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Father Cooks Best

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Some of the country's top chefs reflect on their fathers' cooking:

"I grew up hanging around my dad's truck-stop café in west Texas. He cooked simple Mexican and southern stuff--tacos, tamales and barbecue. Guess what kind of food I cook now: tacos, tamales and barbecue. I just put my own spin on them."
Stephan Pyles, Star Canyon, Dallas

"When I was a kid I spent a lot of time digging for mussels with my dad. He would grill them, then cover them in garlic and butter. It was simple cooking, but it's something I still do in my restaurants."
Mike Fennelly, Mike's on Post, San Francisco

"My family has been making pastries in France for 52 years. But because I was such a brat, my father sent me away to study with the craziest pastry chef in southern France. It took me a while to see the good influence my father had on my life."
François Payard, Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro, New York City

"My father was a Navy chef. One of my best childhood memories is of watching him make tamales and tell old war stories."
John Schenk, Clementine, New York City