My dad turned 60 yesterday. There was no huge birthday bash, no noisy chit-chatter, no feast and no candles. We're a simple family and we celebrated in our small little way - with an apple strudel and a slice of cake from Canele. No cakes came out from my oven this time. Guilt is settling in as I type this.
But I have a valid excuse. Dad has never been the one with a sweet tooth. He's more of a savoury (very heavy-handed with the salt as well, which drives my mum nuts) person and he's into meats. Note to self: bake dad a meat pie next year.
Three slices of apple strudel later, I felt oddly sick but some chocolate tea from TWG helped. Yes, chocolate tea, and I adore it. More about it in another post (yes I will be updating more!).
Chocolate tea, cake and strudel aside, I want to take this chance to thank my Dad for everything he's ever done for the family. My dear father is fiercely private (as you can tell from the small birthday do). He is very much a family man. I salute him for the long and odd hours he works. What inspires me most is how he'll lug home bags of groceries ever so often even after work to prepare a meal for the entire household. Sometimes I think I don't thank him enough.
Like I've said many times, to my friends - I love it when Dad cooks. There's always a thick air of excitement as I sprint (almost.) to the kitchen when I smell deliciousness in the air the moment I push open the front door. I also adore the fact that Dad cooks in large quantities. He never stinges. This is one reason why I have such an insatiable appetite. To him, more is always good. Our household never goes hungry.
This is where I tell you about my habit of opening the fridge the moment I come home. It is to see if there's leftovers to bring to work or just food to feed my hungry stomach. These days, a huge pot of beef stew/curry equates to a satisfying packed lunch the next day. My colleagues are very familiar with my Dad's cooking. They've tried his buah keluak, beef stew, and devil's curry among others. I rave about Dad's food all the time, but not without reason. I wish you were able to try some right now. I know you'd agree with me.
So why hasn't he started a food business of his own? He has thought about it (and dabbled with it lightly, a few years ago), but there are just so many limitations. I do wish that I could somehow help with this dream of his. Dad loves to cook and I am pretty sure that he would be more than happy to do it for a living if possible. I've told him many times that I will help him out should he ever decide to dive into this.
As always, most plans are easier said than done. Dad, I believe in your food and I think that it's good enough to warrant an eatery of your own. I hope that a few birthdays from now, we'll be able to celebrate something bigger.
In the mean time, enjoy your 60s! I love you Dad!