What Dad Cooked is a collection of our dad’s recipes, thoughts, tips and cooking hacks that simply need to be shared with all you foodies!

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Seasonal Favourites

Some delicious seasonal summer family recipes to choose from the What Dad Cooked repertoire.

Artichoke & Tomato Pappardelle

‘Quite literally Dad’s signature dish…’

Melanzane Parmigiana with Dolmio 7 Vegetables Sun Ripened Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

An excellent way to turn a popular Italian slow food standard into an easy and quicker family classic.

Panelle (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters) with Lemon Basil Flowers

A Sicilian specialty made with chickpea flour. I’ve made my variety using lemon-scented basil flowers from Casanova and Daughters of Covent Garden.

Lemon Posset, Summer Berries and Almond Shortbread

‘If you love puddings… Give this simple summer pudding recipe a go!’

Latest recipes

Check out Dad's latest homecooked dishes and recipes below. Or click recipes in the menu to browse through 6+ years of Dad's homecooking recipes for families.

Cassoulet de Toulouse à la Pappa

A perfect winter warmer – Cassoulet!

The Laughing Cow Lightest Loaded Quesadilla

Try Dad’s loaded low-fat salsa quesadillas with The Laughing Cow Lightest x8 cheese.

Melanzane Parmigiana with Dolmio 7 Vegetables Sun Ripened Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

An excellent way to turn a popular Italian slow food standard into an easy and quicker family classic.

Pumpkin Pie

My best pumpkin pie yet!

Asaparagus

A seasonal favourite ingredient of Dad's, so much so he made a 30 recipe series about the green spears! Try these recipes whilst asparagus can still be found locally.

Asparagus Summer Roll

Asian asparagus salad in a rice paper wrap – not your usual way with asparagus – but well worth the effort.

Asparagus Spring Roll

Spring rolls never fail to impress or delight. These rolls are designed to celebrate the asparagus season and although they taste deliciously Asian, you really can taste the asparagus. It works a treat.

Asparagus and Cheese Pastry Parcels

Three asparagus and pastry recipes. Choose from goats cheese and spinach, Taleggio and mushroom, or Gruyère. All are quite simple and ideal for a light lunch or supper – or make in advance for a party or a picnic.

Asparagus Vignarola

This is an Italian stew made from spring vegetables including artichokes, broad beans, peas.

Dad's Food Journal

Dad loves to write about food. Whether it's discovering a new road local to London or Surrey, where the treasures of foodie stores and independent shops delight—or Dad's macro observations in the world of food. Dad's articles (and foodie stories to his recipes) are a funny and knowledgable journey through the lense of how pops views the world.

How Many People will a Salmon Feed?

It’s a Friday and Darren Poulter, the fishmonger is plying his wares: ‘Lovely wild sea bass today, beautiful Cornish mackerel, line caught cod….’

Sweet Corn Memories

Growing up in Southern California in the 60s, our family was fussy about its corn…

Part One: What is Thanksgiving?

I am an American but I moved to the UK with my family when I was in my mid-teens. We have celebrated Thanksgiving here every year since. It’s a tradition that we keep alive with WDC’s extended family and friends…

Why You Must Walk Down Lower Marsh

Tucked beside the tracks of Waterloo is one of the capital’s most interesting little places. Lower Marsh is full of unassuming gems worth checking out.



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