GraemeIn honor of Father’s Day, we’re featuring an honorary Mother of the Month (M.O.M.); a dad who cooks for his family regularly.

Portland resident Graeme Parkin was born in Dunfries, Scotland while on a family vacation visiting an uncle.  His mom went into labor early and gave birth at the nearest hospital.  He grew up in Lytham St. Annes, in northern England. Although not wealthy, his family loved to travel. While their vacations were not luxurious, they were exotic and adventurous. Trips to India, Borneo, Egypt and Kenya were spent immersing themselves in other cultures with special attention devoted to the food in each destination. They skipped the fancy restaurants for those out-of-the-way places that served authentic food.

Graeme’s dad is a fabulous cook who loves to prepare foods from around the globe. He even built a tandoor in his home kitchen! Graeme’s mom is the dessert maker in the family, renowned for her trifle. Graeme’s repertoire of recipes is drawn from his family’s home cooking, their travels and the meals served throughout his school years.  His school food was much better than the standard fare, and he fondly remembers such favorites as steak and kidney pie, a very good shepherd’s pie and an amazing apple crumble.  As Graeme would tell it, the seniors often got to the desserts first and left only the scraps for the younger set.

Following his family’s passion for good food he has cultivated his own set of personal bests in both American and international dishes. Being a stay-at-home dad to daughter Lucy while his wife travels for business, Graeme is free to continue to enhance his cooking repertoire with some pretty spectacular meals. We hope you enjoy some of his traditional English favorites this month.

 

M.O.M. Menu

Lunch

Fish & Chips

fresh cod, beer-battered and fried, served with house-made french fries, tartar sauce & coleslaw

Dinner

Cottage Pie

“painted hills” natural ground beef sautéed with onions, tomatoes, herbs & spices, topped with mashed potatoes & parmesan cheese & baked until bubbly, served with a side of seasonal vegetables

Fish & Chips

fresh cod, beer-battered and fried, served with house-made french fries, tartar sauce & coleslaw

Dessert

Bread & Butter Pudding

bread soaked & baked in a custard cream, served warm with rum crème anglaise & caramel sauce

Special Beer

Double Mountain “Hop Lava” IPA

Graeme is a big fan of IPA’s and this one from Hood River rocks!

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