Praised by food writer Florence Fabricant in "The New York Times" as "" One of the best primers ever published, " " "Dad's Own Cookbook" is still the perfect guide for every single dad facing new responsibilities in the kitchen, or married dad who has to step up to the plate . and serve it. As Jim Harrison wrote in Esquire, it is "" an extraordinary cookbook. Sloan covers all the basics . in admirable recipes that are a pleasure to eat. If I had had this book 20 years ago, I could have saved myself a river of frustration in the kitchen." " "Dad's Own Cookbook" is one-stop shopping, from how to hold a knife, to 150 absolutely terrific recipes. Bob Sloan, who began as a self-taught cook and is a professional chef and caterer, knows intimately how to navigate a kitchen-- and he covers it all: tools, techniques, ingredients, shopping, timing, and getting a meal on the table, whether a weeknight meat loaf for the kids or a weekend dinner party.

He tells dad how to select the choicest meats and freshest fish; how to read a recipe; why to heat a pan before saute eing the food; and how to organize it all into dinner (or breakfast, or lunch, or pizza night, or Thanksgiving). There are quick lessons on the microwave, the grill, the food processor; tips on everything from chopping to steaming; wine and cheese primers; the four basic potatoes and eight ways to prepare them; perfect lunchbox sandwiches and treats; and throwing the perfect birthday party for a child. And, of course, not just the how of cooking, but the what: Dad's Official Meat Loaf, Cajun Baked Salmon, Stuffed Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese, Caesar Salad, Lamb Shish Kebab, Jambalayawith Shrimp and Chicken, Puffed Pancake, Steak Fajitas, Dad's Own Apple Pie, Chocolate Pudding. It's time to make Dad the new hero of the kitchen.