Cooking inspiration from My Daddy Cooks

Jun 20, 2011 by cafebebemama

Back in January of 2010, Ella and I attended a lovely blogging event where we were to learn how to make a proper pancake. One of the bloggers we were supposed to meet at that event was Nick Coffer of My Daddy Cooks. Unfortunately Nick was unwell that day but I thought I would Google the My Daddy Cooks site to find out just who this guy was. Perusing Nick’s site I was most disappointed that I hadn’t met him that day!

Nick and his son Archie are the stars of My Daddy Cooks where they tackle family friendly recipes together in their eeny-meeny kitchen with, almost always, outstanding results. Archie is adorable, the recipes are tasty and user-friendly and the site is an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience. Eventually I did meet Nick (and Archie) and have been friends with Nick ever since. I can say, “I knew him when…”

You see, Nick is becoming quite the media darling. His site went viral within months of hitting the blogosphere, he negotiated a book deal, secured a radio show on BBC Three Counties and, just last month,  My Daddy Cooks was published for the great wide world to enjoy! Ella and I were fortunate enough, as we’re friends of Nick’s, to be invited to a Book Celebration at Fire & Stone, Covent Garden at the end of May along with some of the other lovely bloggers who have supported Nick along the way.

Ella got to make a pizza of her very own along with the other very happy children and we all got to take home Nick’s GORGEOUS cookbook to add to our kitchens. I dove into the cookbook when we arrived back at home (I just love to READ cookbooks) and was so very impressed with what Nick has created. The recipes are do-able and family-friendly (your kids can cook right along with you just like Nick and Archie), the book itself is beautiful with heart-warming pictures and lovely stories to accompany and support the recipes and the book itself lies FLAT when you open it to any page which helps immensely when cooking in the kitchen.

We’ve had the pleasure of cooking and eating the Sloppy Joes recipe (for which I have awarded Nick honorary American citizenship), the Crispy Duck pancakes, the Fruity Popovers and Breakfast Pikelets which have become regular favourites in our house. Today (Father’s Day), I decided to give the FAMOUS Muddy Flourless Chocolate Cake a go to accompany the roast beef dinner at the inlaws in celebration of Father’s Day. Many of you know that I can’t eat gluten so any recipe that is flourless is a winner in my book. The recipe was pretty straightforward and I have decided, after enjoying the results, that it will become my claim to fame. GORGEOUS is barely enough to express how delightful this cake is. For this reason alone, GET THE COOKBOOK!

Thank you to Nick and his publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for inviting us to enjoy lunch at Fire & Stone, Covent Garden and for the lovely goody bag including the My Daddy Cooks cookbook. We will be using Nick’s cookbook (and his site) for years to come. You will LOVE cooking these fabulous family recipes with your children which are sure to become regulars in your menu planning.