I took a little hiatus from writing blog posts as I was trying to adjust to a new job and a new responsibility of my pup Tater Tot! Now I’m back and excited to keep putting out content for you! Another person who is excited about my writing coming back is my dad. My dad has been my proof reader since day one and is the one who encouraged me to keep writing no matter what. I figured there was no better birthday present for him than his very own dedicated blog post. So here are some cooking/life lessons I have learned from my dear old dad.
1. Food Network is life
Growing up I have fond memories of watching Emeril and Iron Chef America with my dad and I was always so fascinated by these shows even at 5 years old. We would always yell “BAM” in the kitchen and I kept on watching these shows throughout my life. Little did I know, these shows taught me a lot of random facts about food that I absorbed through hearing them over and over again. Little tips like “always season from above” or even a recipe for a simple vinaigrette have stuck with me and just pop into my head when I need them in my own cooking. I have my dad to thank for getting me started on Food Network which has taught me so much over the years.
2. Always have wine on hand
Y’all know I am always adding wine to my pasta sauce, but it’s always good to have on hand as the cook in case you need some to drown out the complaints of your house guests/children. For my dad, he needs it for all the back seat driving I try to do in the kitchen. Yes, he has been cooking for a lot longer than I have, but I tend to throw in my suggestions here and there. Apart from that, my dad’s favorite cooking technique is deglazing, which is when you use wine to get all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. It’s a game changer flavor wise and it’s also just fun. I like to have separate wines for drinking vs deglazing (my deglazing wines sometimes turn into vinegar on my counter so…) but if you want to use the nice stuff for both, go for it!
3. There CAN be too many cooks in the kitchen
My dad and I both love cooking, but when we both get in the kitchen, we have very different ideas on how the steps should go in the dish. It’s a fun power struggle and I enjoy my time with my dad in the kitchen even if we are both too stubborn to compromise. One thing we do always agree on in the end is the taste. We both know whether to add more salt, more spice, or more pepper to really kick the dish up a notch.
4. When you mess something up, just roll with it
When I first started cooking I started out with baking, which is a very exact science. Turns out I do not like exact science, that’s why I switched my focus to savory cooking. I remember I was making my own birthday cake and did not start it early enough. The cake was still too warm when I was assembling it and it crumbled right down the middle. I was freaking out and my dad came in and saved the day as we called it a “deconstructed cake.” It looked terrible, but it still tasted great, so that’s all that mattered! Same goes for the collard greens fiasco, he really saved the day after I threw the salt bomb in there.
5. Measuring is optional
I personally do not like measuring things unless it’s a super complicated recipe because I think everyone’s palates are different. I usually like it a little more salty and spicy, so I just throw in whatever amount I think is appropriate. I definitely got this technique (if you can call it that) from my dad because I have never seen him measure a single ingredient in my entire life. We both love the flexibility of cooking and trying new amounts of ingredients to make something that everyone will love and having fun with it.
6. Italian-American gibberish is welcome
When my dad is describing Italian ingredients he goes into a different manner of speaking that makes sense to a couple of people in his hometown and that’s it. For example; ricotta is renamed “rigot” and mozzarella is transformed into “mooz.” It drives my mom absolutely crazy, but to me it’s pretty funny. He just keeps going until he’s speaking absolute nonsense and people leave him alone in the kitchen. It’s a tactic that works every time.
7. Cooking is one of the best ways to show how much you love someone
Growing up I was lucky enough to have a home cooked meal on the table every night. My dad was raising my brother and I without our mom and he somehow didn’t miss a beat and kept the love and home cooked meals coming every single night. I didn’t realize it at the time because I was so young, but that is no small feat. Heck, half the time I am too lazy to cook just for myself, let alone two kids (one of them who was super picky and annoying.. me). The fact that he took the time to do that made us feel so loved and I feel that same love every time I go home and he cooks a meal.
Happy birthday dad and thank you so much for teaching me almost everything I know about cooking. Can’t wait to be home for Thanksgiving and cook with you. Also, I went back and deleted half of the exclamation points I used just for you. Love you.
