Dorothea Vance
Lead Culinary Instructor
About Familydinnernotes
Where dinner ideas become lasting skills
Since 2021, we have taught gourmet cooking techniques to students across 38 countries - from slow cooker recipes perfected over 8 hours to ground beef recipes ready in under 30 minutes. Real kitchens, real results.
A platform built around the table
Familydinnernotes grew from a straightforward frustration: too many cooking courses taught restaurant plating with no regard for a family of 4 eating at 6:30 on a Tuesday. We focus on techniques that fit real life - from a mississippi pot roast that cooks unattended for 9 hours to a tater tot casserole that feeds 6 people for under $14.
Every lesson is written by people who cook at home, not just in test kitchens. Our curriculum covers easy supper ideas alongside more demanding techniques - students move at their own pace through 12 structured modules, each built around a specific method rather than a dish category. Ground beef recipes, for instance, appear across 3 separate modules because the technique shifts dramatically between a quick weeknight skillet and a slow-braised stuffed peppers recipe.
We publish additional material in our archived articles - detailed write-ups on specific techniques, ingredient substitutions, and reader questions that go beyond what fits in a lesson.
The people behind the lessons
Oisín Farrell
Curriculum Designer
