For the past two or three years (it's been so long that I lost track), I've been working on "Man with a Pan: Culinary Adventures of Fathers who Cook for their Families." The book is a recipe and essay collection featuring contributions from the likes of Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, Mark Kurlansky, Stephen King, and Jim Harrison, as well as interviews with a fireman, a high-school guidance counselor, an economist, a bond trader, a carpenter, and other working dads who tend the stove. It has cartoons, too.

Creating the book has been one of the most challenging and gratifying things I've ever done. I'm hoping that it will inspire many more fathers to pick up the spatula and start enjoying time in the kitchen. The collection will be available on May 17, and just the other day I received my galley proofs. I was so excited to see its cover that I had to share it. Click here to learn more about the book on Amazon; they're discounting pre-orders.