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.
Summer Vacation 2026 - DadCooksDinner
Summer Vacation 2026No 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 have enough volume to cook for that many people. I have to go old school and simmer the broth for hours on the stovetop (like a caveman). My other go-to recipe is paella on the grill. I have a 20-inch paella pan to fit enough rice for everyone, and I double my grilled paella recipe. I had to serve the seafood on the side this time, due to a shellfish allergy; I did an all-chicken-and-chorizo version. Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back with a new recipe next week. Mike Vrobel Madison-on-The-Lake, Ohio July 26, 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.
My love/hate relationship with black iron cookware Black iron is my nemesis. I love cast iron and carbon steel pans…for a while. When they are properly seasoned, they are almost as slick as nonstick cookware, much more durable, and they hold on to heat like nothing else. But … I have terrible luck maintaining them. Rusty iron cookware is my secret shame. Every couple of years I get enthusiastic about iron pans, usually when my nonstick pans are getting scratched up. “This is my chance to get...
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...
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...