This month's communion was very very different. First of all, a very special diner and guest cook flew out here all the way from Venezuela and owned the execution of two of our courses. She not only provided in-depth chocolate knowledge but also spoiled me rotten, which makes me assert once again that my momma is seriously the best. She came to spend Thanksgiving dinner with me, and since she has been wondering what these Communion dinners are all about, I decided the best would be to host Communion a few days before turkey day so she could see for herself. Second, our rule about having strangers at the table didn't really pan out this time: we were joined by another amazing mother-daughter duo, a significant other, two good friends and a housemate.
The theme was 'thanks' in honor of the coming holiday, but I reckoned no one wanted to eat thanksgiving dinner twice in one week any more than I wanted to cook it. Instead, our menu was comprised of things I love so much I thank God they exist: bread, cheese, broth, pork, fried dough, ice cream, chocolate. Devising the menu was a pretty hard task, not only because I love many things, but also because deciding how to present them and in what order could have easily been overkill.
Our first course was a plate of bread and charcuterie: lightly toasted New York Rye bread with slivers of jamón serrano and picnic ham and slices of a sharp Pecorino Romano and Murcia Drunken Goat. We served them with some wild arugula tossed in olive oil and lemon juice and a couple of meaty Gordal olives. We shared glasses of an Alfonso Jerez Oloroso and tossed around ideas about the word 'thanks': gratitude, graciousness, gracias; appreciation, value, recognition.
Our second course: a brothty soup for the soul and a glass of Vigneto Tsasco Vermentino and some tales of when our soul was thankful. I don't think there is anything better than a cup of warm broth on a cold day, when sick or when indigo blue. (I believe a good hearty broth may just be the cure for almost everything.) Here, my dear friend and diner revealed that her recent precarious health condition has been cleared and that she is 100% healthy. Our glasses raised to celebrate her health and the topic moved to our failing and flailing health care system, our experiences and frustrations and what alternatives can we come up with. If only those in congress could have heard us... But from here on, the prompts on the menu no longer guided our conversation. It was purely organic.
Our third course was an apple cider braised pork shoulder with root vegetables and a glass of Beaujolais. This course proved to be the trickiest of all because though I knew I wanted pork on the menu, I was unsure of how to present it: an herb crusted tenderloin, a braised short ribs ragú, fennel and coriander seed sausages, or bacon?
Our fourth course: donut holes, milk ice cream and a coffee caramel sauce with a glass of Suri Gramella Moscato d'Asti. And this is where my mom shines. When I was in elementary school, every Friday afternoon a grade would hold a sale to gather funds for upcoming trips or projects. The main school hall would be filled with sale stands of lemonade, brownies, cookies, empanadas, and, whenever me or my siblings were involved, doughnuts. They were sure winners not only because fried dough is just irresistible, but because my mom's donuts are simply the best.
So in this course were five of my most favorite things: fried sweet dough coated in sugar, ice cream, coffee and caramel and my mother orchestrating how they all came together. Below is a picture of her hands at work.
Our fifth and final course were bittersweet chocolate truffles made mostly by mom. I had an basic acquaintance with the makings of chocolate, so it was truly enlightening to see her at work. Here we are trying to make the little round balls of heaven.
And here are other things else I am thankful for: Help. Advice. Unconditional love. Sometimes it is really hard to ask for them, even to accept them, but there is something truly heartwarming when someone, especially if it's your own mother, intuitively knows what you need and just steps up to the plate, whether we want it or not. I have to say I was so happy to have her in my home for the holiday and to have shared the intimacy of the kitchen and of the dinner table. ¡Gracias, mami! Here are a happy mom and daughter duo, exhausted after days of cooking, indulging on a dinner out.
I don't know when the next Communion will be. It has proven to be a time and money consuming endeavor that I don't know whether I will be able to continue. It needs to be seriously re-considered and re-designed to be a feasible long-term project. I welcome any suggestions you may have. As I write this, I am in Venezuela, sitting on my mother's kitchen table while the rest of the house sleeps. I am officially on vacation. But, since all the women in my family will gather in the kitchen this holiday season, know I will come back with more stories to share.
¡Felices Pascuas!
The theme was 'thanks' in honor of the coming holiday, but I reckoned no one wanted to eat thanksgiving dinner twice in one week any more than I wanted to cook it. Instead, our menu was comprised of things I love so much I thank God they exist: bread, cheese, broth, pork, fried dough, ice cream, chocolate. Devising the menu was a pretty hard task, not only because I love many things, but also because deciding how to present them and in what order could have easily been overkill.
Our first course was a plate of bread and charcuterie: lightly toasted New York Rye bread with slivers of jamón serrano and picnic ham and slices of a sharp Pecorino Romano and Murcia Drunken Goat. We served them with some wild arugula tossed in olive oil and lemon juice and a couple of meaty Gordal olives. We shared glasses of an Alfonso Jerez Oloroso and tossed around ideas about the word 'thanks': gratitude, graciousness, gracias; appreciation, value, recognition.
Our second course: a brothty soup for the soul and a glass of Vigneto Tsasco Vermentino and some tales of when our soul was thankful. I don't think there is anything better than a cup of warm broth on a cold day, when sick or when indigo blue. (I believe a good hearty broth may just be the cure for almost everything.) Here, my dear friend and diner revealed that her recent precarious health condition has been cleared and that she is 100% healthy. Our glasses raised to celebrate her health and the topic moved to our failing and flailing health care system, our experiences and frustrations and what alternatives can we come up with. If only those in congress could have heard us... But from here on, the prompts on the menu no longer guided our conversation. It was purely organic.
Our third course was an apple cider braised pork shoulder with root vegetables and a glass of Beaujolais. This course proved to be the trickiest of all because though I knew I wanted pork on the menu, I was unsure of how to present it: an herb crusted tenderloin, a braised short ribs ragú, fennel and coriander seed sausages, or bacon?
Our fourth course: donut holes, milk ice cream and a coffee caramel sauce with a glass of Suri Gramella Moscato d'Asti. And this is where my mom shines. When I was in elementary school, every Friday afternoon a grade would hold a sale to gather funds for upcoming trips or projects. The main school hall would be filled with sale stands of lemonade, brownies, cookies, empanadas, and, whenever me or my siblings were involved, doughnuts. They were sure winners not only because fried dough is just irresistible, but because my mom's donuts are simply the best.
So in this course were five of my most favorite things: fried sweet dough coated in sugar, ice cream, coffee and caramel and my mother orchestrating how they all came together. Below is a picture of her hands at work.
Our fifth and final course were bittersweet chocolate truffles made mostly by mom. I had an basic acquaintance with the makings of chocolate, so it was truly enlightening to see her at work. Here we are trying to make the little round balls of heaven.
And here are other things else I am thankful for: Help. Advice. Unconditional love. Sometimes it is really hard to ask for them, even to accept them, but there is something truly heartwarming when someone, especially if it's your own mother, intuitively knows what you need and just steps up to the plate, whether we want it or not. I have to say I was so happy to have her in my home for the holiday and to have shared the intimacy of the kitchen and of the dinner table. ¡Gracias, mami! Here are a happy mom and daughter duo, exhausted after days of cooking, indulging on a dinner out.
I don't know when the next Communion will be. It has proven to be a time and money consuming endeavor that I don't know whether I will be able to continue. It needs to be seriously re-considered and re-designed to be a feasible long-term project. I welcome any suggestions you may have. As I write this, I am in Venezuela, sitting on my mother's kitchen table while the rest of the house sleeps. I am officially on vacation. But, since all the women in my family will gather in the kitchen this holiday season, know I will come back with more stories to share.
¡Felices Pascuas!
2 comments:
Please continue with this wonderful event, Ale! I loved every minute of it! I love your mamma, too! What an amazing woman. Please give her another kiss for me. My scarf makes me absolutely glow when I wear it!
Your cooking is a wonder and I'm still thinking about the fried dough, too! I loved the theme, too. I'm incredibly grateful at this time of my life and can't believe how lucky I am. It was so timely for me. Having Clare there just reinforced that for me.
My suggestions is to ask people to bring a specific bottle of wine! It MUST NOT be a financial loss to you. That defeats the purpose. In a restaurant I would pay $70. for what you offered. Just the pairings alone demand that!! People would be glad to bring the wine and you could just tell them exactly what to pick up and just tell them where to get it.
I would also open it up to friends bringing friends. Jacqueline wants to come to the next one and I want to go to it, too! That's an evening I wouldn't want to miss. Intimacy amongst strangers can still be explored, even if not everyone is a stranger. You already create a place of safety and trust, so it's easy to let any conversation flow.
I think your idea is a winner. Please don't stop. Do at least one more time!!
terry, i like your idea of a friend bringing a friend, but i'm afraid that people will just talk to their date, or, that they will shy away from truly sharing because they have a friend there. i dunno, i just like the element of anonymity. or maybe i just need to get over it. i will definitely do it again....maybe around valentine's day? a love theme would be clichéd, but any thoughts?
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