A Dash of Love From Dad

Growing up, my dad was the dad who loved to watch cooking shows, buy cookbook after cookbook, turn the garage into a mini-mart for his favorite spices and seasonings, and keep up with the latest news in culinary happenings. Yet my dad probably doesn’t even know where the knives are in my parent’s kitchen. That’s right; mom was the one whipping up the tasty creations in our kitchen every day and coming up with inventive and fun ideas for the dinner table. Don’t get me wrong, dad was extremely helpful and could master the grill, but there was one thing dad would make time and time again that was his staple dish. Goop. I know what you’re thinking, that it’s not even a word let alone a staple dish that you have most likely cooked in your lifetime, but dad came up with this clever name while mastering the art of chili mac one day. Over the years, goop has taken on many forms by altering types of pastas, beans, and seasonings, but goop always filled my belly with happiness and my heart with love because dad made it. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve actually had a big bowl of the mac-a-licious delight, but I’m sure if I requested, he would be more than happy to make it for his daughter. But one thing’s for sure, dad’s hobby of watching cooking shows and collecting cookbooks was probably one of the reasons I became a chef. There isn’t a day that passes that my nose isn’t buried into a cookbook, or I’m watching highlights of the latest shows on the Food Network, or even planning out the week’s meals on my computer. So dad, thank you and I love you!

Goop*

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced (but red pepper if it was on sale)
• 1 Lb extra lean ground beef
• 3 shakes of Mrs. Dash
• 2 shakes of sweet paprika
• 3 shakes of chili powder
• 4 dashes of Worcestershire
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 Lb cooked macaroni noodles (or whatever was on sale at the grocery store that day)

Cook the onion and pepper in a little bit of oil, then add the ground beef and cook that through. Add all the seasonings and tomatoes and let cook for a while. Finish by adding the pasta.

Obviously this batch did not include beans, but I’m sure a can of kidney beans (or whatever was on sale that day) would add some flavor.

*As told by the world’s greatest dad… Jack