Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋
ANNOUNCEMENT: We had an upset! For the first time in years, Conor did not find the Christmas pickle hidden in our tree. Instead, the winner's title and prize went to my sister, Reilly.
*Raucous Applause*
The holidays can be a bit of a frenetic time and I love the chaotic energy of rushing around to events and family parties. This year, of course, we did not get that. The most holiday chaos in 2020 was receiving packages and wrapping them secretly before your family members found them on the porch step first. I have never run to the doorbell with such urgency in my life. I miss seeing people for sure. I might as well take the time offered, though, to be grateful for quiet nights at home. There has to be a silver lining somewhere, right? On one such low-key evening, my mom prepared these scrumptious sandwiches.
As far as cocktail hour goes, my mom prefers when I put my hard seltzer in a glass, rather than just drinking it out of the can. As a result, it looks like I am at the kid's table, drinking water out of a wine glass, but it tastes like Sprite with a kick.
This week I am sharing a delicious, light dinner that helps when coming down from the holiday sugar rush, without sacrificing any flavor.
Here is the recipe! My mom roasted the peppers the evening before and soaked them over night in the capers and brine. This made assembly on the next night a snap. Slice the ciabatta in half, slather on the goat cheese, and top with the pepper mixture, red onions, and fresh basil.
Active cook time was devoted to making homemade fries. My mom cut a potato into thick wedges, fried the wedges up in peanut oil, and sprinkled them with sea salt for a simple yet decadent side. These fries proved it is somehow possible to be both.
The sandwiches were, as Nathan Lane says in The Bird Cage, "a triumph!" All of the capers fell out of my dad's sandwich, but he maintained that they were his favorite part. Shannon was all for the fresh basil she had provided from her herb garden, and I concede the basil added a vital cool flavor to the briney pepper mixture, which was phenomenal in its own right. Taken as a whole, I was in love, but best of all for me was the goat cheese. That really should not come as a surprise, I am such a sucker for cheese. One day I am going to meet a goat and tell them how much I love their work. The cheese's creaminess went so well with the flavors and textures of all the other ingredients. I was in heaven.
After dinner, we all watched Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which I cannot recommend enough. If you have Netflix, please watch. The acting was incredible, the characters were so strong, the story was very moving, and it was just amazing all around. If you have seen the glowing reviews of Chadwick Boseman's and Viola Davis's performances, know that they are completely accurate. You can tell the film was originally a play by the cadence of the script, but I am so glad they made it into a film. I, personally, think it is Oscar-worthy.
In other news, Reilly taught my parents how to floss and dab. They are doing quite well, don't you think?
I hope you all have a fabulous New Year's Eve, running out of 2020 in high (COVID-safe) style! See you all on the other side.
XX,
MK