By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator for The Food Co-op

In our community, there are  many versions of dads in the kitchen. From professional chefs to occasional sous chefs and backyard grillers, dads who bake pies and sourdough loaves, brew ale, and make kimchi. Dads who grow their own gardens, hunt, and fish. Dads who explore the cuisines of other cultures and prepare daily meals on top of full-time work and parenting. Every culinary dad I know is passionate about some niche gourmet subject or another. They love to learn, try new things, or perfect the handful of dishes they do well.

Most of these dads had no training as children, but are showing up to learn as adults. Others learned to cook from their dads and are now passing on their knowledge to their children. And let’s not forget the grandads who cook with their children and grandchildren.

Here’s to you, Dads, the most amazing, hard-working people. Thank you for all you do to make family life happen.

A is for Amazing — like when you made sushi for dinner.

B is for Breakfast—being the one who fries the bacon and makes pancakes on the weekends.

C is for Creative—with whatever’s in the fridge.

D is for Dinner—making it even when everyone is tired and grumpy.

E is for Everything—from charcuterie to the bacon doughnuts you plan to make.

F is for Filet—not only catching the fish but knowing how to filet it.

G is for Grilling—summer wouldn’t be the same without the barbecue, sauce, and you.

H is for Heartfelt—your big heart helping your little humans learn to chop and dice in the kitchen.

I is for Inspiration—trying new dishes, techniques, and really getting into making exceptional food.

J is for Joker—like the time you made a chocolate birthday cake out of foam rubber and laughed hysterically as we tried to cut into it.

K is for Kitchen—cleaning up, putting away, shopping, and paying for it all.

L is for Laughter—for the good times around the table and being a family together.

M is for Meals—tacos, lasagna, pasta, meatloaf, and grilled chicken.

N is for Necessary—shoring up, helping out, going the extra mile again and again.

O is for Oven—for all the delicious cozy weekends.

P is for Pasta—we all know how well you do pasta!

Q is for Quantity—making five gallons of soup or enough rice to feed an army.

R is for Restaurants—thanks for taking us out when you burned dinner for the third time in a row.

S is for Sous Chef—and all your incredible fancy knife skills.

T is for Taste—the sauces, spice mixes, and marinades you make that elevate and make your food so YUMMY!

U is for Useful—thank you for all the practical and useful things you have taught us, especially how to be curious and never give up.

V is for Valor—you rock, Dad!

W is for Washing Dishes—for the thousands of times you just get up from dinner and start cleaning up without complaining, and you always say, “I’m just doing my job.”

X is for Excellence—even if you don’t know how to cook something, you will figure it out and eventually perfect it.

Y is for Yeast—baking bread and having such cool hobbies.

Z is for Zest—that you give to life, food, and us.

Merguez

A spicy sausage from North Africa, particularly Morocco and Algeria. Known for its bold and aromatic blend of spices mixed with ground lamb or beef. You can also try it with pork, turkey or chicken.

Per 10 lbs of ground meat 

Cumin seed: 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

Fennel seed: 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

Coriander seed: 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

Cayenne: 1 tablespoon

Ground cinnamon: 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons

Garlic, minced: Roughly 14 tablespoons

Sea salt (fine): 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

Olive oil: 1 cup

Fresh mint: 1 ¼ cups

Fresh cilantro: 1 cup

Paprika: 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

Per pound of ground meat 

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 t fennel seed

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or hotter if wanted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt fine (real salt)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh mint or 1 t dried

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ t citric acid

Dry roast whole seeds, grind. Combine with other spices. Add fresh finely minced garlic, fresh herbs, use fine sea salt (REAL salt) Use extra virgin olive oil.

Harissa

Makes about 1½ cups

Here’s my mild version of the fiery and aromatic chili paste that is a staple in North African cooking. It’s versatile and can be used in everything from marinades to soups and stews.

4 dried ancho chilies

1 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoons coriander seeds

¾ teaspoon caraway seeds

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cayenne or to taste

⅔ cup garlic infused olive oil (recipe follows)

A few tablespoons chili soaking water 

Cover the chilies with boiling water and allow them to soften for 30 minutes. Remove the stems and seeds. You’ll use some of the water when you blend the sauce.

Toast the whole spices and grind them in a spice grinder.

Add all the ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. 

Chermoula

Makes 1½ cups

1 cup (packed) parsley chopped (leaves and tender stems)

1 cup (packed) cilantro, chopped (leaves and tender stems)

½ cup mint leaves, chopped 

1 teaspoon toasted and freshly ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon toasted and freshly ground cumin seeds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice and zest of one medium lemon

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or more if needed)

Toast the spices and grind.

Using a food processor or blender, add the garlic and pulse until fine.

Add the other ingredients and pulse until smooth but with some texture. The sauce will keep refrigerated for 1 to 2 weeks.

Berbere Spice Mix

Makes 1 cup

Berbere is a cornerstone of Ethiopian cuisine. This recipe tempers the traditional heat. It’s a versatile blend for various dishes, from lentil stew (Misr Wot) to chicken stew (Doro Wat), and even as a seasoning for popcorn. Starting with whole spices and grinding them yourself is an extraordinarily sensual experience.

4 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon whole allspice

12 green cardamom pods

8 whole cloves

2 large dried pasilla chilies, toasted, with seeds

6 tablespoons paprika

1 whole nutmeg, ground

2 teaspoons dried ginger root

1 cinnamon stick

combine all the spices except the paprika. Use a mortar and pestle to break up the cinnamon stick and nutmeg before toasting. Toast over medium heat on a griddle. Stir until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder and sift.

Next, prepare the chilies by breaking them into small pieces. Discard the stems but keep the seeds. Toast the chilies until fragrant, about 4 minutes over medium heat. It’s important to do this in a ventilated area to avoid irritation from the chili fumes. Grind the toasted chilies, including the seeds or without. The seeds will increase the heat! Use a fine-mesh strainer to sift them.

In a mixing bowl, combine the paprika, ground chilies and spices.

Store your Berbere Spice Mix in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 3 months.