Dad's Birthday

There are fewer things in life that I can think of that just beg for good food to be served quite like a special occasion does, particularly a birthday.  It is a time to come together and celebrate the day of the year that someone came into this world, after all.  For my father, it was 92 years ago!  Especially for a man who has lived such a rich and full life as he has, it is always a joy to try and create dishes that will stand out in his memory as something remarkable.

Here is the man of the hour.  We thank God for another year of good health and providing an abundant life of more than enough!  My father is such an interesting man.  Sometimes it feels like he has had 5 previous lifetimes that I will not possibly be able to learn everything about no matter how much I try.  I learn something new from him every time we speak.  He has experienced life in such a way that many others wouldn't.  For example, he remembers the first time that he ever saw the latest and greatest new invention, the oven, but now lives in a world where he can access Wikipedia right at his fingertips on his Mac computer.  He also has a sense of humor that is very specialized.  I have certainly come to appreciate it over the years!

See what I mean? Even on a jar of pasta, he seeks to make somebody chuckle.  Years ago there was a bottle in the pantry labeled:  "Syrup... (Simple, that is)."

This could explain why I can appreciate the goofy sense of humor that my fiancee has.  There are many times that we visit his family, and he and I will be dying of laughter at something he did or said, and everybody else looks at us like we've lost our minds.  Seen here, he looks quite, dare I say, enigmatic?  

...Or he may just have a booger.

This woman who is happily cracking lobster claws is our leading lady, Kathy, Executive Chef and Culinary Genius of Chateau Mahoney for 28 years and running.  For years I stood by her side, peering over the kitchen counter, absorbing as much knowledge from her as I possibly could.  I still learn from her to this day.  She is a natural born teacher.  Even during this eventful time in the kitchen, while I was prepping the French Apple Tarts, she corrected the way in which I was holding the vegetable peeler to the fruit, stating that the other direction is far more efficient.  And you know what?  She was right.

In her ideal world, every man, woman and child would have their own individual lobster.  It would be a Lobstatopia.  This is one of her favorite dishes, because its simple, clean flavors allow the lobster to be the star in the purest sense of the word.  She boils live whole lobsters in water seasoned with lemon, coriander and other seasonings and serves them with drawn garlic butter.

She also prepared Linguine with Fresh Clams in a White Wine Sauce with Mushrooms, Tomato and Onion.  It was delicious and had this rich depth of flavor.  As I tasted this, I had this epiphany that I could study and learn from her for the rest of my life, but the love that she infuses in her food is something I can never achieve.  Yes, I infuse my own love into my food, but my love "tastes different" from hers.  That unlabeled ingredient cannot be bought in any market, and it is so uniquely hers and comes straight from her heart.

Sauteed Asparagus in Garlic Oyster Sauce.  Deliciously savory and robust.

Here was my contribution to the meal.  My mother had tipped me off that a few days prior, my father mentioned a hankering he had for Apple Tart, so they picked up a couple Golden Delicious apples but hadn't done anything with them yet.  Traditionally, one would enjoy birthday cake on their birthday, but today, dad would have his French Apple Tart (recipe).

Around this table are years of memories.  We still create new ones to this day.  Observe Kozzie, the world's most gourmet Shih-Tzu, as he approaches the table to assume his position at the left side of my father.  (My father is left-handed...)

"This is the secret to long life:  Life may be confusing, chaotic and hectic, but we eat damn well."

Time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.  A labor of love.

But of course, when you compliment her meal, she modestly states, "This is nothing!  Everything was so simple."  I still laugh to myself when I think about the time that she met Ricky's mother and sisters, and when asked if she was a good cook, she replied, "I'm okay."  I immediately jumped in to announce that she is being absurdly modest, and that yes, she is one amazingly talented home chef!

It is a Chinese custom to eat fruit after a meal to help aid digestion.  Here she drizzled seedless Watermelon with Honey and freshly squeezed Lemon juice.  It was great!

We had a great time celebrating together.  I find myself counting down the days until the next family birthday.  Ricky and I will both have ours during December.  But before then, there's always Thanksgiving...