Father's Day 2017

Celebrate Father's Day this Sunday, 3 September 2017 with a special meal and a gift that he likes.

If he's an avid reader, try these books for starters.

Sam's Best Shot

By Dr James Best

Allen and Unwin

This is an inspiring book for anyone whose life has been touched by autism.

Life with a teenage boy on the autism spectrum has its challenges and 14-year-old Sam is a world authority on Harry Potter, but can't get to the corner store on his own.

His parents James Best and Benison O'Reilly decide to think radically to help their son. They sell the family home to finance a six-month-long trip to Africa for James and Sam, in the hope that it will have far-reaching and life-changing results for Sam.
Their plan is to take Sam a long way out of his comfort zone, so that he has to face new challenges and learn to navigate the completely unexpected - and that the exposure of all of these new experiences will help Sam grow emotionally and conversationally to achieve what he hasn't been able to in a familiar environment.
The results were extraordinary and will give hope to many families dealing with autism.
Sam's Best Shot is the moving and entertaining account of the amazing journey James and Sam took through the teeming cities and stunning landscapes of 10 African countries - nerve-wracking and hugely challenging, but also transformative, fulfilling and entertaining. This is a father and son story like no other.
"James Best and his son travel across Africa in the search for nothing other than randomness and unpredictability.

"It presents as a travelogue with autism as a sub-plot but, in fact, it is a divine love story of a father and son who are bound together in the adventure of their lifetime," said Nicole Rogerson, CEO of Autism Awareness Australia.

The Durrells of Corfu

By Michael Haag

Profile Books

Ever since I read My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, in school, I'd wondered what happened to the family after they left Corfu.

The recent TV award winning adaptation, The Durrells, left its 7 million fans with questions: What happened to the family - and what took them to Corfu in the first place?

This book provides the answers.

The TV series is loosely based on Gerald Durrell's Corfu Trilogy, and in particular his much-loved bestseller, My Family and Other Animals.

These books were inspired by actual events experienced by the real-life Durrells.

The family went to Corfu at the urging of Lawrence Durrell, who was already living on the island with his wife, Nancy Myers.

Their intent was to keep the family together as his mother, Louisa, was drinking heavily and recovering from a breakdown.

Michael Haag's book covers the background to the Durrell family's years in Corfu, including their time in India, where all the children were born, and where their father, a brilliant civil engineer, had died.

It recalls the real life characters the Durrells encountered on Corfu, notably the biologist and poet Theodore Stephanides, and the taxi driver, Spiros Halikiopoulos.

The Durrells eventually left Corfu and the book relates what happened to all of them.

Recipe for father's day

Want to cook something special for Dad on Father's Day?

Try this tasty recipe for Vietnamese pork and noodle cakes.

Ingredients

500g lean pork mince

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp fresh chilli

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 carrot, grated

1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped

1 pkt instant noodles, cooked and drained

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sesame seeds

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup Poon Sin Vietnamese dipping sauce

To serve

lettuce leaves, fresh mint, lime wedges

Method

In a large bowl combine the pork mince, ginger, chilli, pepper, carrot, coriander leaves, instant noodles and eggs. Mix well.

Shape the mixture into small patties and sprinkle the cakes with sesame seeds.

Place cakes on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

Fry cakes for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden, remove and drain on absorbent paper.

Serve warm with dipping sauce, lettuce leaves, fresh mint and lime wedges.

Recipe from Australian Pork.