daddy diddums

I just wanted to say that today is the 61st birthday of my wonderful father. He is a great cook and, just like his own father, is more than happy to get into the kitchen and create a feast.

As a kid some of my favourites were chilli con carne, sloppy joes, fluffy American pancakes and sauerkraut & pork chops (a family legacy).

I'll never forget the time (I was about 5yrs old) when he showed me how Vikings ate by tearing the meat from a lamb chop with his teeth then throwing the bones over his shoulder onto the kitchen floor. Mum was not impressed but I thought it was fantastic.

Needless to say I'm glad my own Viking is a little more well-mannered, and not so keen on meat.

As an adult, nothing beats a lazy afternoon in Dad's backyard as he fires up the BBQ and grills long racks of pork ribs that he marinated in huge vats of his own "rib sauce". Everyone gets their own tea towel and we tuck in greedily, getting sauce from ear to ear. When we've nibbled the meat from each rib bone, we have competitions throwing the bones into plastic bins from great distances.

Happy Birthday Dad!