Father's Day

When I was nine years old, my parents told me it would be fun if I made them breakfast in bed every Sunday. I was such a geek, I didn't know they were pulling a Tom Sawyer on me.

At first I practiced with something easy--scrambled eggs. I worked up to over-easy eggs and was very proud when I could plate the eggs without breaking or overcooking the yolk. My sister, Barbara, didn't like to cook. She could be coaxed into helping me with some of the prep, but she wasn't happy about it.

In time my mother felt I was ready to take on the El Dorado of breakfasts: an omelet. The first time I had one, I thought it was so great. The outer crispness contrasted with the custard-softness on the inside.

My mom taught me to use a big pat of butter to prevent the omelet from sticking to the pan. She made savory fillings, using a tasty piece of sausage, some mushrooms, spinach, and a bit of cheese. At times she'd switch gears and put something sweet inside, like fresh strawberries she'd cooked down into a compote.

For Father's Day one year she showed me how to make my dad's favorite filling: crisp bacon, sauteed potatoes, and cheddar cheese. Because he had an Eastern European sweet tooth, he liked his bacon dusted with sugar.

My father got me laid – twice. I’ll get to the food part in a minute.

The first was a cute, spunky doctor who worked with him in his Radiology department in a VA Hospital on Long Island. She told me she was in Los Angeles and my father had told her to call me. She added, laughing, ”Like for a good time.”

"Come on up", I said, "I’m in Benedict Canyon.  I’ll make you dinner." We bonded on my living room couch. Later, in the early hours of the morning I thought, “Gee, thanks, Dad.  A nice present.  And, it was my first doctor.”

The food. Growing up in a tiny town in upstate New York there weren’t any restaurants, just a luncheonette where if you asked for an egg salad sandwich the owner began by boiling an egg. The River Tavern Bar and Grill had a bar and no grill but in the summer you could get a pizza pie and in the winter they would defrost one for you.

What better way to celebrate summer and your Dad than by making him something delicious on his special day. It may be hard to keep him away from the grill, but mix up his favorite, refreshing cocktail, sit him in front of the game and get to work. He'll be impressed. We just know it!

STARTERS:
Warm and Creamy Bacon Dip
Baked Crab and Almond Dip
Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Dip
Crispy Corn Fritters
Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
Taleggio-Stuffed Mushrooms

MAINS:
Charlie's Blackened Catfish
Lobster Tacos and Mango Salsa
Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon
Pomegranate Barbecue Ribs
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
The Best Grilled Chicken
Spicy Garlic Chicken Kabobs
Marinated Citrus Grilled Beef
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Surf and Turf Sizzle

SIDES:
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Corn and Okra Salad
Baby Bell Peppers with Feta and Mint
Grilled Radicchio with Canellini Beans
Mini Loaded Red Potatoes
Roasted Radish & Potato Salad
Beer Bread
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

COCKTAILS:
The Bootleg | Greyhound | Long Island Iced Tea | Mojito | Old Fashioned | Watermelon Falls

EASY DESSERTS: (You'll be too busy to bake.)
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake "Cake" | Icebox Cake | No-Bake Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake
Dark Chocolate Espresso Pudding | Strawberry Charlotte Russe | Pomegranate Granita

"This intense flavorful rub is great for any type of steak, but I prefer rib eye for barbecuing. This recipe is for indoor cooking, but you can also cook them on a charcoal or gas grill over high heat. Be sure and let the steaks rest before carving – I usually throw some olive coated vegetables (such as zucchini or asparagus coated with olive oil, sea salt and pepper) on the grill after I remove the steaks."

Coffee Rubbed Grilled Rib Eye Steaks

3 tablespoons finely ground espresso
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Spanish sweet paprika
1½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 bone-in or boneless rib-eye steaks, 2-inches thick, approximately 1 1/2 pounds each
Canola or olive oil
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F and adjust oven rack to center position. Combine all spices in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat a cast iron grill pan over high heat.

Brush each side of the steak with oil and then season each side liberally with salt and pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the coffee rub onto 1 side of each steak. Cook the steak, rub side down until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the steak over, cook for 2 minutes and then transfer to a baking sheet and cook in the oven to medium-rare doneness, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

– Recipe courtesy of Cook Like James