Today: Tom tells tales of his grandmother's epic Sunday Dinners, with a full menu of Pan Fried Red Snapper with Tarragon Tartar Sauce, Sautéed Zucchini with Basil Leaves, and Fresh Herb Potato Salad.

Today: Tom cooks up Lentil Cakes Tikka Masala to end a perfect Father's Day weekend.

We have a tradition for Father's Day weekend. A few years back, we started going to my brother's cabin in the woods -- a little Walden, really, pond and all. We go with another family: a high school buddy of mine, his wife, and their three daughters.

Today: Tom muses on the raw materials of the kitchen and why he cooks over a plate of Ham-Cured Goose Legs with Butter-Poached Peas and Carrots.

Just the other day, my dad was leaning against the fence watching the chickens do what chickens do while I knelt nearby, weeding some rogue arugula out from around the grapes. All the while, we engaged in a round of small talk.

Soon enough, the conversation turned to the chickens.

Today: Tom gets into a tight spot with some bees -- but makes the most of his situation with a honey granola tart.

"Crazy-drive, dad, crazy-drive," both girls yell in unison from the back seat of the car.

So in the soft yellow light of a warm spring morning, I do. I weave the car back and forth, fishtailing and tossing gravel from the drive into the tall prairie grass all the way up to the bus stop. If it wasn't so fun, it would be an offense to the quiet of first light.

Today: Tom tells us about the two little reasons he will always garden.

It all starts with peas, well, at least for us it did. It really is that simple.

It is late in the day when I walk around from the back of the house after I finish cutting the grass. What I see is Vivian, standing at the edge of the pea patch, eating, and eating, pea after perfectly sugary and ripe pea. The intensity in her little blue eyes and the smile on her lips says it all.

Tom pens an achingly beautiful letter to one of his culinary heroes, Jacques Pépin.

From his first day of culinary school to his family dinner table, Tom muses on bread baking.