Famous Canadian chef and author of over 12 cookbooks, Ted Reader, shares his ideal Father's Day meal (that he cooks!), his favourite things to do with his children, and memories of his father.
What is your ideal Father's Day meal?
I am a steak guy. I love red meat and nothing makes me happier than a thick juicy steak grilled over hardwood charcoal. It is the ideal meal for me for Father's Day. Grilled up rare and served with some fresh local grilled asparagus and a couple of shots of Bourbon and a few icy cold brews and my day is a happy day.
Do you get the day off from the kitchen while your wife and kids do the cooking?
LOL! Not! I'm the one that cooks for me and my family on Father's day. My wife says, "you are the BBQ dude so get to your grills and grill it!" My kids are too young still to hit the hot grills but they do give me a helping hand and to me that is pretty cool.
If you're not in the kitchen on Father's Day -- how do you like to spend your day?
If it's a hot sunny day I hope I am at the beach hanging with my wife and kids. Enjoying the sun, sand and water and a few frosty, cold brews; finishing the day off with a great meal off my grill on the beach!
How do you feel about breakfast in bed?
I think it's a great thing. I've never had breakfast in bed, but it sounds like a delightful thing to do. For breakfast, if my dream comes true, would be a recipe my dad used to make for me as a kid. Soft boiled eggs, nice and runny, spooned over hot buttered toast (toast gets cut up into cubes and put in a beer mug), add some diced crispy bacon and take that spoon and muck it all up in the glass. Add some salt and pepper and a dash or two of Tabasco and I'm one happy camper!
What is your favourite thing to cook or do in the kitchen with your children?
We are a family of food and we all love to eat... anything. Cooking with my kids usually means outdoors. My kids are five and six and once they learn the principles of fire and safety they'll start to grill. But for now my kids help me build, stoke and maintain the fire for the perfect temperature required. My favourites: Burgers cooked on grilling stones, steaks over charcoal, pork shoulder out of the smoker and, lastly, the kids love beer can chicken.
Do you have a favourite memory of celebrating your father when you were a child?
Lots of good memories with my dad on Father's Day. The mucked up eggs were always a favorite but when it came to Father's Day, my dad did the cooking too. He loved to fire up his grill, which by the way was a wheelbarrow filled with charcoal and a shelf from my mom's fridge for the grill grate. He used to take big thick sirloin steaks and marinate them in red wine, black pepper, garlic and rosemary. He would grill it up over the hot coals and slice it thin. Always grilled to a perfect medium rare. My dad was a great griller and it is where I learned my foundation of fire!
Ted's latest cookbook is Gastro Grilling -- 135 gorgeous grilling recipes with over 200 colour photos. A perfect gift for Father's Day! Pair it with a Backyard BBQ gourmet gift basket filled with five of the best small batch condiments for the grill, made by the best artisan food producers across Canada.