While many chefs credit their mothers as the inspiration for pursuing a culinary career, for others it was their fathers that took charge of the home kitchen and taught them invaluable lessons that continue to influence their cooking styles and approach to hospitality. In honor of Father’s Day weekend, I asked chefs from across the U.S. to share their favorite cooking lessons they learned from their dads. Here’s what they had to say:
Drew Dzejak, executive chef of Caliza Restaurant
“The best cooking lesson my father has ever taught me, and his fondest memory, was teaching me to cook breakfast: scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon. Nothing fancy, but more about teaching the first life lesson in cooking and taking care of myself past a bowl of dry cereal. And as a father now, I can say this is the same that I taught my children. It starts with cracking and mixing eggs, cooking and cutting potatoes, frying them in a pan, laying out the bacon, and putting it in and taking it out of the oven.”