Many of us grew up with our moms leading the way in the kitchen. Shopping, cooking, dishes… they were all mom’s territory. Thinking back, though, my dad was the silent partner in the deal. His tastes helped form our menus and no one ever nabbed the liver in mom’s stuffing; we knew that belonged to pop. He helped steer the ship and kept us all on course.
Linda Dalton of Stoughton, MA recalls her own dad rolling up his sleeves and making a special clam chowder for the family. That recipe lives on, as do her fond memories.
“This [recipe] is a family favorite that conjurs up memories of my father and summers visiting relatives on the Coney Island Boardwalk as a kid. After a full day of activities, we’d sip red chowder from paper cups then I’d conk out in the back seat of my parent’s Studebaker on the ride home to Long Island.”
The recipe, appropriately nicknamed Ye Olde Daddy’s Clam Chowder, has evolved a bit over the years to accommodate changes in diet and the availability of certain ingredients, but at its core it remains true to the Manhattan Clam Chowder of Linda’s youth – full of rich stock, vibrant tomatoes and tons of seafood goodness.
For Missouri gal Lisa Halsey, it was the opportunity to make something special for her dad that lingers fondly in her memory.
“My Dad called me just before his 75th birthday and asked me to bring a cake to his birthday dinner. Mom had him on a diet and I was under strict orders to not mention that he asked for a cake!”
With a mission as special – and sneaky – as that, Lisa set out to combine her dad’s favorite flavors into an extra special cake recipe.
“He loves chocolate cake and coconut, so I thought if I was taking the wrap for his birthday cake I was going to make it an impressive one!”
Indeed, the cake recipe Lisa created is all out decadence on a platter. For ease, she jazzed up a traditional chocolate cake mix with her own choice ingredients. The result is a super moist chocolate pudding cake layered with butter pecan coconut filling and covered in rich chocolate ganache! We can only imagine how happy Linda’s dad was on his birthday with a treat as sweet and thoughtful as this.
And finally, home cook Rose Mary Mogan helps us remember that wonderful father figures aren’t always related to us by blood.
“My father-in-law was a great cook, and I learned a lot from him,” says Rose Mary. “In my opinion, [he] made the best beef stew I had ever eaten. The flavor is phenomenal, the sauce is thick and rich.”
Rose Mary was the lucky recipient of her father-in-law’s secret recipe, and carries on his cooking tradition to this day. With a base of vibrant V-8 juice cocktail, she layers in fresh veggies, beef and a rich assortment of spices, including thyme, paprika, marjoram and bay.
“I was surprised when he offered to share the recipe with me,” she says. “He has since passed away, and I am so happy [to have it.] Every time I make it for the family, it reminds me of him. I miss him dearly, but many of his recipes live on because he was happy to share them with me. Now I make them for his son, my husband.”
If you’re lucky enough to be with your dad this Father’s Day, don’t hesitate to get creative and give the gift of homemade. And for those of us left only with wonderful memories, raise a glass, bake a cake, heck, simmer up some stew in honor of the legacy these great men have left behind.