Father Of The Chef

Simoneink's chefs express the meaning of being a Dad, just in time for Fathers Day

We may all be in agreement that a child's first word is "mom," but it is the father who cultivates a heroic image for both sons and daughters. Mom may know best, but dad gets the last word. He helps you slough off the scrapes from your first fall from your bike and gets the rules down for your first official date with opposite sex. And for some reason, the father often turns out to be the best cook in the house on Fathers Day - although in previous generations he was not often regarded as the household culinary expert any other time of the year, with the possible exception of carving the holiday turkey. Hmmm! A few chefs at simoneink shed light on the fact that their dads could cook -- perhaps unconsciously steering them to hone their skills and make it a career.

Executive Chef Chris Clime - PassionFish (Virginia)
My Fathers Day tradition with Dad is having Eggs Benedict and drinking 'Half and Half' Bloody Marys (1/2 Vodka, 1/2 Spicy Mary) - when I reached legal drinking age, of course. We cooked together when I was younger, and now, for the last 20 years tradition stands firm and now it is grandpa, my son and daughter, and me at the stove. Recently, I've been teaching my son how to cook... working on the one and only sauce- Hollandaise. I've learned that if you get that right you're off to a good start.

Chef/Owner David Guas - Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery (Virginia)
My father is big on the pit! He smokes and cooks almost everything on his grill, using only charcoal - never gas. With a father and grandfather born in Havana, the meat of choice was some form of Marinated Pork and Hot Peppers for added pep in your bite. Because of this paternal prejudice, I myself grill only with natural charcoal, and I grill pretty much everything, when I'm cooking at home. I have begun to share that tradition with my boys, telling them that good things take time, and waiting 10 extra minutes for your charcoal to gray (vs. flipping a switch on a gas grill) is worth it.

Executive Chef Brian Katz - Red Fish Grill (New Orleans)
Quite honestly, I always seem to be working on Fathers Day. But in my family, the kids always cook breakfast in bed for Dad - first my brother and me, and now, my own kids. At first, it's a battle of personal will, having to listen to the strange sounds and smells emanating from the kitchen, and suppressing the innate urge of a chef to go and help. But in my eyes, or to my palate, anything they do will automatically be good. It doesn't hurt that they're using my wife's family recipes-homemade Cinnamon and Orange Rolls. Traditionally, they served it on Christmas morning, but we have now adapted it for Father's Day because as my oldest son, Jackson, says: "The rolls are too good to eat only once a year."

Executive Chef Greg Rhoad - Aurora Inn and E.B Morgan House (Finger Lakes)
Back when I was a kid, it was not much of a holiday for my father and grandfather, 'cause they still had to do all the work: Steaming the Crabs. I can see now why they never minded the cooking, as that's clearly where all the fun is, anyway. As a chef at the Aurora Inn, this is the busiest time of the year, so I can't leave for Fathers Day. So, seven years ago we solved the problem by bringing my tradition to the lakeside lawn. We began by inviting a few friends, but now it's ballooned to over a hundred dads and their families from all over the region coming out to enjoy St. Louis-Style Ribs, Cornell BBQ Chicken, Fire-Roasted Sirloin on the grill, Corn on the Cob, lots of games, great Jazz, and of course, free beer for all of the dads! This way I still get to do what I love on Fathers Day, while givi