Almost to the point of being creepy, this entire blog has been an homage to my mom.  There have been constant references to her recipes, her ways of doing things, her sense of timing, style and organization. My dad, on the other hand, has been ignored.  Uncredited.  But my dad certainly deserves a shout out for his culinary influences.  After all, I grew up with Thai food, plenty of pot stickers and hot & sour soup, sushi, Mexican and all things spicy because those were the foods my dad thought worthy of dining out for.  Furthermore, we got to have ‘fun dinners’ like popcorn, cheese and apples due to my dad’s lack of cooking skills, which taught me that it’s okay to mix things up.  In fact, mixing things up is the best.  And, more importantly, my dad has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, so without him, I wouldn’t have made my love of food into a job I love.  Thanks Dad!!  Even though I wasn’t with my dad this Father’s Day, I did plan a manly menu to celebrate the holiday.  Burgers and beer-battered onion rings seemed just right.  Plating the assembled burgers alongside family style sides elevated the everyday BBQ experience.  For the burger, I used Thomas Keller’s beef blend ( 1.5 parts beef sirloin to 3/4 parts each beef brisket and beef chuck) and kept the accoutrement All-American: lettuce, tomato, raw onion, dill pickles and a thousand island ketchup-mayo hybrid.  Other ‘man food’ highlights: jalapeno poppers, pulled pork sliders & BLT stuffed cherry tomatoes.  And for dessert, what is more fatherly than using Dad’s root beer for floats?  I followed some recipes to a T for this menu so I’ve linked to a few below…the macaroni salad is an enjoyable must-try!  Happy Father’s Day to dads everywhere and to mine–the greatest dad of all.