Nothing made me happier than cooking in the kitchen beside my Dad when I was a little girl age 8-12. We would make all my favorites, blueberry pancakes, pizza, biscuits the size of my head, turkey wings and eggplant parmesan. My Dad was a master in the kitchen and I enjoyed watching him mix sauces, taste and add spices. We would make a horrible mess of my Mom’s kitchen but knew that we would achieve the cleanup before she came home….covering every trace of of our culinary fiasco. Of course Mom knew our escapades, but it made her happy to see us bonding.

My Dad was a very strict disciplinarian about everything school, my grades, my time with friends and later boys. But when he was with me in the kitchen, he was my cream puff and we would laugh and taste and laugh some more and eat our creations.

I miss my kitchen time with my Dad. And I miss our phone conversations about food when I got older and moved away from home, then out to California to build my communications and public affairs career. Food was always the glue that kept me and my Dad close. Food kept us both going through the tough times when my Mom got sick and later passed from ovarian cancer.So as we celebrate Father’s Day this month, I celebrate the wonderful memories of my gourmet experiences with my loving Dad. It’s my Dad’s coaching around food that has made me the chef and baker I am today.

Cheers Dad! Or as you used to say “Scold!”