Lawson I and Lawson II with Robert (top and bottom photos)
Father’s Day offers me a chance to reflect. Daddy was one cool dude! I feel like I channel him in various way as I go through each day. His quirks, the things he would say and some of his habits I realize I have acquired.
One thing I have not exactly taken on is how much he loved coffee. I enjoy coffee when I wake up each day. Beyond that, I rarely drink any caffeinated beverages. Daddy had his own habits, or preferences you could say. He drank coffee each and every day at 5am and at 5pm. This schedule did not diminish no matter the circumstance, his location at the time or whether or not he was at home.
When he served in the Georgia General Assembly, his hotel bathroom served as his personal barista parlor. There you would find a Bunn coffee system, mugs, Folgers coffee, sugar and half and half. He travelled with a small cooler for transporting half and half. This prevented him from traveling by air for many of his trips.
He passed away in 1994 when i was 27 years old. The coffee craze from the Pacific Northwest had not yet found it’s way to South Georgia. I can only imagine that he would not like coffee from establishments like Starbucks. He probably would not have wanted to order a latte, frappé or any of the specialty coffee beverages many people enjoy today.
In honor of Father's Day, I have included a recipe for Lemon Chiffon Pie. It is one of my favorite desserts Mama made, and I'm quite certain it was served to the family on Father's Day.
Lemon Chiffon Pie
1 baked 9” pie shell
1 ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup cold water
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup heavy cream, whipped
Separate eggs and allow whites to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before beginning. Combine gelatin and ⅓ cup of sugar. In double boiler top, beat egg yolks well; stir in lemon juice, lemon rind and water followed by gelatin/sugar mixture. Cook over boiling water, stirring, 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and place over large bowl filled with ice water to cool.. Place egg whites in glass or metal bowl and beat with salt until fairly stiff. Gradually add ½ cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff. Fold in lemon mixture. Fold chiffon mixture into pie shell and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, spread whipped cream on top. You can sweeten the whipped cream with the remaining sugar, to taste.