I started cooking in college to escape the repetitive food in the dining hall. After school, cooking became a way to save money on food, but I really fell in love with it when my wife—then my girlfriend—gave me my first smoker.

Since then, I’ve watched countless hours of Food Network, experimented with more recipes than I can remember, and learned a lot of lessons along the way—some from other cooks, and plenty from figuring out what worked (and what didn’t) in my own kitchen.

I’m not a professional chef. I’m just a guy who loves cooking and making really good food at home. And that’s what What Ross Cooks is all about.

You’ll find a little bit of everything here because my tastes are pretty eclectic. Some recipes are designed to get dinner on the table in about 45 minutes on a weeknight. Others are projects worth spending a whole Saturday on. You’ll find game-day food, date-night dinners, family favorites, and plenty of recipes that start with something familiar and add my own spin.

I’m also a dad to an elementary-school-aged daughter, so I know a little bit about getting kids to try new foods. We have a rule in our house: you don’t have to eat something you don’t like, but you do have to take a “Thank You Bite.” It’s led to her trying—and actually liking—some foods I never expected her to eat.

So you’ll find plenty of kid-approved recipes here, too, along with ideas for introducing kids to something a little different than the usual chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.

At the end of the day, I want to help answer one question: What’s for dinner tonight?