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:
Matt Griffin, executive chef and managing partner of Simon & The Whale
"My dad taught me to improvise in the kitchen. My dad's favorite dish is linguini with clams and he would attempt a recipe from a celebrated cookbook author. The recipe required the pasta and fresh clams to be placed together in a foil-wrapped pan and baked and I remember it working once. I also remember an occasion where some of the clams hadn't opened and the pasta was fully cooked.
