didn't usually eat. He'd make veal rollatini (I remember that one cuz my Mother went ballistic when he didn't remove the toothpicks lol) and various other dishes he pulled out of a cookbook. My Mother went nuts because she really didn't like anyone in "her" kitchen. We'd always roll our eyes when it was his day because she would be pacing and we'd be eating something unfamiliar. Being kids we didn't like the unfamiliar and we were made to eat it! Thanks for making me think of my Dad today. Linda Fri Sep 08 14:11:02 -0700 2006 1861793 10581 Linda VH 1 1862495 Not very often but on special occassions likes mom's b-day or an annniversary: Lobster Thermadore (sp?) Port wine reduction for beef dishes Annually: He cans peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, and pickles. Fri Sep 08 14:13:55 -0700 2006 1861793 20483 jenniebnyc 1 1862499 My dad knew how to work a can opener (electric) and a blender. That was about it. The only culinary contribution he ever made was spaghetti and chili, made from a big can of Chef Boy-ar-dee spaghetti and a regular size can of Dennison's chili without beans. Open, mix, heat, and eat. The quintessence of bachelor food, Mom would say. In fact, I think it was my dad's lack of ability in the kitchen that prompted my mom to make sure my brother and I were decent cooks. Oh, and with the blender, he mixes a pretty good margarita. Fri Sep 08 14:16:31 -0700 2006 1861793 13700 ricepad 2 1862531 It's funny you say this about your mom making sure the kids could cook. My hubby can't cook at all, and it sometimes horrifies me. I have my 5 year old son cook at least twice a week with me so he won't turn out this way! Fri Sep 08 14:27:18 -0700 2006 1862499 23294 madisoneats 1 1862547 I can't remember my father ever cooking a damn thing through most of my childhood. Then one day we were watching the CIA cooking show on PBS and they were making some sort of rosemary rotisserie chicken, and my father ran out and bought a rotisserie for the grill and proceeded to make the chicken. I don't remember if it was good or not, but I do remember my mother being horrified at the frivolous purchase. Fri Sep 08 14:35:50 -0700 2006 1861793 17683 fistalee 1 1862573 my father is a health nut like me - he used to make the Saturday morning staple of jimmy dean sausage patties, then scrambled eggs w/ velveeta cooked in the pork fat. Fri Sep 08 14:48:56 -0700 2006 1861793 16399 Biggie 1 1862591 Lutefisk. It's the only thing he cooks and he makes it once a year at Christmas for the whole family. Fri Sep 08 14:56:41 -0700 2006 1861793 17628 Paz 1 1862722 My father is definitely not interested in cooking, and if there were nights when my mother got home too late to make dinner, he'd always pick up some Chinese. However, before he got all health-conscious, the best thing he'd ever make would be french fries. They'd be bought frozen from the supermarket, to be sure. But he'd deep fry them a second time, and then finish them off by tossing them over heat with fish sauce. Doing this imbued the french fries with a slightly salty flavor that wasn't readily identifiable but definitely good. Fri Sep 08 15:48:01 -0700 2006 1861793 10604 jacinthe 1 1862736 My mother was the main chef of the house but dad did have some specialties, such as curry shrimp overflowing with potatoes and peas. Pour it over a steaming bowl of white rice--mmmmm! He also makes a wicked beef fried rice with green pepper and salmon with ginger, scallion, and Chinese wine. Fri Sep 08 15:55:27 -0700 2006 1861793 12045 gloriousfood 1 1862741 He makes the best sour cream pancakes I could ever imagine. So light & fluffy. He's spent over 40 years perfecting them. Fri Sep 08 15:58:00 -0700 2006 1861793 13853 Leonardo 1 1862744 My dad, a German immigrant, cooked excellent chicken in brown gravy and other hearty german dishes which I still cook. But his best dish was Italian gravy that he started on saturday mornings and finished around dinnertime that day. all day long we would go into the kitchen and pull out a piece of meat simmering in the gravy. Home made meatballs and the best Italian sausages made in the local Italian delis. He learned the recipe from talking to the Italian housewives in the neighborhood. Boy, I wished he had written that one down!! Fri Sep 08 15:59:10 -0700 2006 1861793 15128 RichK 1 1862755 My mother died when I was 7 and my father cooked one meal after another for my brother and me for years. He had a small rep of dishes, but I always remember them being spot on. We're Mexican-American, so he made things such as carne guisada, beef enchiladas and arroz con pollo regularly, along with basic American dishes--meatloaf, fried chicken, pot roast... His pork chops are the gold standard for me. He wasn't complicated or fussy, but he did care about ingredients. He went through a convenience phase when he made instant mashed potatoes (he was so tired of peeling potatoes; we had potatoes with almost every meal!), but he gave them up because he just didn't like the way they tasted. I can still see him sitting in front of the evening news going at a bowl of spuds. His favorite meal was breakfast though, and he couldn't see starting the day without a hot plate of eggs or pancakes or breakfast tacos. He usually left for his government job before my brother and I were up for school, but we always found some of those breakfast tacos wrapped in foil on the stove warming on the griddle. Sunday was his night off kitchen duty when he'd pick up burgers from Whataburger and he'd watch "60 Minutes." He remarried eventually and is of a generation that would rather see a woman in the kitchen, so she took over. It was just so...unfortunate. Fri Sep 08 16:00:46 -0700 2006 1861793 10250 raj1 1 1862794 My Dad is a great breakfast cook. I still look forward to his creamy scrambled eggs and big, fluffy pancakes when I visit. He also makes authentic Southern Fried Chicken, learned from his Grandmother who came to Canada from Oklahoma. Dad mans the grill like a master, turning out great t-bone steaks and twice-baked potatoes on the side. We look forward to his plum pudding with rum sauce every Xmas, too. My Mom died last year, so somewhat out of necessity, my Dad began cooking more. He is now quite a foodie and even shares recipes and has cooking sessions with my Aunties! Fri Sep 08 16:16:25 -0700 2006 1861793 16797 bogie 1 1862806 My dad was always the cook in our family (when he was out of town, my mom who can't cook to save her life would have "breakfast for dinner" night after night where we would get in our jammies and eat cereal and/or frozen waffles. It was fun for about 2 days). I have fond memories of beef tongue braising, as well as hole-in-the-wall eggs. Also, I love anything having to do with spinach, so for my 20th birthday my iron-chef loving father did a kind of "spinach confront" where each dish involved spinach. It was mostly delicious, with the notable exception of the desert (some kind of vanilla custard, spinach monstrosity). Fri Sep 08 16:19:05 -0700 2006 1861793 17737 Hunicsz 1 1862865 When I was 11-12 my mother threw her hands up in disgust at all my complaints about her lousy cooking and went on strike and never cooked again until I moved out after high school. I took over the cooking five days a week and my father for two. He made the same two dishes each week. His version of Beef Bourguignon and a chicken, spinach, cheese, cream soup thing. My sister called the first Barf Booger None and the second Lawn Clipping Surprise. I called both nights Pizza Night and my sister and I walked down the road to get a few slices. My father will eat anything after spending a year starving almost to death in a Siberian concentration camp when he was 18, but after a few weeks he stopped cooking because even he couldn't stand what he made, thank the gods. Fri Sep 08 16:40:21 -0700 2006 1861793 10732 JMF 1 1862894 My Dad used to make his famous (-to us his 5 children)Avgolemono Soup it is a beautiful Greek soup made with lemon and eggs. Delicious and made "when the kids came home" MMM, mmm. Fri Sep 08 16:46:17 -0700 2006 1861793 37777 pixlpi 1 1863090 Frozen pizza and frozen pot pies. He used to make a sandwich spread by grinding together roast beef and sweet mixed pickles which as a child I thought was delicious but now I can't even imagine eating. His other standby is onion rings soaked in malt vinegar eaten on a cheese sandwich to cure colds. Fri Sep 08 17:48:31 -0700 2006 1861793 16284 hoagy294 1 1863127 My dad usually did most of the cooking in our house growing up, but I'll always remember his SOS. Not the most glamourous of meals, but pretty tasty nonetheless. Fri Sep 08 17:56:12 -0700 2006 1861793 16904 xfleetwoodx 1 1863130 My dad was a cook when he was in the Coast Gaurd. He was stationed in Greenland for 2 years. Produce was not a high point. However, I attribute his time there to his fabulous soups and stews. Warm and cozy home cooking is his thing. His beef stew is delicious, nothing fancy at all, but man is it good. And his turkey soup make from the turkey carcass from the Thanksgiving turkey is delish! And the ham bone from New Year's is always an amazing bean soup the first week of the year. Great post! Thanks for the memories! Fri Sep 08 17:57:06 -0700 2006 1861793 10556 geg5150 1 1863158 my dad taught me to cook. he was the chef of the house. pretty amazing how he could work long days as an MD & come home & throw together a great simple meal. my cooking is a bit fancier than his but not necessarily better & I learned the basics from him. his favorites: * his mom's fudge * his g-ma's pancakes (strings of flats) * spagetti * home made tortillas stuffed with anything :) nice post idea Fri Sep 08 18:05:30 -0700 2006 1861793 29475 dylafleur 1 1863191 My dad was and is not the greatest cook, but as a child I remember him being in between jobs one time and he had to take care of us kids while mom went to work. He made the meanest pan fried steak almost every day. That was always a treat for us. Dessert was always a chocolate yodel...remember those? I have very sweet memories of when my dad would cook for us. Fri Sep 08 18:14:17 -0700 2006 1861793 18155 sandrina 1 1863901 I know I have posted about this before, but by golly I'm going to do it again, because this is such a great topic, and I love to remember my dad's cooking. He made the best soft-scrambled eggs and chocolate milk shakes in the world. Those I have managed to reproduce, but I have never been able to match his hamburger steak. It's just a big plain meatloaf patted out thin and fried, but...I don't know. There was never another to match it, and never will be again. He used to make something else that we just loved, although I'm not sure I would enjoy it so much now. He would drain a can of Le Sueur (sp?) baby peas and simmer them in butter and milk. We thought it was delicious. Daddy died seven years ago last month; I still get a lump in my throat, remembering his cooking and so many other wonderful things about him. Fri Sep 08 21:46:12 -0700 2006 1861793 10550 zorra 1 1863922 My dad's shining moment in the kitchen: burning water. And you thought it was only a figure of speech... He tried to make tea for a visitor... and forgot to put water in the kettle. [sigh] My dad's good at other things... cooking is mom's territory (thank goodness!!!) Fri Sep 08 21:53:56 -0700 2006 1861793 11504 amandine 2 1872427 I have similar stories... Once when Mom was sick, Dad claimed he could handle the kitchen and shooed her back to bed. He then proceeded to fill a pot w/ water and put it on to boil. Boy did it boil -- it boiled DRY until the bottom of the pot had melted and stuck to the range! He also consistently forgets to remove utensils when putting things into the microwave to be nuked (we've had a number of minor explosions due to this) so finally to keep the house from turning into ashes Mom set the rule -- Dad shall never touch the stove or microwave ever again. IMO, Dad just did all that because he wanted that "punishment" of always eating Mom's great food. Tue Sep 12 23:44:24 -0700 2006 1863922 15758 S U 1 1864018 My dad always made a mean roast chicken. The seasoning evolved over the years, getting spicer and spicer (as his taste buds weakened, I suppose) but the chicken still remains as juicy as ever. It's so good that whenever we had Thanksgiving at my parents house he would always make about 4 and no one ever bothered with the turkey. Needless to say, we don't have turkey at thanksgiving anymore. Fri Sep 08 22:36:51 -0700 2006 1861793 15848 ozzygee 1 1864030 My dad prided himself on his Grilled Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches. Grill peanut butter sandwiches just as you would grilled cheese, when finished, spread jelly on top. A little messy to eat but something about the warm peanut butter and the chill of the sweet jelly...mmmmm. Fri Sep 08 22:39:42 -0700 2006 1861793 10125 Frosty Melon 2 1864045 I make mine with toast, so I get the same pleasant texture sensations: warm silky peanut butter, cruncy bread, chilled jelly. I never thought about grilling a PBJ. It's genius. Did your dad butter the toast/pan as when making a grilled cheese? Fri Sep 08 22:44:03 -0700 2006 1864030 15848 ozzygee 3 1865123 Absolutely, buttered the outside of the bread. Gave it a crispy texture different from toasting. You must try it. Sat Sep 09 17:18:26 -0700 2006 1864045 10125 Frosty Melon 1 1864072 My Dad was a Navy man and was totally lost in the kitchen, with a couple notable exceptions. He made the best popcorn ever from a 1940s-era popcorn maker that by the '60s and '70s was as black as a cast iron skillet! Throughout the years friends and family, knowing his passion for a bowl of popcorn during the evening's television viewing hours, would buy him new poppers, but they'd always disappear while the ugly old crusted popper would always stand vigil on the kitchen counter, much to my mother's chagrin. The only meal he could make was hashbrowns and fried eggs, grating the potatoes by hand on an old box grater. Summer necessities to him were a gallon of A&W root beer and a quart of A&W soft-serve ice cream for floats, and the ever-present watermelon from spring to fall. In the hospital dying of cancer in 1979, and having not eaten solid food in weeks, he asked me to pick up a root beer float for him when I returned from running out to grab a bite for lunch. He actually managed to keep the float down, unlike everything else he'd tried to eat. He died the next day. And not a day goes by that I don't miss him, and not a summer goes by that I don't go out of my way to have a float or two, and watermelon is ever present in our fridge, too. Fri Sep 08 22:59:06 -0700 2006 1861793 13257 pilotgirl210 1 1864090 My dad makes fabulous Chinese roast pork and handmade dumplings. Mmmm... He used to be a cook for a Chinese restaurant before I was born, so it's a given that he makes these things. Fri Sep 08 23:07:55 -0700 2006 1861793 15020 chocokitty 1 1864101 My father made great grilled sandwiches -- all kinds of combinations of bread, cheese and condiments. He was an adventurous eater, and had a good sense of how to put things together. My mom was an excellent cook, so we grew up with very good food. Dad was also a deer hunter, and would cook the venison -- probably because my mother refused to cook or eat it. She just couldn't deal with something that had been killed by someone she knew! She was the same when my grandfather brought us fish he caught --- Fri Sep 08 23:12:26 -0700 2006 1861793 10490 saltandpepper 1 1864233 My dad is more of a special occasion cook than the everyday kind. Once in a while, he cooks up family heirloom dishes - risotto croquettes, rigatoni with eggplant, stuffed zucchini blossoms, stewed broadbeans, pasta e ceci, polenta with ragu. All are happy food memories. Sat Sep 09 00:14:19 -0700 2006 1861793 10681 piccola 1 1864377 J & B on the rocks. Ramos fizzes for our traditional XMAS lox and bagel brunch - he worked hard to perfect that recipe. Oh, cook food? Pancakes, and that's about it. Usually chocolate chip pancakes. Pancakes for us when we were kids, and pancakes now for his grandkids with chocolate chip smiley faces. Really delicious pancakes. When severely pressured he will grill. He'll uncomplainingly do as many dishes as my stepmom (a great cook) can make, and he'll toast white bread for the Thanksgiving stuffing and bagels for our XMAS brunch. He'll take the entire family on vacation and pay our not-insubstantial bar bill for that long weekend in Mexico at that place with the swim-up bar. But cook...not so much. Sat Sep 09 01:42:40 -0700 2006 1861793 10274 Debbie W 1 1864878 My dad did/does NOT cook.. except for the occasional wonderful Sunday breakfast when he would take over the entire stove and freak my mother out by frying potatoes on a temperature I now realize was far too high and unsafe. They were always my favorite part of breakfast and were worth eating through the fire alarm for. Sat Sep 09 14:05:23 -0700 2006 1861793 15482 NovoCuisine 1 1864885 My Mom is a really terrible cook. My Dad, on the other hand, is my cooking idol. We had a friend who owned a restaurant here in Atlanta and he came over every Sunday to cook for us with my father. They made some of the most delicious dishes...paellas, risottos, legs of lamb...he taught my father alot and it is where my love for cooking started. My Dad is a true hound as well. He used to travel alot for work all over the world. He woudl bring back bags full of food. I always knew a bag full of zabars was coming when he went to NYC. He even brought a whoel leg of ham back from Italy. He still makes the best food. The other day he made a leg of lamb with dried prunes. Sat Sep 09 14:14:57 -0700 2006 1861793 19982 The Blissful Glutton 1 1865065 Daddy's Home Fries.... He gets up at 6am and starts. Potatoes, sausage, ham, onions, and whatever else is in the fridge and sounds like a good addition. Puts it in a pan on med-low and lets it sit for hours. Then tops it with American cheese. To this day, it's my absolute favorite breakfast! My stepmother doesn't like it and I'm grown and married, so he hasn't made it in years. It's now become a Christmas tradition in my house and where it's good, mine still doesn't hold a candle to Daddy's. Sat Sep 09 16:40:24 -0700 2006 1861793 12365 jessicheese 1 1865096 My dad made "Mad Daddy Sandwhiches." Fried egg, sauteed onion and green pepper and tomato on toast. Simple, delicious and comforting. You know, it just doesn't taste the same when I make it!! Sat Sep 09 16:58:35 -0700 2006 1861793 15489 kimmer1850 1 1865370 Grilled hamburgers with everything piled on - called "garbage burgers" in my family - but absolutely raw in the center. Raw! He died 4 years ago and this thread is making me cry. Sat Sep 09 19:16:15 -0700 2006 1861793 11584 noeldottir 1 1865561 I can't resist being a spoilsport and party-pooper here, but I grew up without a Dad. Oh, he was around, just not part of MY life. So Dad never cooked anything "best" for me. Once, he took me to McDonalds. Perhaps that's why I became a Chowhound. (Thanks, Mom). Sat Sep 09 21:30:25 -0700 2006 1861793 21871 Sethboy 1 1865622 My Dad can't even cook eggs so I don't have any Dad food memories except for one. Dad did know how to grill and when I was about 11 or 12 I was helping him clean and prep some t-bones. I remember him sort of instructing me harshly to "clean out the nerve channel". Then he showed me how. (?????...yeah that's what I thought...the nerve channel is the notch at the base of the t-bone) Years later I found out my Dad knew a lot about beef and pork because after college (on the GI plan) jobs were tight so he went to a butcher training program in Chicago in search of work. He did land work in his field but he always picked the meat in the family. One thing I learned from my Dad, esp. since he can't cook, is NEVER complain about the food. My Mom is/was an exceptional cook but even when things went wrong, or if they were mad at each other, he never said anything about her cooking because he knew he couldn't do any better. Sat Sep 09 21:59:55 -0700 2006 1861793 27275 ML8000 1 1865661 Mostly in the kitchen my dad made mistakes! One did turn out to please us when we were kids: He called it a "Crazy vanilla omelette" - it's what happens when your kids want scrambled eggs, but you forget to scramble them until they are in the pan. Scrambled eggs with streaks of yellow and white. I don't like it anymore, but my 10 year old does. Sat Sep 09 22:24:33 -0700 2006 1861793 27868 plf515 1 1865679 MY dad is a much better cook than poor mom. my parents divorced when i was young, so i have no memories of him cooking for her, but my mom did go on to become a professional chef -- and now seems to have no patience for cooking. i don't think she loves it like she used(?) to, and that is one of the main reasons i never went to cooking school. Back to Dad. He has a real hand and eye for just about everything he decides to make. Some of his triumphs (yes, we discuss meals frequently over the phone): his standard meat sauce with pork ribs and ground beef (long simmered), persian lamb and fava bean meatballs w/ dill, linguine w/ clam sauce (the best version ever!), alsatian pizza w/bacon,onions, and cream, lemon, oregano, and garlic chicken baked w/potatoes. Sat Sep 09 22:41:53 -0700 2006 1861793 11190 fara 1 1865686 My dad is an excellent cook. But the few things that stand out the most in my mind are his chili, spaghetti sauce, and banana waffles. He is one of those cooks who never uses a recipe and never makes something exactly the same way twice. I remember fondly when he would make his spaghetti sauce and it would cook all day on the stove with big chunks of veggies and never any meat, and I would sneak un and make spaghetti sandwiches with the sauce. I always make my sauce with meat, but dad refused. Sat Sep 09 22:48:16 -0700 2006 1861793 15675 KellBell 1 1865813 I never knew what my dad was capable of until he made us a rib roast one night. Holy cow. I'm pretty certain he's ever made anything that didn't involve beef. My favorite things were these cakes my dad would make for my birthday. He turned them into trucks, cars, mountains and computers. Sun Sep 10 00:10:37 -0700 2006 1861793 30158 amkirkland 1 1866103 My mom spoiled my dad rotten. There was never any reason for him to cook, except on the rare occasion that my mom went to visit my grandmother for a day or two. I know now that she did that when they had a fight. On those days, pigs-in-a-blanket and scrambled eggs were about the extent of my dad's repetoir. For fun, he would break open the military MREs he had in the basement. Peanut butter from a can, stale crackers, cold "beef" stew and a chocolate bar. We would "camp out" in the basement and pretend we were soldiers. :) Sun Sep 10 04:23:33 -0700 2006 1861793 12513 Divamac 1 1866365 My dad often cranked out meals that made my friends' parents envious. He was a gifted renaissance man in anything artistic, his talent at daily handyman work, all physical sciences, but mostly cooking. He could crank out a gallon of salsa verde and salsa roja while frying the chips perfectly. His Texas chili was always requested at neighborhood block parties. And my friends often asked to "stay over" whenever he fried up chicken and then made the gravy from the drippin's. I got frying the chicken down but the gravy is still escaping my grasp. Sun Sep 10 14:04:55 -0700 2006 1861793 11175 The Ranger 1 1867680 My father died 40 years ago - I was just starting college. In those days men didn't cook all that much except for the showing off their "manly" skills at the backyard grill. My father, however, did like to cook, but didn't really have the time to get into it except on weekends. He made fabulous matzo meal pancakes which we looked forward to every year around Passover. He'd get out the Settlement Cookbook, the Sunbeam mixer and commandeer the kitchen. I don't remember that matzo meal was readily available year-round, so we had to wait for the arrival of spring to overdose on our favorite breakfast. I liked them with white sugar sprinkled on top; my brother went for the syrup. For a break from routine, I'd occasionally cover mine with strawberry jam or jelly - Welch's Grape, of course. Mon Sep 11 03:06:28 -0700 2006 1861793 11146 EllenMM 1 1872244 My dad was definitely the best cook in the family, having spent decades cooking in Chinese restaurants. He cooked many types of food, not just Chinese. His absolute best dish was either beef stew or Cantonese roast duck. He passed away a few years ago. But every now and then, I'd smell some type of food similar to what my dad used to cook, and tons of pleasant memories come back to me. Tue Sep 12 22:24:13 -0700 2006 1861793 17644 raytamsgv 1 1872379 I do not remember ever eating something my Dad prepared. And by "prepared" I'm not limiting this to cooking: I mean not even so much as a sandwich or a can of soup, which are about the extent of his culinary abilities. The nice thing about my Dad is that, unlike a lot of men of his generation who don't cook, he doesn't demand that other people cook every meal for him. Yeah, my Mom (and when I was old enough, I) did all the cooking for the family, but my Dad is perfectly happy to fix a sandwich for himself or open a can or eat leftovers or stuff from the deli if he has to. In fact, he kind of enjoys it, because it gives him the opportunity to eat things my mother doesn't "approve" of (dill pickles with cheddar cheese, canned peas, etc.). Tue Sep 12 23:23:41 -0700 2006 1861793 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 1872433 In no particular order... - wet scrambled eggs/omlettes - french toast - pancakes (occasionally with corn) - Thanksgiving Turkey - matzoh brei Tue Sep 12 23:49:14 -0700 2006 1861793 16379 cincodemayo1 1 1872477 Scrapple. He is appreciates that you cannot rush it. Put it on low, come back 20 minutes later and flip it. He is also famous for burning toast. Every morning. Coffee as black and thick as Quacker State, burning bread and scrapple were the smells of the morning during my childhood. Also Dad's grilled chicken: Apple cider vinaiger and poultry seasoning marinade. Again, grilled patiently. Wed Sep 13 00:08:18 -0700 2006 1861793 21566 tbear 1 1875448 Martinis--he would save the little gin bottles that airlines used to give out, and fill them with his brand of gin (Beefeaters) and a spash of vermouth, then put the top back on and leave them on the kitchen counter for my mom (and later, me)to drink. My mom told me that he wooed her by making her Irish stew, but somehow by the time I came along, he had stopped making it (right after the wedding, according to mom). He could grill steaks and potatoes really well. After I left home my mom basically stopped cooking and he took over, but I think his repertoire was limited to steaks, chops, and frozen sides. He loved things that no one else in the house would eat: head cheese, cheap cookies (the generics of the time), packaged sweet rolls such as bearclaws that I always thought were stale, cottage cheese and other pale, frail-flavored cheeses, and fruit that he brought home and warned, "Don't eat these until at least two days from now--they aren't ripe!" But two days later, they had disappeared. God, I miss him. Thu Sep 14 03:44:39 -0700 2006 1861793 11388 Marsha 1 1875728 My dad was a retired firefighter and loved to cook. And to his dismay, he was known at work as an excellent cook but he would have preferred to be known as a bad-ass fireman! At his memorial, a lot of his buddies had fond stories of his cooking. My parents divorced when I was young but when I went off to college, it was in the same city where my dad lived. I would visit at least 3 times a month and he'd always prepare something special while I watched and learned. I once delined an offer to go see Janet Jackson (8th row tickets!) b/c my dad was making cioppino, which I had actually ended up making but with Dad directing my every move. Other favorites are his ribs (which he made every Thanksgiving and Christmas), roasted turkey, 3 kinds of soy sauce roasted chicken, bbq shrimp, squab and pan fried liver. But usually just about everything he made was fantastic! Thu Sep 14 07:39:01 -0700 2006 1861793 13103 Foodrat 1 1877355 My beloved father was a fireman for 25 years, and the cook for his shift - but Mom does all the cooking at home....except when we have our family "fatcish" frys. My Dad makes the best fried catfish in the world! Thu Sep 14 21:18:20 -0700 2006 1861793 24930 kmr 1 1883915 On the rare occasion when my mother wasn't around, my dad would make chili over egg noodles. It was pretty good--fiery hot and savory. We thought it somewhat exotic as kids, because my mother never made anything that hot and mildly disapproved of it. That made it taste all the better, of course. Mon Sep 18 15:31:27 -0700 2006 1861793 10933 flavrmeistr 1 4198405 My dad lived at home with his mother who did all the cooking until he was 30, at which point he moved in with my mom who did all the cooking. When I was 10 my parents divorced and I stayed with my dad who did not have the slightest notion of how to cook, clean, or care for a 10 year old. Two of his culinary masterpieces where "Whizz-Bangs" which where a vanilla frappe with green food coloring added and served for breakfast, and "Gunk" which was ground beef fried and then mixed into an equal amount of instant mashed potatoes mix with just enough ketchup to make it pink. From the time I was 12 until I graduated high school we lived in a house with no stove - Only a microwave and electric frying pan. He felt that a stove was a waste of money as a microwave is just as good. Occasionally he would bust out some Lobster Newburg using Snows Newburg Sauce in a can and a can of frozen lobster meat served on white toast. In my house I do probably 90% of the cooking. My wife is a fantastic baker, and can cook things just fine from a recipe, but cant really just put things together with a gut feel of how it will taste. I'm not a great cook, but I keep getting better and learning more and more. I feel good knowing that my kids are growing up with a well balanced real dinner every night and not frozen dinners and canned soup. My dad died about 5 years ago and I dearly miss going out for Lobster and Clam Cakes in the summer with him. A steamed Lobster was a spiritual experiance for him. Toss in a bottle of Miller High Life and he was SET. I still eat Gunk at least 3-4 times a year. Mon Nov 24 11:48:56 -0800 2008 1861793 228050 Liamlunchtray 1 4198643 My father did nothing in the kitchen, that I recall, until he retired. Then in either a payback to my mother for years of cooking or maybe he just didn't like her cooking as much as I did, he took over the kitchen. He had always been the outdoor cook, grilling, crayfish boils, crab boils, shrimp boils etc, but I don't recall him in he kitchen when I was growing up. Now he can cook just about anything, and he does it extremely well. He's not one to be creative, but he will take recipes and make alterations to suit his tastes. He makes an incredible cream of brie and crabmeat soup, and he even takes the time and energy to make crawfish bisque like his mother used to make. He can't master divinity though. He keeps trying and trying but can't get it to come out as well as his mother's. Mon Nov 24 13:17:56 -0800 2008 1861793 154901 roro1831 1 4199414 Molten chocolate cakes. Both my parents are great cooks, but Dad is the bigger foodie. He's also a scientist, so when he decided he was going to make the world's most perfect molten chocolate cake he did it very methodically, with exact measurements and writing everything down. He's still tweaking, but it's pretty awesome. If he ever decides on a definitive recipe I'll pass it around. Mon Nov 24 17:55:31 -0800 2008 1861793 102571 mordacity 1 4199431 He can microwave a pre-prepared meal... that's about it. Mon Nov 24 18:03:38 -0800 2008 1861793 10216 Lucia 1 4199672 My immediate reaction is "shish-kebab." He really liked this dish, also grilled chicken. Never liked fish thanks to bad fish when he was a child, but thanks to traveling he had a quite broad view of cuisine for the time. Mon Nov 24 19:44:08 -0800 2008 1861793 18264 steinpilz 1 4200160 This topic brought a smile to my face nd not for the right reasons as my Dad has never been near a cooker in his life! After years and years of nagging by my mom, he has learnt to 'make' breakfast, i.e. put two slices of toast in the toaster, squeeze a couple of grapefruit and serve the tea...Bless! Consider yourselves very lucky indeed! Tue Nov 25 02:35:11 -0800 2008 1861793 240789 Paula76 2 4200170 Great reading. My Scots mother couldn't bear any type of pasta (like eating worms!) so once a week my father would that dish beloved of Bermudians - macaroni and cheese. He also made a mean Bermuda fish chowder, shark hash, codfish cakes and peas and rice. Heaven. Tue Nov 25 03:00:57 -0800 2008 4200160 11962 Athena 1 4200252 When I was young, Mom did most of the cooking. Dad might make pancakes or waffles on Sunday morning, but it was Mom’s responsibility to get most evening meals on the table. She was a good cook, although she tended to make simple things like roasts and chops. Dad was a dentist and he believed in working to live, not living to work. He took Wednesday’s off and in season would alternate between tending his rather large garden and cooking what he had grown. He also had patients who were farmers and was sometimes paid in fresh produce. I remember him coming home from work with bags of corn, beans, cabbages, fruit. Whatever was in season. And he’d set about finding recipes, preferably ones that took all day to cook, that would highlight his treasured ingredients. He’d make osso bucco, lamb shanks, stuffed cabbage, coq au vin, beef and veal stews, paella. And he built himself an outdoor grill so he could make steaks and kabobs and barbequed chicken. My fondest memories, though, are of our fishing and camping trips together. Dad loved to fish, and taught me as soon as I was old enough to handle a knife, how to clean, guts, scale, and cook a fish that had been in the water only moments before. Those breakfasts of freshly grilled or pan-fried trout with hash browns cooked over an open fire were some of the best meals of my life. Tue Nov 25 04:56:08 -0800 2008 1861793 11407 JoanN 1 4200777 Oatmeal - my kids won't eat mine to this day because "it's not like Papa's!" He's really not that good at anything else that doesn't come in a can or can be rolled and heated in a tortilla. Tue Nov 25 08:52:21 -0800 2008 1861793 13915 mamamia 1 4201028 My father made the best potato latkes in the world. Though they are traditional for Hanukah, he made them year round. He said they were his mother's recipe, and that it was her mother's recipe--and so on. Fortunately, my brother and I were paying attention when Daddy was in the kitchen with potatoes. Tue Nov 25 10:25:53 -0800 2008 1861793 196419 Kate is always hungry 2 4201800 Ditto on dad & latkes. Tue Nov 25 15:08:08 -0800 2008 4201028 19177 JonL 1 4201489 Dad wasn't a cook, but he made some mean camp coffee. Lots of cream and sugar, too much coffee in a fruit jar by the fire. You could stay awake for days. About the closest I saw him to cooking was when he made horrible additions to food me or my Mom were cooking, like when he ruined my pot of chili by adding pig's feet. Still haven't forgiven that..... Tue Nov 25 12:58:13 -0800 2008 1861793 227202 vtnewbie 2 4201639 My dad did very little cooking when I was a kid. My only memory is of his soft boiled eggs, into which he'd put a pat of butter. Later, though, my mom took a retail job that kept her late a couple of nights per week. He sifted through cookbooks until he found recipes for his faves: linguine carbonara, fettucine alfredo and stracciatella soup. I have no idea why he has a cholesterol problem now ... LOL! He did a pretty good job with those, though I'm sure he was using Kraft parm from the green can (ugh!). We ate them regularly ... until our clothes no longer fit comfortably. That was years ago. Now, my mother has Parkinson's Disease and neither wishes to cook much nor wishes to eat a whole lot these days. Dad's often on his own in the kitchen. His saviour is his George Foreman grill. Not long ago, he asked me how to do a simple pasta sauce with olive oil, garlic, parsley and cherry tomatoes. I was dumbfounded. How can you screw that up? Apparently, he could. He didn't know that he needed to smash the garlic clove and saute it in the oil for a minute or two before adding the tomatoes. He was just putting the tomatoes in the pan, then adding a halved clove of garlic, un-smashed, chopped or minced. Poor thing. I gave him a quick demo right then and there. I bet his simple pasta sauce is awesome. He was excited at my suggestion that he toss in some fresh basil. He has zero creativity, but when he gets the hang of something, it sticks. Way to step up to the plate, dad! Tue Nov 25 14:03:00 -0800 2008 4201489 239809 1sweetpea 1 4201569 My dad makes great german potato salad and macaroni salad with vinaigrette. He also makes garlic bread toasted just this side of carbon, which oddly I've grown to like over the years. Oh, and hamburgers with pan-fried onions and mushrooms. And deviled eggs. Mostly though, my dad tries to get ME to cook! Every time I visit, he'll somehow trick me into cooking dinner for everyone. Instead of asking directly, he'll say, "Do YOU know what to do with [insert random ingredient here]?" Of course I know what to do with it, Dad -- you bought it knowing I'd be cooking it. Tue Nov 25 13:29:04 -0800 2008 1861793 57371 operagirl 1 4202030 My dad used to cook a lot of dinners because he got home before my mom, but nothing was particularly good and mostly bland (my dad doesn't understand the concept of seasoning food for taste). However, the one thing he did very well--and still does--was a veggie omlette. I find it funny that guys often claim they make the "best eggs" or other breakfast-type food, never chicken soup, pot roast, cake, etc. I seems like men have learned how to cook breakfast food maybe to impress the girls the morning? Tue Nov 25 16:41:35 -0800 2008 1861793 18011 Jacey 1 4202812 Tho my Dad wasn't known for his culinary prowess, he could make a mean grilled cheese sandwich. Typical 60's style...white bread and American cheese grilled on the cast iron griddle over both burners on the gas stove. He also made the best popcorn. He used a Revereware kettle and when it popped it would lift the cover off the pot. He would usually make three pots at a time and dump them into a brown paper grocery bag. After he got done he would melt about a half a stick of butter and a half stick of margarine and pour it on the pop corn, then shake on a little salt. He would roll up the bag and shake it to distribute the salt and butter. Finally he would roll down the bag and the 4 of us kids would dig our bowls in. We would also raid the leftovers in the morning before breakfast. To this day I can't make popcorn that tastes as good as my Dad's did. Wed Nov 26 02:19:04 -0800 2008 1861793 226942 al b. darned 2 4236279 My Dad made popcorn in a kettle too. I am still in awe as that is hard to do. He wouldn't burn it either. But also he wouldn't share. Dad was not into the whole sharing thing, even at restaurants when someone wanted just one bite to see if they might like to order it sometime. Not happening. Wed Dec 10 12:33:29 -0800 2008 4202812 184593 givemecarbs 1 4203332 The four things I remember my father making really, really well were the following: Chocolate Mousse Homemade peach ice cream Eggs/omelets Hot Cocoa edit: I just read through more of the posts above and I realized I forgot the awesome popcorn he used to make with one of those old-fashioned corn poppers you can use in a fireplace. al.b.darned - thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories! :) Wed Nov 26 08:05:05 -0800 2008 1861793 63569 flourgirl 1 4203420 i'm fairly sure my dad never cooked a thing in his life Wed Nov 26 08:37:29 -0800 2008 1861793 135229 thew 1 4205081 um...sushi/sashimi...he kinda had to, I mean his job depended on it. Wed Nov 26 22:29:43 -0800 2008 1861793 212885 AngelSanctuary 1 4205136 my dad's three culinary contributions were (1) chicken curry (hong kong style), (2) eggs, sunny side up, and (3) sneaking me junk food every once in a while. my mom didn't allow any junk food in the house, so we'd go do "research" at the university library and stop by the cafeteria for fried fish fillet sandwiches and ice cream cones. i thought those were the most amazing foods ever at one point! Wed Nov 26 23:30:22 -0800 2008 1861793 64215 cimui 1 4205331 My mom was the cook in my family(just me and my parents) however my dad was great at making himself fried Matzah with eggs and "his specialty" spaghetti/macaroni with tomato sauce(canned)....what i wouldn't give to have a bowl of his spaghetti today since he passed away two years ago. Thu Nov 27 06:28:50 -0800 2008 1861793 103626 lvanleer 1 4206027 My mother was a horrible cook. For some reason, the only dish my father was 'allowed' to make was stewed chicken with dumplings. I don't remember if it was any good, but next to Mom's cooking I thought it was perfect! After all the kids moved out, Dad decided he'd like to have some fish once in a while (Mom "hated fish", so we never once had it on the table), and of course he had to cook it himself. I would have liked to see what he did with it. Thu Nov 27 18:27:18 -0800 2008 1861793 160926 Kinnexa 1 4206323 My dad was an older Black man so some of his creations aren't that common. My dad would make a stew out of Ox tails and egg noodles with peppers and onions. He would also make salmon croquettes with scrambled eggs w/ketchup and fried cubed potaoes w/maple syrup. He was also gifted with the barbecue gene. I guess it passed me over. Fri Nov 28 03:03:54 -0800 2008 1861793 146405 stricken 2 4206566 he wasn't by any chance jamaican was he? a good friend of mine (half brown jamacian, half chinese jamaican) makes a mean, mean ox tail stew, which she serves with egg noodles. i'd never heard of anyone else doing this before now. Fri Nov 28 08:10:16 -0800 2008 4206323 64215 cimui 1 4206357 Pop cooked weekends and always when camping. He made an excellent pot of baked beans and Sunday nights Taylor Pork Roll or western scrambled egg sandwiches on a Kaiser roll, or loverwurst W/ scallions and mustard on rye. A wonderful bacon and eggs man. He ate is nearly ever morning (or herring on rye). I asked him once him if it wasn't unhealthy. He asked me, "What the hell is it gonna do? Kill me? I'm in my eighties. How long am I gonna want to live?" Would bring home lobster by the dozen, bushels of clams ans crabs and during the winter tons of oranges and grape fruit. He made fresh squeezed orange juice every morning. From him I learned to squeeze a twenty into my kids hand in a hand shake as they are leaving from a home visit from college. Dead three years and still my role model. Fri Nov 28 04:49:16 -0800 2008 1861793 93538 Passadumkeg 1 4206861 Beef and homemade noodles over mashed potatoes. It is the absolute best. I request it whenever I can when I'm visiting home. Also, his gravy is the only gravy I'll eat and enjoy. And I definitely have good memories of him making me french toast, especially on mornings when he knew I had a big test ahead of me that day at school. Fri Nov 28 11:48:14 -0800 2008 1861793 112034 spellweaver16 1 4210247 My dad doesn't make much, but he makes really good eggs and toast and tomato sandwiches! No doubt the eggs are so good because he uses butter like Paula Dean! Sun Nov 30 14:57:22 -0800 2008 1861793 15507 Rick 1 4210331 I is "the Dad" in this family and I is "the cook". My own father never did much except grill steaks. He even made an indoor grill out of an old blacksmith forge when we re-did our kitchen. It had a crank-handle blower to help get the charcoal glowing. This worked great - even the time my younger brother hid about 7 small chinese firecrackers down in ash drain! Sun Nov 30 15:47:54 -0800 2008 1861793 204342 FriedClamFanatic 1 4211568 My father, though he started to rely heavily on shortcuts as business life got busier, was the main chef in my home whereas my mother, diligent as she was, still could not boil rice. There are few foods of his I miss, but I do remember looking forward to his: eggs (sunny-side up and Parsi-style especially), catfish curry, sweet-and-sour meatballs and curried goat. Everything else he fed us usually came in plastic wrapping and filled with fat and tons of sugar. Mon Dec 01 08:39:13 -0800 2008 1861793 68363 JungMann 2 4216077 I'm really surprised at all the resposes to this topic. It's reall nice to see & read about the contributions & memories that Father's left with they're skilled and sometimes, unskilled cullinary experieces in thew kitchen. I hope todays fathers take note & spend this kind of quality time with the'yre children as well. Because most fond memories revolve around food etc. My own father wasn't "the cook" in the family and we were blessed to have amother who was an excellent cook. He did contribute though on all those special cookouts with a great steak and some great funny memories of when he tried to take over the meals when mom was ill.. On the other hand, I have always loved to cook with my kids and have built a great relationship with them. Check out the results at www.cookingwithdadtv.com Tue Dec 02 18:24:05 -0800 2008 4211568 245181 cookingwithdadtv 3 4218305 Nice site and a great idea! Good way to keep a bond with your kids, not to mention a way to keep them eating well! I did do a search for "Linguica" and didn't see anything come up. Since it is one of the all-time BEST sausages in the world, I'm sure you'll be using it soon in one of your recipes. I grew up on Cape Cod and I probably ate more Linguica than regular Breakfast (or even Italian) sausage. Wed Dec 03 14:17:17 -0800 2008 4216077 204342 FriedClamFanatic 1 4237727 My father didn't cook, although for some reason my brothers turned out to be outstanding, gourmet cooks. Much better than I. However, my father made the world's best vinaigrette, which he would serve on individually plated garden salads he handcrafted as though they were Faberge eggs, to celebrate the arrival of summer once most of the produce was in. Wed Dec 10 21:29:17 -0800 2008 1861793 244717 Steady Habits 1 4241023 Dad didn't cook very often - Mom was big on division of labour - but he was always in charge of the grill during the summer. However, once or twice a year, he'd clear the decks for "Gene's Beans". This was an all-day (actually two-day) affair: First, soak the beans (navy beans, of course; he was a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy) overnight, and then (kids' contribution) pick them over the next morning. Meanwhile, make the sauce. He used canned tomato sauce as his base, but added lots of chopped garlic, oregano, and black pepper. To that, he'd added minced and sauteed onion, and a couple of bay leaves, and let the sauce simmer for a couple of hours, along with the beans in water. Drain the beans (reserving the liquid). Gather all the above with big (and I mean BIG) chunks of smoked pork belly, and big chunks of onion, and then start building the meal - layers of beans, layer of sauce, onions and pork, sauce, beans, sauce, onions and pork , etc. until the crock was full. Put in a long, slow oven - usually took four to five hours to cook, meanwhile filling the house with aromatic anticipation. Check every now and then; if they're getting dry, add a little reserved liquid. Serve with warm brown bread and butter. I'd like to say they're even better the next day, but I don't ever remember having any left! Fri Dec 12 00:16:46 -0800 2008 1861793 48210 KevinB 1 4657929 Well, this will be a short post. :-) My dad was barely able to operate the stove. I don't even remember him grilling, although I'm pretty sure he did. He made popcorn and the occasional pancakes. The best thing he made was kielbasa and scrambled eggs - his dish, my mother (who did all the cooking, otherwise) never made that. I'm actually pretty impressed because although a lot of people think making eggs is no big thing, they are easy to screw up. His were delish. Of course, kielbasa improves everything. :-) Tue May 05 20:28:41 -0700 2009 1861793 42513 Mawrter 1 4658689 Other than summertime hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, my dad made exactly two things: french fries from scratch in the deep fryer, and milk shakes made with ice cream and raw egg in the blender. The milk shakes were just OK, but to this day those french fries were some of the best I've ever tasted! Wed May 06 07:30:09 -0700 2009 1861793 14386 BobB 1 4658754 Pickled deer heart. Wed May 06 07:50:26 -0700 2009 1861793 253154 Fritter 1 4658860 My grandfather (who raised me) made the absolute best soups and stews, chili, and freshly caught fried catfish. He did make the best fried chicken until he had me make it one night and declared mine better, so I had to cook it from then on (yeah, I bought it). He also made the best, juiciest hamburgers on the grill. My grandmother was a great cook, too. I was lucky. Wed May 06 08:23:11 -0700 2009 1861793 253735 bayoucook 1 4659631 Waffles (thin, not belgian), french toast, and anything on the grill. His specialty is grilled turkey for Thanksgiving, along with all of the side dishes, including made-from-scratch dressing. The super-crispy skin holds all of the flavor and juices in the meat - so good! I had him write down the recipe for me one year... Step 1 is "Open a beer or pour a glass of wine and toast your feathered friend". Multiple steps through the rest of the process are "Repeat step 1"! Now that I've been on my own for a while and my parents have divorced (and he remarried), it doesn't always happen for the Thanksgiving meal but I always request that he make it for SOME holiday. Got to have that at least once a year! Wed May 06 11:42:20 -0700 2009 1861793 249571 Starcia 1 4661035 My Dad cooked occasionally, which became more frequent after he and my Mom divorced-naturally, as there were two kids at his house every other weekend who needed to be fed. He made great chicken and stuffing (Mrs. Cubersons) in a rectangular glass baking dish, the stuffing about 4 inches thick, the chicken breast basted in Italian dressing. So good. Also yummy tuna macaroni salad (and I didn't even like fish!), super thick Hersheys Cocoa frosting for our store bought brownies, and the best apple pancakes. And I don't even really like pancakes either! But my Moms story is the best--her Dad was a career Navy macho man, her mother raised the kids, once her Mom had to go away for a weekend, and what did my Mom and her sisters get for dinner? Crushed Saltines in milk. Wed May 06 18:51:11 -0700 2009 1861793 212582 schrutefarms 1 4661071 He was an ordinary cook in a series of ordinary Chinese restaurants but made an extraordinary fish dish for us for special, which was pretty often. I now realize how much work went into it. He must have boned a raw whole fish, then stuffed it with a cooked minced pork mixture which included lots of other ingredients and deep fried the whole shebang. I can still smell and almost taste it today... thanks, Dad. Wed May 06 19:01:02 -0700 2009 1861793 10877 Sarah 1 5102719 Bread and Pastries. He has been baking bread for at least that last thirty years. Now that it’s just him in the house, he’ll probably only bake once a month – White, Wheat and Rye are the ones I remember the most, but I’ll never forget his Sourdough rolls, so chewy and fresh! He would also make the most delicious cheese danish at Christmas. It is a long danish reminiscent of a loaf of bread, but light and flaky. He would have to make 4 or 5 because they’d be gone by midday!He stopped making the Stollen in favor of this danish, and we couldn't have been happier! Wed Oct 14 11:09:21 -0700 2009 1861793 233294 cuccubear 1 5103541 My daddy cooked fantastic southern fried chicken outside in a cast iron cooker. It was fantastic. I miss the chicken, but him even more. Wed Oct 14 15:51:06 -0700 2009 1861793 12296 steakman55 2 5104493 I hadn't seen this thread before and I' glad it was resurrected. Reading through (yeah, I read the whole thing) I was touched by the emotional depth of the poster's memories, I think, more than the actual cooking that was going on or what was cooked. Humans are so connected to others by what we eat and what we're fed. I wonder if the experience of sharing food and understanding that experience makes us better people. The connection never ceases to amaze me and certainly exists in my life. "Teach your children well"...as the song goes. My Dad made pizza (every Sunday night), tapioca pudding and pancakes. He enjoyed doing and we enjoyed eating . It enriched my life beyound measure. Thu Oct 15 01:41:57 -0700 2009 5103541 1095104 bushwickgirl 1 5106452 When I was little, my Dad thrilled us with "flying saucers"--fried bread with a hole in the middle (good use of shot glass) for the landing of a fried egg; one egg jelly omlette; egg sandwich. He has developed a lot since the early egg phase and, in his retirement, does most of the cooking and baking in his house. Yorkshire pudding! Slow cooked shortribs! Swedish pancakes! But mainly he makes us laugh...the best recipe for nourishent. Thu Oct 15 15:39:07 -0700 2009 1861793 1116421 Ciaobelli 1 5106530 Spaghetti Pie. Mix leftover spaghetti with beaten eggs, and parm. and cook in a hot cast iron pan until a crust forms, flip, using a big plate, slice into wedges and serve. Very good, and loving memories of Dad. I especially loved it with slices of Italian sausage mixed in. Thu Oct 15 16:11:14 -0700 2009 1861793 123480 scuzzo 1 5106842 my dad made a great Ropa Veja and a kickin arroz camapollo( chicken and shrimp) with rice My meories of this dish are wonderful but my friend sean says that you cannot trust your tastebuds before your old enough to appreciate food, well i think it still kick but Thu Oct 15 18:39:40 -0700 2009 1861793 274698 pikiliz 1 5187933 Coming late to this thread... My dad was a very good cook and griller. His veal cutlet dinners were memorable. He always started with veal shoulder steaks, self-trimmed and beaten thin with a mallet (wish I had that mallet today!). He three-step coated the cutlets, and fried them in a cast iron pan. Us kids were allowed to poach the small pieces before dinner. Sublime. Although Irish, he grew up hanging with a boat load of Italian friends. He therefore learned to make an otherworldly red gravy for spaghetti dinners. Real good bread, heaping with butter, and spaghetti; caloric overload, but a terrific Sunday dinner. He had a deft touch around food. Tue Nov 17 05:13:11 -0800 2009 1861793 184517 RedTop