Father often knew best in the kitchen
• "When my dad was a young man, he worked as a fry cook at a diner and learned to make amazing omelets. The ingredients are simple: eggs (either two or three, depending on the appetite), a tablespoon of water and six drops of Tabasco sauce. They are poured thin on a griddle, scrambled gently only until set, then covered with cheese. When the egg mixture is just done, they are rolled up jelly-roll style and served long. There is just something magical about the way he makes his omelets that just can't be duplicated.
"Serving these omelets on Christmas morning is a tradition that has existed as long as I can recall, even now that my dad is 83. They are the most-requested last meal by my nephews before entering the Missionary Training Center to serve an LDS mission, or heading off to boot camp for the Marines.
"My father loves good food, and I learned that when you make food that everyone likes, the family will gather and memories will be made." — Kim Warren, author of "Family Comfort Favorites" (KW Press), and host of KJZZ-TV's "The Home Team"
"After about an hour we finally got the fire to where we wanted it (way too big). Impaling a hot dog on a stick, we wrapped the dough around it and held it over the flames. It ignited immediately, charring the outside and leaving the wiener cold. We ate it anyway. The second attempts were about as successful.
"Then we noticed my dad and the other leader eating a feast: homemade beef stew, French bread baked in a cast-iron frying pan and peach cobbler. I don't know if it was then or after we had eaten their leftovers and were washing their dishes for payment that I decided I was going to learn how to cook and cook well.
"The next trip was a well-thought out and executed meal. Within a year my troop was feeding our leftovers to other boys and getting our dishes done as payment.
"My dad's voice is still in my head: 'Don't sleep where the worms sleep and never, never eat what the worms eat.' His passion for good food and a perfect French omelet definitely headed me in to a culinary career. Cooking for him was one of my greatest joys." — Joseph Davis, executive chef, Baxter's American Restaurant
• "My father never cooked for himself until my mother died. I'm sure you will shudder to think that his favorite meal at age 97 is still Steak and Cow Heel Pie. You buy the cow heel processed (I'm not sure how) covered in jelly (not Jell-O) and you put it into the casserole dish with the steak to braise in the oven. All the marrow comes out of the bone and leaves your lips sticking together with the glue." — Carol Medworth, cooking coordinator and producer of "Good Things Utah"
Recent comments
Have you ever watched the hometeam? Good show. But, kim is not...
kelly p | July 15, 2008 at 9:46 p.m.
Oh, his food was always good, but the flaming cheese sandwiches were...
to Dwight | June 11, 2008 at 3:27 p.m.
My dad cooked for our family after our mother died. There were seven...
Marcia J. | June 11, 2008 at 1:28 p.m.
