Anne BralyThinking about Father's Day, I'm fondly remembering my father's attempts at cooking. Toasting bread and lathering it with blackberry jam or pouring milk over a bowl of Cheerios were about the extent of his culinary skills. But did he ever love to eat and never failed to appreciate even a marginally fair meal. How he ever maintained a slender frame throughout most of his life I will never know.
There were four things he disliked, though: pineapple, coconut, dill pickles and Coca-Cola. I remember that, throughout my childhood, I was told to try everything on my plate, and he would watch as I choked down liver, rutabagas, turnips and mincemeat pie - the four things I disdain.
By the time I was in my mid-teens, I'd had enough, so I made him a plate of dill pickles, chunks of pineapple and added a Mounds bar for good measure - the only coconut we had in the house since Momma loved them. I set the plate and an ice-filled glass of Coke in front of him and, after a silent, 30-second staredown between us, he picked up his fork, cut the pickle into bite-sized pieces and unwrapped the candy bar, then ate every bite and washed it down with the Coke.
I don't know who won the battle that day. Actually, I'd call it a draw. He never had another soda, nor did he eat another dill pickle or bite of pineapple or knowingly ever eat any more coconut. And I never had to eat another bite of liver, rutabaga, turnip or mincemeat.
But there were also three things he loved above all others: shrimp, pasta and curry powder. Combine all three, and he was putty in your hands.
The year before my dad's death, we ate out every Wednesday night. Just him, Momma died the year before. And I would cook for him a few times a month. I remember marveling at the fact that, at the age of 85, he still ate like a young man. While other parts of his body were beginning to fail, there was nothing wrong with his appetite.
I'll never forget the last meal I made for him and the smile on his face. He ate a huge plateful and went back for seconds, never knowing that coconut was part of the mix. I couldn't resist.
Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. I hope you know what an important role you play in our lives. And here's the last recipe I made for my father.
Curry Shrimp Over Pasta
Rice is usually the bed of choice for this creamy, flavorful curry sauce, but pasta adds a nice change of texture and flavor.
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds large, raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 medium tomato, diced
Juice from 1 lime
Hot sauce, optional
Penne pasta, cooked al dente
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning them over halfway through, until fully cooked. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and stir to cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the curry powder over the onions and continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Add honey, salt and lime juice; allow the sauce to heat until a gentle simmer. Add shrimp and diced tomatoes into the sauce, tossing to coat, and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste the sauce, adjust the seasonings, lime juice and honey, if needed. Add hot sauce, if desired. Serve shrimp and sauce over pasta.
Note: This dish is equally good made with chicken and served over rice for a more economical meal.
Give a buck, save a buck
That's what Subway sandwich shops are offering in support of Children's Hospital at Erlanger. Through the end of June, local stores are offering $1 off your footlong sandwich at your next visit if you donate $1 or more at check-out. All funds raised will support the Believe Campaign to build phase one of the new Children's Hospital.
"This new Children's Outpatient Center will serve as the gateway to our entire new hospital and will be able to serve 100,000 children from our region annually," says Rebecca Brinkley, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals director, in a news release.
There are nearly 100 Subway locations in the metro Chattanooga area that are participating in the fundraiser.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.