Hope you’ve got your calendar marked for this coming Sunday – it’s Father’s Day. Have you ever wondered about the origins of this holiday?

The idea for creating a special day to honor dads began in Spokane, Wash., when a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd was in church listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day back in 1909. Sonora’s mother had passed away and she had been raised by her dad, Henry Jackson Smart.

Sonora wanted him to know how grateful she was for all he had done for her, and wanted him to be recognized for his courage, wisdom, and love. His birthday was in June so his daughter chose that month to hold the first Father’s Day Celebration on June 19, 1910.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

My husband thinks he has the best job ever since he retired from Duke Engineering, married me (10 years ago last week!) and assumed his new “career” as my official taste tester.

Now here is a gentleman who takes his job very seriously. He is always willing to be my sous chef if I let him lick all the bowls and utensils: a win-win situation in my book. And oh yes, did I mention he does dishes, too? What a guy.

So because we’ll be traveling on Father’s Day and then on vacation for a few weeks, we celebrated a little early. Peter chose one of his favorite breakfasts to start the day and his evening meal choice, “4 Napkin Barbecued Baby Back Ribs.”

I’ve included a few other of his faves that you might enjoy preparing. Happy Father’s Day to my dear husband and all the other wonderful men in this world who are called dad!

Breakfast biscuits and gravy

Better known as the “gut bomb breakfast” in my house!

• 1/2 lb. uncooked bulk sausage (I use Jimmy Dean brand)
• 2 Tbsp. butter 
• 4 Tbsp. all purpose flour 
• 3 cups cold milk 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook sausage in a large skillet set over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Measure out the remaining fat in the skillet, you should have about 2 Tbsp. Add the 2 Tbsp. butter stirring until melted.

Sprinkle the flour into the hot fat a little at a time, whisking constantly. Cook and whisk for 3 minutes. Slowly start adding the cold milk a little at a time, still whisking constantly. When all the milk has been incorporated, add reserved cooked sausage and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over hot, split buttermilk biscuits, either purchased or home made.

Bacon-wrapped cherry pepper poppers

These hors d’oeuvres are so simple to make and can be made ahead of time. They are perfect to serve with your favorite cocktail and the recipe can be doubled or tripled if you’re entertaining a larger group.

• 6 jarred hot cherry peppers, halved through the stem, seeded, drained and patted dry
• 1/3 cup cream cheese with chives, softened
• 12 thin slices of good quality bacon

Stuff each cherry pepper half with a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese and wrap with a slice of bacon; secure closed with a toothpick.

Arrange the stuffed peppers in a large ovenproof skillet and cook 10-12 minutes over moderate heat, turning, until the bacon is browned. Transfer skillet to a preheated 350°F oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Serve warm. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Four napkin barbecued baby back ribs

Pre-cooking in the oven insures a wonderful tender, fall off the bone rib with lots of finger lickin’ sauce.

For the sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)

For the ribs:

• 4 lbs. baby back ribs, silver skin removed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the sauce: Combine ketchup, vinegar, corn syrup, sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and hot pepper sauce in a small saucepan set over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for 30-35 minutes or until thickened.

Brush both sides of the baby back pork ribs with BBQ sauce and place in a single layer in a large roasting pan. (Reserve any unused sauce.) Cover pan tightly with foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven 1-1/2 hours. Remove ribs from pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill over medium heat brushing with remaining sauce, for 4-5 minutes per side or just until slightly charred. Yield: 6 servings.

Corn and black bean salad

This tasty (and colorful) salad goes particularly well with grilled chicken or pork.

For the salad:

• 1 can (15-1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
• About 15 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and diced

For the dressing:

• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1-1/2 tsp. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the salad, combine corn, black beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and garlic in a medium salad bowl. (Do not add avocado yet.)

To prepare the dressing, combine sugar, vinegar, oil, lime juice, salt, cumin and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Pour over salad, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Remove from fridge and add diced avocado and toss again. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Cheddar biscuits

These are simple to prepare and can also be frozen and reheated. Great to have on hand for a quick accompaniment to soup or chowder, too.

For the biscuit dough:

• 2 cups buttermilk baking mix (like Bisquick) 
• 2/3 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

For the topping:

• 4 Tbsp. butter 
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

To prepare the biscuit dough: Combine Bisquick with milk and shredded cheese in a medium bowl. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon just until a stiff dough forms. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking pan and bake in a preheated 450°F oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

To prepare the topping: Combine butter and garlic powder in a small saucepan set over low heat until butter is melted. Brush hot biscuits with the garlic/butter mixture and serve at once. Yield: 10 biscuits.

Mixed berry crisp

Use any combo of frozen fruit that you like; just be sure it tallies up to a total of 48 ounces.

• 1-3/4 cups plus 1/3 cup all purpose flour, divided use
• 2-1/2 cups sugar, divided use
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 14 Tbsp. (1-3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 (16 oz.) bag frozen unsweetened blueberries, thawed
• 1 (16-oz.) bag frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
• 1 (16-oz.) bag frozen unsweetened blackberries thawed and drained
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. In work bowl of food processor, combine 1-3/4 cups flour with 1-1/4 cups sugar, and the salt and cinnamon and use a couple on/off turns to blend. Add butter a bit at a time, using on/off turns and processing just until moist clumps form. Press half of mixture onto bottom of pan.

Place berries in a large bowl with vanilla, the remaining 1/3 cup flour and 1-1/4 cups sugar. Toss gently until well coated. Spoon over dough in pan and sprinkle with remaining flour/sugar mixture.

Place in a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream. Yield: 10 servings.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.