Happy Father's Day

Comedy 70's photo, courtesy of the family photo albums.

I normally avoid non foodie holidays on the blog - if there's no traditional prompt to cook and I can't summon up even a tenuous link to cooking or food then I tend to let them pass me by. Today is a cleaning and baking day; banana bread, eccles cakes and some scones - mostly for work, with a side order kept aside for Mark's packed lunches during the week. Truth be told, I'm still in my pyjamas watching the Barefoot Contessa and thinking about the ironing. It'll get done, I just need to get a wriggle on.

But today is Fathers' Day, a day that has, historically passed me by without cause for celebration. Regular readers will know that I lost my dad a few years back, and whilst I am no longer grieving, no longer in that place where the pain of loss is still so sharp that each intake of breath hurts, there is still a noticeable absence. I still have moments where I think "I'll just call and tell Daddy...." and this blog is one of those places where that happens most frequently. Not in a sad way, but in a way where I am sure he would be so proud of my achievements. You see my Dad loved to cook. Both in that typically male - use every utensil in the house, man the BBQ - kind of way, but also midweek pasta dishes, dippy eggs with soldiers, everything. So today's post whilst recipe free is for my Dad, who is my inspiration in the kitchen, who had no fear as to whether replacing soy with marmite would be tragic or genius, who did the best BBQs and who made my life a better place. I love and miss you every day.