I was five years old in 1967 when my dad and I cooked scrambled eggs for dinner, for our family of fourteen.

Dad had dragged a chair from the table to the stove, scooped me up under my armpits with his warm, strong hands, and then plopped me onto the seat of the wobbly wooden chair. I’d held his hairy forearm for support. I could smell the yeasty bread baking in the oven below. He’d set the wooden spoon into the thick liquid, stir it slowly, rest the spoon inside the large pot, reach for the tall, brown bottle that was on the side board, throw back his head and then take a long drink from the bottle. Then he’d take the burning cigarette from the ashtray, tap its ash, take a puff and then put it down. He’d lean in and whisper into my ear, “My little Flintstone,” his nickname for me, or he’d tickle me under the armpit. His warm breath smelled like a blend of dry grass and smoke. We’d giggled together as if we were conspiring to make magic, which is what I’d thought we were doing. He’d repeat the process until the golden liquid turned into a mountain of steamy, fluffy eggs.

I’d forgotten about this snapshot of love until I was standing in The Wooden Spoon restaurant in Marathon, Florida, circa 1990. I was scrambling eggs on a blackened flat-top griddle and watching the Budweiser delivery man push a hand-cart through the front door with three cases of brown, long-neck bottles of Budweiser into the restaurant so that my staff could enjoy an icy, cold beer at the end of the shift.

The only thing missing that day was my dad.

Scrambled Eggs

Serves 2

Break three large eggs or four medium eggs into a small bowl. Use a three tine fork or a whisk and stir the yolks into the whites, about twenty beats. Whip quickly to incorporate air into the whites, but do not over whip. You should see the white and yolk separately. Add fresh cracked black pepper. Set aside.

Heat a nine-inch skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter to the skillet. When the butter has melted, pour the eggs into the skillet, beating them again as you pour. Allow the eggs to set around the edges in the skillet. Use a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula and move the eggs around the skillet, gently lifting and folding them into a fluffy mound. Remove the skillet from the heat just before the eggs have set. They will continue to cook in the skillet. Divide the eggs evenly and plate. Sprinkle with sea salt as if you were giving an air kiss. Serve immediately.