my dad was born in rural Wisconsin back in '36. All bias aside, then man could cook circles around everyone of you and your families. I shit you not. He learned what tasted like shit from the Navy but it also helped him find was was amazing and different from his travels in that Submarine. He spent time in SEA with the Ford Foundation in the 60's and his "work" kept him traveling all over North America. Wisconsin State Journal came to house and did a story about his Chinese cooking, meals were planned and executed around the writings of James Beard and Craig Claiborne. He would drive out of his way to find small restaurants and markets and make friends with the proprietors and learn new shit from them. I won't ever order sweet & sour pork anywhere because its just crap everywhere and not like how dad made it. Same for Ratatouille. He traveled 2 to 3 days a week, and. loved it when he was home because I missed him but also because of the food he'd make, sometime friend tofu, always made in the garage in one of the plug in electric fryers or I;d find dough rising on the counter for homemade pizza, always thing crispy crust.
Ice Cream...he made a mean homemade ice cream, usually it went into a float. We most him in '88 and I still see him on my mind in the kitchen, apron on.