Childhood Memories

Can you imagine being awakened by your Father's cooking when you were a little kid? Well I can, because it actually happened. Picture this- your mother puts you to bed at 8 PM and you're in the deep sleep. That's until your father comes home from work around 11 P.M.

His usual routine was the first turn on the television set in the living room to one of his favorite shows, Columbo. His next move is head on to the kitchen to make himself a little snack. The next thing you know you hear the sizzling of a mini steak hitting the skillet. The intoxicating aroma of beef soon fills the air of the entire house. Then that's when I make my move.

I would run downstairs to the living room where he's eating his steak and watching Columbo. I will beg for a piece of steak and I will be in heaven. That small piece of steak was the delectable. In one bite I can taste the steak grease mixed with the right amount of seasoning salt. If I was lucky, he would give me the piece with the most amount of fat which was my favorite part. My time limit I was about 5 minutes until he sent me back to bed.

Our morning routine was a little different. My father was a coffee lover and it's obvious where I get my love of coffee from. Ever since I was 6 years old, I will catch him drinking a cup of coffee. I'll ask him for Sip and he would let me.

I remember when I was seven years old, and watching way too many Brim coffee commercials, I repeated their catchphrase. By then my father requested that I get my own cup so that he can pour in a little coffee. "Fill it to the rim" I said, and we both broke out in laughter.

The taste of the half and half cream, mixed with sugar and caffeine was a sweet delight. As soon as I put the cup to my nose, the steam and aroma would put me in a trance. By the time I was 13, I started making my own coffee and now I'm an addict.

Although my father is no longer with us, I still remember his culinary tricks. I hate to say it but, he was a better cook than my mother. I used to love the different spices he would cook with. Nothing fancy, but when he made spaghetti, he would mix a little garlic powder in the ground beef, add stewed tomatoes to the sauce and pasta cooked to perfection.

Bon Appetite 🍴

Russell's Late Nite Steak Recipe:

1-T-Bone Steak (3 oz)

1-Teaspoon of Lawry's Seasoned Salt

3-Tablespoons of vegetable oil or butter

1. Arrive home from work around 11 PM and head straight to the kitchen.

2. Pre-heat your skillet with the vegetable oil or butter for 5 minutes.

3. Season both sides of the steak with Lawry's seasoned salt.

4. Sear each side of the steak for 6 minutes each.

5. Take the newly cooked steak in the living room and turn the television on "Columbo."

6. Look out for an child in the household that you accidently wake up with your steak's aroma.

7. Prepare to share a piece of your steak with the hungry child.

Columbo:

Columbo is a shrewd but inelegant blue-collar homicide detective whose trademarks include his rumpled beige raincoat, unassuming demeanor, frequent cigar smoking, old Peugeot 403, unseen wife (whom he mentions regularly), and catchphrase "Just one more thing." His suspects are often affluent members of high society who try to carefully cover their tracks. Initially dismissive of Columbo's circumstantial speech and apparent ineptitude, they become increasingly unsettled as his pestering behavior leads him to tease out incriminating evidence. His relentless approach often leads to self-incrimination or an outright confession by the suspect.

Episodes of Columbo are between 70 and 98 minutes long, and have been broadcast in 44 countries. The 1971 episode "Murder by the Book", directed by Steven Spielberg, was ranked No. 16 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time and in 1999, the magazine ranked Lt. Columbo No. 7 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list. In 2012, the program was chosen as the third-best cop or legal show on Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time. In 2013, TV Guide included it in its list of the 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time and ranked it at #33 on its list of the 60 Best Series. Furthermore, in 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked it No. 57 in the list of 101 Best Written TV Series. (Wikipedia)