Dad in the Kitchen

By Cory Vitiello and Chris Johns, Appetite, $38

This is exactly the sort of book that can come across as trite or even pandering as it tries to connect with Dads who may or may not want to be in the kitchen. Instead – and quite welcoming, it isn’t page after page of barbecue recipes or homemade playdough, but concise, wellwritten recipes with introductions that should appeal to Dads of all stripes and types out there. Take the introduction for Sweet Peas & Avocado Guacamole (p.45) “When I have guacamole, I don’t want just a little bit – I want to go hard on the stuff” – how’s that for a hook? But packed within are dynamite lunch recipes, weeknight dishes, weekend projects (when we have lots of time right?), but also holiday specials, and criminally overlooked in most books – date night recipes.

Written by two dads, who might have some experience feeding hungry kids, but also some well-established food-centric careers - Vitiello as a chef consultant and Johns as a food critic and writerthe dishes are well shot, and seem very possible to the home gourmand, but also with an air of cultivated chaos that can sometimes happen when little ones are clamouring for sustenance and attention. Some of the most enticing dishes inside aren’t those that scream out traditional, Canadian-style cuisine, but those that borrow from range of cultures, so there is a fair bit of variety to work with. Top of my list for making or sharing with the family would be the Cucumber Salad (p.69), but also a time saving, One-Pot Braised Turkey Meatballs (p.76), and robust looking Warm Potato Salad (p.151). From the Date Night category, I think the Baked Gnocchi (p.178) will be a hit, and for the sweet toothed, the Double Chocolate Peanut Butter and Sea Salt Cookies seem destined to be a family favourite (p.187) My favourite part of this is that it’s a book that tries to speak to the dads – without judgment or bias; this isn’t a grillmaster’s book but a balanced, interesting, and tasty approach. In many ways this is a book about sharing the load on the home front, but in many others, it’s really just about providing a great meal, suitable for everyone in the household.