A really nice thing my dad passed down to all his kids was a love of cooking. My younger brother is a pro chef, and my older brother and I both really like to cook at home. The most important lesson was to always experiment and try new things.

Some of dad's cuisine was indeed questionable; his penchant for eating every meal with a slice of bread, or serving delicious beef stir fry with a side of mashed potato were some of the culinary traits I have thankfully not inherited. He had a great flair for presentation.

He could turn even a simple sandwich with a bowl of soup into a lovely experience that you had to sit and appreciate. He loved chopping vegetables and prep. He was a kitchen porter so he LOVED kitchen gadgets, especially cleaning them. He had a set of colour coded chopping boards

Dad's cooking was at the heart of so many family gatherings and occasions. I think he saw these plastic champagne flutes in the shop in the estate and decided it would be cool on the day of my debs to have them. He brought such a quiet flair to every event.

My dad would be FUMING his blue chopping board was being used for raw veg and not FISH, but I think he'd appreciate my brothers presentation. He HATED barbecue, it stressed him out. Never knew a man more fond of a meat thermometer than dad!

He definitely didn't reduce his food for long enough, but he imparted plenty of great tips on chopping, prepping and fundamentals along with all that presentation. He just *loved* to cook, and he made every meal so memorable.

Dan was a bit surprised to learn that even as adults my family would sit around the table for dinner at the same time. He was also included in it when we visited, and dad was definitely a huge reason we always gathered that way.

Im thankful that as I adjust to life without my dad in it anymore, he left so many wonderful memories and things to bring with me into the future. About fitness, about food and drink, and about living well.

Not mentioned here are dad's greatest food crimes: his mashed potato sandwich, and his inability to cook nice mashed potatoes (he refused to mash them with butter for some reason)