Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

While my Mum did all the cooking in our house, I would have to say that my Dad was the one who reallly taught me how to cook. Once a year, in preparation for Mother's Day, my Dad would start scanning Chinese cookbooks for dishes he could serve at his Mother's Day banquet. He would write himself lists of ingredients, itemizing by butcher, or greengrocer or Asian food market. He would start preparing days ahead, making dumplings and dim sum and what would become fried ice cream balls. His mise en place was exemplary. He was so well prepared that when the magic happened everything was in its place. He never set a foot wrong.

For a man who literally did not cook at any other time during the year he really did demonstrate some serious skill. It was his passion for detail and organization that really pushed me to more complex and higher order food preparation. I couldn't thank him more.