We’ve been enjoying our Bialetti Mini Express espresso maker every day for the last six months. So if you’re looking for a great gift for an espresso-loving dad, check it out.

A no-mess capsule machine with a modest footprint—7.5″ wide x 10.5″ deep—it fits easily onto the kitchen counter. At $149.95 on Amazon.com, it’s much more affordable than other options.

We like the different espresso blends, and decaf is one of the choices (great for that midnight latte!). We also like that:

It’s a gift that keeps on giving every day, at breakfast, after dinner and for a cappuccino or latte in between.

Get creative with your preparation. Although a conventional recipe combines sirloin steak with fried eggs, select from the variety of steak cuts and egg styles to create a signature dish—and name it after Dad.

Add a green vegetable to set off the plate (and the cholesterol), and pick a “signature condiment”: anything from chimichurri sauce or chutney to curried ketchup or homemade wild mushroom and red wine sauce.

START WITH THE STEAK

Sirloin is a popular cut; a petite sirloin makes individual portions easy. But if your budget allows, go for a New York strip or rib eye. You can employ other favorite cuts as well.

A Father’s Day favorite. Swith the homemade potato chips for something green. Photo courtesy Peach Valley Cafe.

DECIDE ON THE EGGS

Fried eggs are popular, and the yolk provides a “sauce” for the steak—as do poached egg yolks. But you can serve any style of eggs that Dad prefers: scrambled, boiled, hard-cooked and sliced, a mushroom omelet, a frittata.

Our signature steak and eggs recipe was inspired by the clever renderings of Chef Thomas Keller (his Oysters and Pearls is a sabayon of pearl tapioca with oysters and sturgeon caviar [caviar eggs are called pearls}):

We designed our steak and eggs as a filet mignon served with boiled potatoes. The top of the potatoes is scooped out (with a small melon baller), filled with crème fraîche and topped with caviar (i.e., the eggs) and garnished with a hard-cooked quail egg, halved and garnished with chive mayonnaise.

Most restaurants serve steak and eggs with a side of hash browns or other potatoes. But the dish needs more of a balance than that provided by a pile of fried beige simple carbs.

So go for something green. We like:

 
FINISH WITH A HERB GARNISH

Nothing picks up a dish better than fresh herbs. Sprinkle your creation with a favorite herb or two: a basil chiffonade, chopped chives, cilantro, parsley or rosemary.

Check out these solid chocolate golf balls from artisan chocolatier Edward Marc.

Clear packaging displays three golf balls atop faux grass, in your choice of dark, milk or white chocolate.

Order at EdwardMarc.com.

Some people we know have given the white chocolate golf balls as wedding favors!

Not into golf?

Give Dad a box of seven chocolate neckties: different designs in Dark Honey Coconut, Milk Peanut Butter Mousse Truffle, Milk Salted Caramel and White Mocha Truffle.

ABOUT EDWARD MARC CHOCOLATIER

Edward Marc has been an artisan chocolate shop since 1914. That year, a young Greek couple arrived in New York City to pursue the American dream. They settled in Pittsburgh, and set up shop making the same delicious handcrafted chocolates they made in Greece.

This young couple—Charlie and Orania—became the great grandparents of today’s owners, as the business was handed down from generation to generation.

The great grandchildren proudly continue the family tradition. We look forward to sampling the specialties of the company’s 100th anniversary next year.

Anton Nocito, proprietor of P&H Soda Co. in Brooklyn, New York, has assembled his techniques and ideas into a new book, Make your Own Soda: Syrup Recipes for All-Natural Pop, Floats, Cocktails, and More.

All you need is a bottle of seltzer or a Sodastream and you’re on your way to becoming a great soda maker—and to enjoying real soda, without ubiquitous artificial colors, flavors and questionable sweeteners. You’ll:

Cherry Lime Rickey. Photo courtesy Make Your Own Soda | Clarkson Potter.

Then, relax with your creations. Natural sodas are vibrantly flavored: the zing of just-squeezed citrus juice, the intensity of ripe berries, the subtle perfume of fresh herbs.

And the ability to customize a drink that’s as sweet (or not) as you like, with conventional or low glycemic sweeteners (we successfully substituted agave nectar for the sugar).

Handmade syrups make all the difference in recipes for all-natural soda pop, floats, cocktails, punches and more: The book has a total of 70 recipes, simple and fun. Beautiful photographs make you want to make every one. This is cookbook that any soda lover will love.

Anthony Nocito is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and was an executive sous chef in the Union Square Hospitality Group. Artisanal soft drinks are obviously one of his passions. They may become one of yours, too.

CHERRY LIME RICKEY RECIPE

To show you how easy it is, here’s a sample recipe from the book. If you remember Brigham’s and Bailey’s casual restaurants in the Boston area, you remember the Raspberry Lime Rickey, as seductive a soft drink as ever graced a soda fountain—brightly colored, sweet and tart, a favorite of kids adults alike. Nocito’s version is a cherry lime rickey—very satisfactory. But you can always make a batch of raspberry syrup and relive the memories.

Ingredients For 1 Drink

 
Preparation

1. FILL a tall glass with ice. Add the lime syrup, lime juice, and citric acid solution.

2. ADD the seltzer, float the cherry syrup on top and garnish with the lime wedge.

LIME SYRUP RECIPE

 
1. BOIL water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the zest and remove the pan from the heat. Steep for at least 1 hour. Let cool.

2. STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.

CHERRY SYRUP RECIPE

 
1. COMBINE cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. STRAIN the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the fruit solids.

3. STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
  

Here’s something fun for Father’s Day: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fried Ice Cream. The recipe is from QVC’s chef, David Venable.

It uses store-bought ice cream. If you’re comfortable with deep frying, this is an easy recipe.

While this recipe uses chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream, you can use whatever flavor you like; and substitute chopped almonds, macadamias, pecans, pistachios, or walnuts for the peanuts.

To make things even easier, you can prepare this recipe a few days in advance, through Step 4.

> National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is June 7th.

> July is National Ice Cream Month; National Ice Cream Day is the third Sunday in July.

> See all the ice cream holidays.

> The history of ice cream.

> The different types of ice cream and other frozen desserts.
 
 
EASY DEEP FRIED ICE CREAM RECIPE
 
Ingredients

cereal,* finely crushed

 
Preparation

1. SPOON out 8 large balls of ice cream onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze for at least 1-1/2 hours.

2. COMBINE the crushed cereal with the crushed peanuts in a large bowl. Dip the chilled ice cream balls in the crumb mixture; refreeze for 45 minutes. Do not discard the crumbs.

3. BEAT the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl. Dip the coated ice cream balls into the eggs and then into the crumb mixture, coating completely. Put the ice cream back onto the sheet pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and freeze it for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate the egg and sugar mixture.

4. REPEAT the coating process again and refreeze for 6 hours, or overnight.

5. PREHEAT a deep fryer to 375°F. Line a plate with paper towels.

6. PLACE one ball into the oil and fry for about 25-35 seconds. Remove from the oil and place on the paper towel-lined plate. Repeat.

7. PLACE each ball on a dessert plate and drizzle it with chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

 
 
_______________

*Cheerios Frosted Whole Grain Oat & Corn Cereal, for example. You can substitute Corn Flakes or Frosted Flakes.

[1] Something special for dessert: fried ice cream (photos #1 and #3 © QVC).

[2] Use any flavor of ice cream you like (photo © Choctal Ice Cream [now closed]).

[3] Fried ice cream ready for its close-up.

[4] Start with purchased chocolate peanut butter ice cream (photo © Talenti).

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