Summer Vacation 2026 No new recipe this week, I’m on my annual vacation to our family cottage on the shores of Lake Erie. My brothers and I all love cooking, so we trade off nights where we’re responsible for dinner. We’ve all got our specialties, but my nieces and nephews would riot if I didn’t do Ramen Night. A 4x scaled-up version of my spicy miso ramen recipe was enough to feed 16 people. My Instant Pots stay home when I’m cooking at the cottage - even the largest pressure cooker doesn’t...
21 days ago • 1 min read
DadCooksDinner Newsletter - July 2026 Sorry I’m a little late with this month’s newsletter. I was out of the country, on a fantastic vacation in Japan. Here’s a picture of Osaka castle as an apology: Osaka Castle - looks familiar? You probably watched Shogun on Hulu (like I did - I loved it) Speaking of vacation… Things I Love: Vacation Cooking Classes I love to travel, and I love traveling for food. So my favorite way to experience a new city is to go to a local cooking class. Or, if I can’t...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
DadCooksDinner Newsletter - June 2026 Deviled Eggs for Parties One of my favorite pressure cooker tricks is Instant Pot 5-5-5 hard-cooked eggs. 5 minutes at high, 5 minutes natural release, 5 minutes in an ice bath, and you have perfect hard boiled eggs. And what I really love about the 5-5-5 technique is how easy it makes deviled eggs. Deviled eggs are my answer to “what should I bring to the party/potluck/picnic?” Everyone loves deviled eggs - they taste great and add a fancy touch - and...
2 months ago • 5 min read
DadCooksDinner Newsletter - May 2026 Road Trip to Knifewear in Toronto Now that's a knife (Note: This post is not sponsored, I just really enjoyed Knifewear Toronto. There are a few Amazon affiliate links sprinkled in here, but any other links are not affiliate links.) I’m a fan of Japanese style knives. Over the years, I have alternated between Japanese santoku knives and Western chef’s knives as my workhorse kitchen knife. I went to Japan a few years back and bought an expensive Nakiri, a...
4 months ago • 6 min read
Things I love: flat-edged wooden spoons My 3 favorite flat-edged spoons One of the most important tools in my kitchen is a flat-edged wooden spoon. That straight edge is perfect for scraping the bottom of a pot, loosening the browned bits before they burn, so they can melt into the liquid in the pot, adding their browned flavor to my sauce. (Those browned bits are what the French call “fond”, and are the key flavoring classic sauces and stews.) It is also my go-to for breaking up ground meat...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Chili brings people together Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Chili I’m known amongst my friends and family for all-beef Texas Red chili. No beans allowed! (Nowadays, everyone who loves food knows about Texas chili. But it was a revelation here in Northeast Ohio when I started making it back in the ‘90s.) I make a pot of chili for Super Bowl parties and potluck lunches. As I’m writing this, a huge pot of chili is simmering on my stove, destined for a “feed the homeless” food drive at my wife’s high...
5 months ago • 6 min read