Celebrate Father’s Day with Food and Books
Celebrate Father’s Day with Food and Books
If you’re looking for a special way to honor your dad this Father’s Day, treat him to a yummy meal and a good read. No matter your dad’s favourite meal of the day, you can pair home cooking with an equally satisfying book.
Check out some pairings below, but feel free to make any of them your own by choosing your dad’s favourite foods or interests!
Breakfast and a Brainy Read
Ever since I was little, my family has always enjoyed cooking up big breakfasts on the weekend. The tradition has carried over into adulthood and is especially true on holidays. A personal favourite for our whole clan are homemade breakfast skillets.
There are three main components to tasty breakfast skillets: scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, and sausage gravy. We’ve torn a page from my godfather’s recipe book and make scrambled eggs with everything short of the kitchen sink–the more veggies, the better! Personal favourites include green peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and onions. As for the gravy, my family has a bit of a sweet tooth, so we always try to use maple sausage for a little extra flavour. Serve each plate in a layered fashion: potatoes first, scrambled eggs next, and sausage gravy to top it all off! This is the kind of breakfast that fills you up and it’ll be sure to sustain you for any Father’s Day activities you have planned!
Pair breakfast with a non-fiction book to fill up on historical must-knows or cool, fun facts to share around the table at the next family get-together. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is an interesting read about, well, everything. From Earth’s creation and the onset of civilization to modern-day technologies, Bryson takes readers on an adventure of how we’ve come to be here today. If your dad enjoys learning about history, Bryson will be sure to fill him up on facts that will last him until at least next Father’s Day.
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Lunch and Little Stories
If I’m being honest, my family usually skips lunch on holidays like Father’s Day because we fill up on a breakfast that tides us over until dinner. When we do enjoy lunch together though, one of our favourites is chicken salad on croissants.
It’s easy to make and can be prepared in advance so as little time as possible is spent in the kitchen away from the get-together. Our favourite way to enjoy chicken salad includes walnuts, grapes, apples, and celery. This light lunch is yummy and perfect for a summer celebration like Father’s Day.
Pair a light lunch with short stories! If your dad is not an avid reader or simply doesn’t have the time or attention span to work through a full novel, a collection of short stories can be the perfect read to gift them.
A Place on the Water: An Angler’s Reflections on Home by Jerry Dennis feels like an especially appropriate book to recommend as it reminds me so much of my dad. If your old man is an avid fisherman like mine, these stories will resonate with you and capture your dad’s attention–hook, line, and sinker. In the opening essay, Dennis shares a story about canoeing with his dad as a little boy and beautifully depicts childhood and the experience of growing up. These short stories can be enjoyed whenever, even out of order, and they’ll prove to be both an entertaining and nostalgic read for your dad.
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Dinner and a Hearty Plot
Growing up, my dad was responsible for making our Sunday dinners, and we could always expect some kind of meat and potatoes. To this day, that is still his favourite go-to, so every Father’s Day, we treat him to that combination. This year will be grilled steaks, loaded twice-baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. It’s nothing frilly or fancy, but it’s a good ole hearty meal of meat and potatoes that pleases my dad to no end.
Pair a hearty meal with an equally hearty plot. Beartown by Frederick Backman is in my top five books. It follows the story of a die-hard hockey town (great for sports fan fathers!) that is preparing for their junior ice hockey team to play in the national semi-finals. But when violence strikes and a young girl is left traumatized, the town and its team must reevaluate right and wrong, the price of loyalty, and how the decisions we make shape our lives. Despite the tough topics Backman tackles, Beartown is a book that feels like Sunday supper surrounded by loved ones: fulfilling, comforting, and simply good.
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Dessert and a Sweet Keepsake
Dessert is considered its own meal in my family, and we do not pass it up, particularly on holidays. Though we’re not picky with our sweet tooths, we each have our favourites. While mom and I sway to the chocolatey side of the spectrum, my dad loves a good fruit dessert, so it’s perfect that Father’s Day falls in June.
In Michigan, June is strawberry season, so I’ll attempt to whip up a strawberry pie using my dad’s very own recipe. Though I’m making it for him, I may recruit his help in hopes it turns out just like his. On a day dedicated to celebrating dads, what better way to thank yours and love him well than to spend some quality time with him. Let’s not make dads do all the heavy lifting on their special day, but I’m sure they’d be happy to help and relay some family recipe secrets along the way!
Pair dessert with a sweet keepsake! This suggestion isn’t a book your dad can read but one he can write for you. A while back, I picked up a journal for my dad called My Father’s Life. It’s filled with prompts and organized in chapters from childhood to present day that will help your dad share his life stories with you. It’s a gift that will keep on giving as he reminisces while filling it out and can eventually gift back to you.
Image via Barnes & Noble
Celebrate your dad this Father’s Day by gifting him quality time, good food, and a great read. Have any recipes or book recommendations of your own to share? Tell us here.
Taylor Stawecki is a 20-something Michigander with a love for the great outdoors and written word. She spends her weekdays working for a digital marketing company and as a freelance copywriter. In her free time, you can find her reading, writing poetry, running, watching a Grey’s Anatomy rerun, or spending time with her family and friends. As an old soul, she enjoys collecting salt and pepper shakers and cuddling up in oversized sweaters.
