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At the end of the day, men aren’t all that complicated. Whether it be your husband, brother, or even your dad, men are simple creatures with fairly simple tastes. With that in mind, when trying to figure out what to cook or buy for the man in your life this Father’s Day, the less you try, the happier he just might be.
We all struggle with gift giving at various times in our life and Father’s Day is just one more opportunity during the calendar year for us to unravel the mystery of finding the perfect gift. There is the old-school grandfather who seems impossible to please. Or the grandfather who has seen and done it all so what gift could you possibly give that had never been done a hundred times before? Or the worst, the father who asks for nothing more than your love when you ask for a little insight on gift giving, which certainly does little to point you in the right direction.
The nice thing about gifting food and drink, or making dinner for that special dad in your life, is that food never goes out of style. You need to eat and drink every day so you know it is something he will use. And eating brings people together, so a gift of food is essentially a gift of time well spent together. No matter how hard to shop for your father, there is some food or drink out there, simple and special, to fill the needs of every one of his tastes.
Old School
If we are lucky, we all have a grandfather or father who can tell great stories that begin “I remember when…” If those stories involve tales of the Great Depression, chances are you might have an Old School patriarch to please. It is easy to mistake this type for being crotchety or even ornery as he returns your gifts of books or leaves gift certificates unused a year after they have been given.
But before you write off this dear old man, consider that perhaps you are just trying too hard. This time-capsule of American history deserves a classic all-American lunch date this Father’s Day. If he is anything like my grandfather, who falls in this category, nothing would make him happier than a lunch for two (preferably at your house or his, as restaurants tend to be too noisy) with a spread of BLT sandwiches and Budweiser… in the can. Trust me, nothing like a good American beer and an old school sandwich to win over the heart of one Old School grandfather.
The Man Who Has Everything
It is not so much that the father- or grandfather-who-has-everything would not appreciate a gift, it is just that his worldly experience most likely exceeds your own and more possessions are not really what he needs at this point in his life. Not unlike the Old School grandfather, what means more to him than anything is most likely time spent together. And although this man has likely had the privilege of decanting expensive wines and dining in places where tables are set with more forks than you have in your silverware drawer, probably nothing would be as satisfying as the bottle you bring and the meal you cook.
I have a grandfather who lives in California wine country, and for all the fancy bottles of wine he has had in his life, little gets him more excited than the $9 a bottle find that he stumbles upon. And for all the fancy dinners, little seems to make him happier than the occasions where the family is together and cooking in his kitchen. When I have the chance to cook for him one-on-one, I know that all my fancy French cooking school techniques wouldn’t mean a thing next to a simple plate of sausage and pepper pasta.
As for my own father, lucky for me, he is possibly the easiest man to please. A man of the world, he is as happy with $6 bottle of no-name red from Trader Joe’s as a $90 bottle of Napa Valley cabernet, as long as we are drinking it together. Keeping it simple, from a cold Budweiser to a plate of pasta, is just the recipe for a Father’s Day present that the most hard to shop for dad will love any day of the year.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/712-fathers-day-gifts/
Simple-y Perfect Father's Day
We all struggle with gift giving at various times in our life and Father’s Day is just one more opportunity during the calendar year for us to unravel the mystery of finding the perfect gift. There is the old-school grandfather who seems impossible to please. Or the grandfather who has seen and done it all so what gift could you possibly give that had never been done a hundred times before? Or the worst, the father who asks for nothing more than your love when you ask for a little insight on gift giving, which certainly does little to point you in the right direction.
The nice thing about gifting food and drink, or making dinner for that special dad in your life, is that food never goes out of style. You need to eat and drink every day so you know it is something he will use. And eating brings people together, so a gift of food is essentially a gift of time well spent together. No matter how hard to shop for your father, there is some food or drink out there, simple and special, to fill the needs of every one of his tastes.
Old School
If we are lucky, we all have a grandfather or father who can tell great stories that begin “I remember when…” If those stories involve tales of the Great Depression, chances are you might have an Old School patriarch to please. It is easy to mistake this type for being crotchety or even ornery as he returns your gifts of books or leaves gift certificates unused a year after they have been given.
But before you write off this dear old man, consider that perhaps you are just trying too hard. This time-capsule of American history deserves a classic all-American lunch date this Father’s Day. If he is anything like my grandfather, who falls in this category, nothing would make him happier than a lunch for two (preferably at your house or his, as restaurants tend to be too noisy) with a spread of BLT sandwiches and Budweiser… in the can. Trust me, nothing like a good American beer and an old school sandwich to win over the heart of one Old School grandfather.
The Man Who Has Everything
It is not so much that the father- or grandfather-who-has-everything would not appreciate a gift, it is just that his worldly experience most likely exceeds your own and more possessions are not really what he needs at this point in his life. Not unlike the Old School grandfather, what means more to him than anything is most likely time spent together. And although this man has likely had the privilege of decanting expensive wines and dining in places where tables are set with more forks than you have in your silverware drawer, probably nothing would be as satisfying as the bottle you bring and the meal you cook.
I have a grandfather who lives in California wine country, and for all the fancy bottles of wine he has had in his life, little gets him more excited than the $9 a bottle find that he stumbles upon. And for all the fancy dinners, little seems to make him happier than the occasions where the family is together and cooking in his kitchen. When I have the chance to cook for him one-on-one, I know that all my fancy French cooking school techniques wouldn’t mean a thing next to a simple plate of sausage and pepper pasta.
As for my own father, lucky for me, he is possibly the easiest man to please. A man of the world, he is as happy with $6 bottle of no-name red from Trader Joe’s as a $90 bottle of Napa Valley cabernet, as long as we are drinking it together. Keeping it simple, from a cold Budweiser to a plate of pasta, is just the recipe for a Father’s Day present that the most hard to shop for dad will love any day of the year.
Penne with Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers
Made with crushed red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, penne pasta, salt, olive oil, hot Italian sausage, onion, garlic, canned whole roasted red peppers
Made with crushed red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, penne pasta, salt, olive oil, hot Italian sausage, onion, garlic, canned whole roasted red peppers
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 pound penne pasta
- salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/4 pound hot Italian sausage
- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 canned whole roasted red peppers
- 1 small zucchini
- 1/2 yellow squash
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water heavily until it tastes like the ocean. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, slice sausages into 1 inch pieces. Heat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium high heat. Add sausage pieces and saute for a few minutes until fat begins to render. Slice onion thinly into 1/4-inch pieces and add to sausage.
Mince garlic. Slice roasted peppers into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Slice zucchini and squash in half lengthwise then crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Add garlic to onions once onions begin to soften. Saute for two minutes then add peppers, zucchini and squash. Saute for about 3 minutes until peppers are heated through and zucchini and squash are cooked. Drain pasta once cooked and add to pan with cooked vegetables and peppers.
Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/712-fathers-day-gifts/