My dad was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. Borderline insane one, he knew all sorts of trivia in a Pre-Internet era. He encouraged me to listen to the Boss, and find my own favorite songs from him.
Dad's favorite album was the River and his favorite song was Hungry Heart. I used to bust his chops about it due to the lyrics. My favorite was, is and probably always will be Darkness on the Edge of Town. Looking back on it, the album is a bit of a travelogue of my life: I'm a Jersey girl by birth and attitude. The Promised Land references Utah, where I spent my teenage years. badlands is about the badlands of South Dakota, where I currently live. It's like a road map of where I've been, set to music.
The man I call my dad really isn't my father. My father had died when I was young, and my mother remarried several years later. My dad is the one who was there to give me advice on boys, clothes and all sorts of life lessons. We would go to the gym together and he encouraged eating healthy. He was one of my biggest cheerleader. We bonded over born in the USA back when.
For fathers day one year, I got tickets to see him live at the Meadowlands. It was with "the other band" (not the e street) but it was still a great show. We had a good time, and it's a great memory.
Unfortunately, cancer robbed my family of my dad, and he died in 1996. There will always be a gaping hole in our family without him. I can't watch certain movies anymore, like it's a wonderful life. I hear certain songs and it hits me in the heart. On the other hand, there are other movies, like Monty Python, that even though I can recite them word for word, I will watch whenever they are on because they remind me of my dad. We used to watch them. a lot.
He's from a different era now, one before the web and laptops. He would have loved my iPhone. Watching the e street band's guitar player as Silvio on the Sopranos would have been cool. The big screen tv to watch his raiders on would be a source of joy. As would his grandson.
There are certain foods that remind me of him to. He made this great lobster bisque and champagne chicken. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Dad's champagne chicken
4 chicken breasts, with a pocket sliced in
1 box stuffing, prepared
1 c sour cream
1 c champagne, divided
1/2 c heavy cream
Pour 1/2 c champagne into a baking pan. Bake chicken breasts in champagne and bake for 30 minutes, turning once. in a saucepan add sour cream, heavy cream and remaining champagne. Stir constantly until smooth.
Stuff breasts with stuffing, pour sauce over chicken.
Serve immediately.
I think my dad would have loved the Rising and I know he'd be rocking out with me to We Take Care of our Own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaE_T1uTaxc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
