Jun 16, 2002 5 min read

One day, in the infinite wisdom only a 6-year-old can possess, I asked my dad why, if there is a Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, there is no Children’s Day. He thought for a minute, smiling down on me, before he gave me a simple answer: “Because every day is a Children’s Day.”

That didn’t exactly satisfy me, but I accepted the answer because daddy said so.

I have a bunch of little memories of things my dad and I used to do when he was working a night shift and we got to spend the day together while my mother was at work, and I wasn’t yet in kindergarten.

Because of my father, I became an Andy Griffith and Bob Newhart aficionado.

I can tell you about Otis the town drunk, Barney’s one bullet and Jerry the orthodontist just as quickly as I can tell you my middle name.

There was also Archie Bunker, who still remains one of my dad’s favorite shows thanks to nightly runs on TV Land.

We spent hours in the afternoon watching these now-classic shows. And, even when I didn’t really get the joke, my dad’s red-faced laugh was enough to make me giggle with him.

He told me stories about his childhood on a daily basis. I loved to hear the tales, and imagined myself in his place.

I know how he used to swim in the creek in Oliver, when one of his friends accidentally pushed the starter in a car and it ran through the garage door, and my personal favorite – when he tried to start a pet zoo and his mother, in no uncertain terms, told him he wouldn’t be keeping the snakes at their house.

My dad, sweetheart that he is, even let me invite the Flintstones over for dinner one night.

I think I washed about 10 paper plates in the bathroom to prepare for their visit before he stopped me.

We had great times. And in with the fun, my dad taught me some pretty important things too.

He taught me that it’s important to have pride in your work, and that everyone – from a company CEO to a homeless person – is equally important. Most importantly, he taught me that it’s perfectly ok to have a soft heart.

I have trouble with that last one some times. When you spend your days in a courthouse, writing about killers and child abusers, a soft heart is replaced by callused cynicism.

Thankfully, I have a great example every time I see my father with my 1 1/2-year-old son.

I imagine that how I see him with Gabriel is how he was with me when I was that age. He cares so deeply for my little one that there are times I see tears of emotion sprouting from his eyes.

I have those tears in my eyes now just thinking about all of the love he so freely shares.

And, thanks to my dad, I know it’s ok.

Over the years, the simplicity of childhood fades. I guess through writing today, I re-learned how great that really is.

Thanks, Dad.

Happy Father’s Day. And happy eating.

If you have any questions, comments or recipe column suggestions, please write to me at the Herald-Standard c/o Jennifer Harr, 8-18 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401.

You may also e-mail at jharr@heraldstandard.com.

The following recipes are favorites and sure to please fathers everyday.

SPICY CORNMEAL SHRIMP

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled

1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro

2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I like really spicy foods)

1 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and pepper

Colby cheese

Flour

Vegetable oil

2 freezer bags

Preheat the broiler.

Put flour into one bag, and add in the shrimp to coat. In the other bag, combine the cornmeal, parsley and spices. Dip the flour-dredged shrimp into water, and then toss them into the cornmeal bag. Seal it and shake up the shrimp.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and cook the cornmeal shrimp 2-3 minutes per side.

Add the done shrimp to a dish (don’t layer them), and sprinkle cheese on top. Broil another 5 minutes or so until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Delicious!

Note: This recipe also works with chicken strips.

NUTTY BUTTER STEAK

2, 16 ounces good quality steaks

1/2 stick of butter at room temperature

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Dried rosemary

Roast walnuts under the broiler for 2-3 minutes per side. Make sure to check them constantly so they don’t burn.

Combine butter, garlic, blue cheese, herbs and walnuts in a bowl. Refrigerate until firm.

Season both sides of the steak with salt, pepper and whatever herbs you happen to like.

Everyone prepares steaks differently, but if there is one thing my husband taught me, it’s that 425 degrees is the perfect temperature at which to cook a steak. Since he likes his without a hint of blood (e.g. really well done), I bake his for 20-25 minutes, depending on the cut. I like my steak as raw as possible (maybe one day I’ll publish my Steak Tartar recipe), so I generally do mine for 2-3 minutes. (This works well because by the time I add my steak, the heat from the pan sears the meat immediately.) Put a nice big dollop of butter on each of the steaks when they come out of the oven.