Did you know that the word "Dad" dates back to the sixteenth century, or possibly even earlier? It may have originated with the Welsh word "Tad" (meaning father), which later mutated to Dad. The word "Father" is derived from the Old English "Foeder." The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910. In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother's Day. Animals are fathers too! Strangely enough, a father ocean catfish is a true example of a devoted father. He carries the eggs of his young is his mouth until they are ready to be born, which may take up to several weeks. During that time, he cannot eat a thing! Penguins are another good example; Father Penguins keep on their feet in arctic temperatures for sixty days or more to protect his eggs. He hides them on top of his feet, hiding them with feathered flap. Like the catfish, he cannot eat for the duration of his guard of the eggs. There are approximately 66.3 million fathers in the United States. Most of them will be barbequing on Sunday; this is a great recipe for them. SKEWERED LAMB WITH RIOJA RED WINE VINAIGRETTE Yield: 8 appetizer portions RIOJA RED WINE VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS 1 bottle Rioja red wine 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey 1 cup olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper SKEWERED LAMB 4 pound lamb loin, cut into 2-inch cubes 2 heads garlic, peeled and crushed 1 1/2 cups pure olive oil 4 sprigs rosemary 32 roasted pearl onions METHOD To prepare the vinaigrette, in a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat, reduce the wine to 1/4 cup. Place it in a blender with the vinegar, mustard and honey and blend until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using. To make the lamb, soak 8 bamboo skewers 6 inches long in water for 2 hours or overnight. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, rosemary and lamb and let marinate 4-6 hours in the refrigerator. Prepare a grill or broiler. Thread the lamb cubes and roasted onions on the skewers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until rare to medium-rare, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Place the skewers on a serving platter and drizzle the Rioja vinaigrette over them. Wine suggestion A no brainer....classic-styled Rioja goes great with lamb cooked in any manner. For something a little more elegant and refined look for a Rioja labeled "Reserva," which has a couple of years of both bottle and barrel aging. AND FINALLY... A man is waiting for wife to give birth. The doctor comes in and informs the dad that his son was born without torso, arms or legs. The son is just a head! But the dad loves his son and raises him as well as he can, with love and compassion. After 21 years, the son is old enough for his first drink. Dad takes him to the bar and tearfully tells the son he is proud of him. Dad orders up the biggest, strongest drink for his boy. With the entire bar patrons looking on curiously and the bartender shaking his head in disbelief, the boy takes his first sip of alcohol. Swoooop! A torso pops out! The bar is dead silent; then bursts into a whoop of joy. The father, shocked, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant "Take another drink!" The bartender still shakes his head in dismay. Swoooop! Two arms pops out. The bar goes wild. The father, crying and wailing, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant, "Take another drink!" The bartender ignores the whole affair. By now the boy is getting tipsy, and with his new hands he reaches down, grabs his drink and guzzles the last of it. Swoooop! Two legs pop out. The bar is in chaos. The father falls to his knees and tearfully thanks God. The boy stands up on his new legs and stumbles to the left.... then to the right.... right through the front door, into the street, where a truck runs over him and kills him instantly. The bar falls silent. The father moans in grief. The bartender sighs and says, "That boy should have quit while he was a head." HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL CHEF GILLIGAN