My dad’s not much of a foodie. Well, he likes food, but he’s perfectly fine sitting back and letting the food come to him. So when I started thinking about where to go for food-related Father’s Day gift inspiration there was only one person to do the job–my Uncle Duke. Below, I’ve listed the top five gifts that would make his foodie-heart sing (take note, Zach, Ali, Lindsay, and Mollie!).
1. Knives. I’ve talked about this before and while I argued (and still maintain) that you only need a couple of knives, it’s still fun to have a new one peeking out of the block. As my uncle put it, “While I have many good to great knives, I am always thinking I could use another.” Besides, the point of Father’s Day isn’t to get him something he needs, but something exciting. What’s more exciting than a really sharp piece of metal?
2. Smoker. You may have noticed from reading my posts that I’m not a big meat eater, but according to the stereotype, men can’t get enough. If you want to go all out on your gift this year (or maybe combine it with his birthday, Hannukah, next Father’s Day…) get your grill-loving dad a smoker. “Great for meat of any kind and many cuts, as well as fish, chicken, turkey breasts, etc. Low and slow as they say.”
3. Spices, salts, oils, vinegars, etc. Can it be Father’s Favorite Oldest Daughter’s Day? This is a gift I’d be all over. These are “a great way to change up dishes and make them uniquely ‘yours,’ so they are fun to experiment with and make things more interesting. Some of this can be rather expensive… so [it’s a] splurge that many home cooks may not make for themselves!” If your dad is going to be doing some exotic traveling soon or just got back from a trip, this could be a fun way for him to play with regional dishes.
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4. Enameled cast iron. Some chef’s swear by cast iron and there’s nothing like it for browning meat or making stews. My uncle actually bought himself a ribbed skillet (“making the best [indoor] burgers we’ve ever had”) and a stock pot with a gift card he got for Father’s Day last year (always a good gift!). “Not typically summer items, but I’m glad I now have them in my arsenal!”
5. Wine. “A great bottle of white wine (or two) to enjoy while you are cooking! One of my favorite things to do is spend [an] afternoon cooking while enjoying wine and Aunt Stacey, when I can get her, or a friend.” I think he says it all on that one.
While it can be a stressful time for the children involved, Father’s Day is a great time to get creative and give your dad a special treat. Whether you go for any of these ideas or come up with your own, you better get going–Father’s Day is just around the corner!
