David Nayfeld’s Cookbook Isn’t Trying to Impress You—It’s Trying to Help

8 Minute read

07 Aug 2025

Journalist

The Che Fico chef’s debut book is part memoir, part meal plan, and full of recipes designed to survive real-life chaos.

David Nayfeld says it plainly: “Nothing means anything if it’s not personal. Nothing will ever become anything of worth or greatness if you can’t become vulnerable.”

The San Francisco–based chef behind Che Fico, Che Fico Parco Menlo, Che Fico Pizzeria, Bubbelah, and the soon to open Via Aurelia (his new concept opening this Fall), Nayfeld is known for his ingredient-driven cooking, straight-talking personality, and deep roots in both Italian and Jewish food traditions. His first cookbook, Dad, What’s for Dinner, began with a simple idea: sharing a few systems and strategies for streamlining family meals during the early pandemic, when so many parents were suddenly overwhelmed. But as life unraveled—his relationship ended, custody battles began, and time with his daughter became something he had to fight for—the project evolved. The result is a book that’s as emotional as it is practical, a guide that speaks not just to dads, but to anyone trying to feed someone they love while holding their own life together.

Dad, What’s for Dinner is a practical cookbook with a pulse. It’s filled with family-style recipes that favor repetition over reinvention—meatballs, spaghetti, turkey chili, cutlets, and soups that are meant to be cooked often, not just admired. Nayfeld, along with co-writer Joshua David Stein, writes with clarity and just enough edge, peppering his headnotes with wry commentary and no-nonsense advice. The tone is equal parts home-cook and chef-dad, grounded in real life and geared toward anyone trying to get food on the table without losing their mind.

The book didn’t begin as a memoir. As Nayfeld explained in an interview, “All my friends were complaining about cooking nonstop... and I felt like I could probably share a few tips to make the whole thing easier.” That idea—born in the early days of the pandemic, while his restaurants were shuttered and he was caring full-time for his daughter—was the seed. But after separating from her mother and entering what became a drawn-out custody process, the book shifted. “A few months into the process, the dynamic of the book started to change for me,” he said. “I didn’t have all my daughter’s time... I was responsible for feeding her dinner and then dropping her off. And I was also going to court, often, to talk about all of this in front of a room full of strangers. It was humbling and sometimes humiliating.”

David and Helena cooking stressed out pancakes. Credit: Eric Wolfinger

David and Helena making fresh pasta. Credit: Eric Wolfinger

Much of the book’s value lies in its simplicity. It’s not about reinventing the wheel—it’s about giving people tools that work. “I think people are timid and not very thoughtful when it comes to meal planning,” Nayfeld said. “But it’s the same concept as training. You don’t want to mess up and make a bad decision when you’re hungry, so you prep for success.” That means grilling a few pounds of chicken, cutting it into cutlets, and turning it into dinner for days: tacos, pasta, salad, whatever’s fast. “Same thing with soup,” he added. “Get a big pot. Bigger than you think you need. Make a huge batch, and it becomes lunches, dinners, care packages. Label it. Freeze it. Know what it is.” The book’s voice echoes that mindset—clear, practical, and focused on making home cooking less daunting.

While the book isn’t exclusively for dads, it speaks directly to them in ways most cookbooks don’t. “Everything in our culture makes dads look like idiots,” Nayfeld said. “The sitcom dad’s always the one who can’t do anything. But that’s not what I see. I see dads who love their kids to fucking pieces and want to be great.” Part of Nayfeld’s mission is to offer a manual for those fathers—the ones who want to help but were never taught how. “Nobody ever talked to dad about food,” he said. “This is a guidebook. It’s me saying, hey guys, I know you want this—here’s how.”

Among the book’s most memorable recipes are the ones that carry emotional weight. Spaghetti and meatballs is the house favorite, “Everyone helps. Everyone gets their hands dirty. It’s fun, it’s tactile, and no one’s ever like, ‘Oh, spaghetti and meatballs,’” he said. The Jewish mother’s chicken soup is another standout, a protective, nurturing dish Nayfeld makes when his daughter is sick or the people around her need a boost. But the most evocative flavor memory in the book belongs to tomatoes. He describes a moment from childhood when his father, holding a sun-warmed tomato at a roadside farm stand, bit into it like an apple and urged him to do the same. “The juices just rushed into my palate… I didn’t realize it was going to taste like fruit.” That sensory shock turned into reverence. “I wait all year for the perfect tomato. When it comes, I pause and really enjoy it.”

Nayfeld isn’t trying to be prescriptive. There’s no manifesto here—just one dad offering what he’s learned, in and out of the kitchen. The recipes work because they’re rooted in repetition and need. The stories resonate because they’re told without filter. Whether you’re a parent trying to feed a family, a caregiver learning on the fly, or just someone looking for a little more structure at dinnertime, this book meets you where you are—and hands you a knife, a tomato, and a plan.

Dad, What’s for Dinner isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. It’s about showing up, even when the schedule is impossible, even when dinner’s on the fly, even when you’re figuring it out as you go. Nayfeld has given readers more than recipes; he’s given them permission. To cook simply. To mess up. To love through food. And to do it all without needing to be asked.

The Chef

David Nayfeld is the executive chef and co-owner of Che Fico in San Francisco, where he merges California’s seasonal bounty with Italian traditions and his family’s Jewish-Roman roots. With a pedigree honed in Michelin-starred kitchens and a passion for community advocacy, Nayfeld’s approach blends bold flavors, refined techniques, and a deep sense of purpose.

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