My Father’s Daughter, published in 2011, is a heart-felt tribute to a much loved parent. It includes tasty recipes, anecdotes and family photos.
This article was originally published in 2014.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook My Father’s Daughter was published in the UK as ‘Notes from My Kitchen Table’, but I purchased an American copy of the book in 2011 as the US title ‘My Father’s Daughter’ really resonated with me. Having lost my own Dad four years before in 2007, I really identified with the idea of writing something as a tribute to someone she loved so much. When I bought the book I did not know that I would later have a chance to meet Gwyneth in person at an event in London in 2014. She was a genuinely lovely lady who really took the time to chat with everyone, and she very kindly signed my copy of the book for me as well.
A Review of My Father’s Daughter
The book is written from the heart and laid out in a very organised way. The recipes are interspersed with personal stories and memories. There are little icons by each recipe to help you see its key features, for example ‘one pot’, ‘dress up meal’ or ‘quick’ as well as ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’. There are also notes on some recipes to help ‘Make it Vegan’ or ‘Make it Kid Friendly’.Any of the recipes I have tried have been a success.
While some of the shots in the book are definitely posed, many are intimate family photographs and include one of the last pictures taken of Gwyneth and her late father.
My Favourite Recipes from My Father’s Daughter
Two of my favourite recipes are Bruce Paltrow’s World-Famous Pancakes (pictured at the top of this post) and Spaghetti Limone Parmegiiano, which I adapted to make Spaghetti Primavera al Limone.
Gwyneth’s Dad’s pancakes really are fabulous, although I confess I still like my family recipe for pancakes the best. Bruce adapted his recipe from The Joy of Cooking and they really are foolproof – even if, like me, you sometimes skip the step of leaving the batter to rest overnight. I do use Canadian maple syrup instead of the Vermont maple syrup that is called for, but then again, I am Canadian!
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Other Cookbooks
At the time of updating this post, actor Gwyneth Paltrow has written five cookbooks. I own all five, and like them all, but I think My Father’s Daughter is the best of the five. I definitely cook from it more than the others. Gwyneth also blogs at her website GOOP.
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