My Dad is a different Special!

In the lead up to Father’s Day, we will see the usual touching stories, product offers and a range of other subliminal encouragements. All are totally true, our Fathers play an incredible role, and should be celebrated. With that said, sometimes Dads are different, the expectations challenged and the outcomes surprising.

Let us talk about offbeat Dad’s…

My Dad never played ball with me…not even once. I never fixed a car with him, I did not build anything with him, and to this very day changing plugs can be challenging for me. In holding with his lifetime influence, my Dad bucked trends and stereo types.

My Dad gave me the love for food. Some of my fondest memories are of him and I discussing flavours, textures and colour vibrancy. Although we dabbled a bit in baking, our real passion was in other dishes. We grew our own herbs, because fresh is better…always.

In our house it was Mom calling out…” Honey, is dinner done yet?”, and to give her due credit, she was a damn fine cook too. We would all sit at the dinner table, forks gesticulating wildly, as we analyzed the meal…does it need more salt, more oregano etc…or on the rare occasion ‘This belongs in the bin.’

It is Dad who taught me that ‘we eat with our eyes first’. A simple bit of garnish can change the look dramatically, and just add that final touch. Let us not even get started on our mutual love of all things curry, I still cannot walk past shops that have fresh curry spices on display…the aromas simply draw me in.

To this day, I believe that nothing brings people together like food, it knows no cultural barriers, and it speaks a universal language. Simply, food is the love and appreciation of all the gifts that Nature has bestowed on us.

Thank you, Dad, I still cannot catch a ball, but nobody has ever left my table unsatisfied and often a little misty eyed. You help me make special memories every single day.

Dad you are different, and I love you for it!My