I’m an enthusiastic home cook who writes about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, sous vide, and any other food topics that grab my attention. Subscribe to get recipes, technique deep-dives, and a look at what’s cooking in my kitchen.
DadCooksDinner Newsletter - March 2026
Chili brings people togetherI’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 school. Some people are purists, but I love all chilis. A bowl of Texas red chili, full of beef, with no beans? Chili verde, loaded with green chili peppers? Cincinnati chili, with warm spices, served on spaghetti and topped with cheese? A humble ground beef and bean chili? Bring them all on. I don’t think I’m alone. I hosted an annual Chili Fest potluck at work, and it was simple to get people to bring food; all I had to do was send an email saying, “Bring your favorite chili (or anything else you want to bring, we’re not picky).” I’ve tried to organize other potlucks at work, but none have been as successful as Chili Fest. People would get in their own heads about other dishes - “Is this good enough?” - but humble chili doesn’t scare people away. Every home cook has their own favorite chili recipe, one that they enjoy enough to share. Or, the other way it goes is bringing out the daredevils. Chili is the chance to be a kitchen adventurer, trying out some new, wild ingredient. Chili contains multitudes. Now, as you can see from my chili recipe list, I’ve made a LOT of chilis. Texas Red is my calling card, and I’m always asked to bring it to potlucks. (And I’m happy to, I love that chili). But the one I make for myself is a simple ground beef and bean chili, usually from my pressure cooker, but often on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Chili makes great leftovers. I always cook extra and freeze it in 2-cup containers. (When I’m fishing through my freezer, looking for leftovers for lunch, my first question is always “Do I have some chili in here?”) Need a bowl of something warm and comforting to get you through the last gasp of winter? Try a pot of chili. You won’t regret it. Chili recipes to tryInstant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
Stovetop
ThermoWorks Silicone TrivetsMy favorite thermometer company also makes silicone accessories? Yes, and they are amazing! (And available in a rainbow of colors.) (Disclaimer: I am a ThermoWorks affiliate, and if you buy through the links in this newsletter, I get a small commission at no extra price to you.) I got a pair of their hot pads/trivets for free at a food conference a few years ago - they were giving them away to attendees at their booth. After using them for a few months, I bought more with my own money. They’re that useful. My favorite is the 9-inch round silicone hotpad/trivet, which is the perfect size for 6-quart Instant Pot inner pots. I use this multiple times a week, serving family style - drop this on the table, then set the inner pot inside. Add a serving spoon or a ladle, and dinner is served. I’m also a fan of the smaller 7-inch round silicone hotpad/trivet, which I use for my stovetop pots - a pot of rice fits perfectly on this one. The last one that gets a lot of use is the rectangular 9x12-inch silicone hotpad/trivet, which is great for roasting pans, baking dishes, or sheet pans - anything I’m pulling out of the oven. (In fact, I need to get a second one of the 9x12 size - but I get by with 2 of the 7-inch round ones, set next to each other, when I have two pans coming out of the oven at the same time.) February’s Post RoundupWhat’s new on DadCooksDinner in the last month? Instant Pot Quick ChiliInstant Pot Quick Chili (with Canned Beans) Recipe: Did my ode to chili inspire you to make a pot, and do you need it fast? This is my pressure-cooked chili with canned beans - quick and easy. Of course, if you have homemade beans in the freezer, they’re even better than the canned beans in this recipe. Sous Vide LimoncelloSous Vide Limoncello Recipe: I found out that Everclear 191 is now legal in my home state of Ohio, so I had to revisit my sous-vide alcohol-infused Limoncello. Instant Pot Cajun Deviled EggsInstant Pot Cajun Deviled Eggs: I’m always looking for a new Deviled Egg variation, so after I tried Cajun deviled eggs at a local restaurant, I had to make them myself. Instant Pot Colombian Beef Rib SoupInstant Pot Colombian Beef Rib Soup Recipe (Caldo de Costilla): I am a sucker for short ribs, and when I saw the picture of this soup on Kenji Alt’s YouTube channel, I had to make it. Q&AIf you have a question you’d like answered in a future newsletter, email me. If it’s a good one, and useful for other people, I’ll answer it in next month’s newsletter. (I’ll try to answer directly if it is more specific to you.) Here’s a from my uncle Warren: Does storing beans in their liquid make you gassy?In your make-ahead pinto bean recipe, you recommend a 40-minute pressure cook, then storing or freezing the beans in their liquid. Doesn’t this mean you’re preserving the “gas-causing compounds” for future discomfort? Does the baking soda (which I can’t use on my low-sodium diet) break down these compounds? It seems routine to discard the soaking water when you’re doing the soak-then-cook method. What do you think? > Friend-of-the-blog Warren Warren, You’re right that changing the soaking water (multiple times if you can) reduces the bean fiber that causes gas. (I just looked up the name of the fiber - oligosaccharides). I add baking soda to tenderize beans in hard water, not to reduce gas. (Though you’re right, that is a side effect of the baking soda. As for the bean broth left over after cooking, I store the beans in broth to protect them from oxygen. Also, I like bean broth made from homemade beans, so I want to keep it in case I want to use it in future recipes. (Think black bean soup - the beans are what give the soup body.) If you don’t want the bean broth for…let’s call them gastrointestinal reasons…I would still store the beans in their broth, but drain and rinse them after thawing. That way, the broth protects the beans from freezer burn, but you rinse off the oligosaccharides that are in the broth before serving. (Kind of like the liquid in cans of beans - I always rinse and drain canned beans, because I don’t like the taste of the canned bean liquid. Homemade tastes much better, so I try to save it.) As for me, I eat enough beans that my body has adjusted, and I don’t have better or worse gas. Or I am just used to being gassy - I’m not sure which. :) What do you think?I’m still figuring out this newsletter. My first change is the schedule: instead of the first of the month, I’m going to publish on the first Friday of each month. It feels more useful if it shows up right before the weekend, instead of on a random day of the week. If you have any other ideas about this newsletter, please let me know what you think, and I’ll take them under advisement. Do you like the newsletter idea? Do you like this long format? Or would you prefer it broken into smaller emails, with each topic in its own? Thanks again, and see you next month! Mike Vrobel - DadCooksDinner.com March 1, 2026 |
Dad Cooks Dinner
I’m an enthusiastic home cook who writes about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, sous vide, and any other food topics that grab my attention. Subscribe to get recipes, technique deep-dives, and a look at what’s cooking in my kitchen.