AI: Holiday Food

So I couldn’t resist a Thanksgiving-related post, but out of a desire not to exclude our non-US readers and have it actually be (hopefully) interesting, let’s talk about food!  I just got finished making a dish my mother asks me to put together for most holiday dinners, ever since I winged it from on-hand ingredients one year.  So I’m going to share my (pseudo) recipe for that below.

What are some of your favorite ‘special occasion’ foods/dishes?  Feel free to share recipes (and/or recommendations!) in the comments.

My dish:  Chilled Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette (vegan-friendly)

(I don’t actually have a written-down recipe for this, so amounts are subject to taste and demand, but the amount I make will usually comfortably feed 6-8 people as a side dish.)

Blanch the asparagus until just tender (submerse in simmering water for ~3 minutes, then drain and fast-cool with ice water to stop the cooking); pat dry and set aside.

For the vinaigrette, put the zest and juice of one lemon (or the juice from two, if they’re not particularly juicy) into a small bowl.  Add about a tablespoon of Dijon or spicy mustard, about a half-teaspoon of garlic powder, two teaspoons of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.  I also usually sprinkle in a bit of dried thyme or tarragon.  Whisk all of these together, then stream in extra-virgin olive oil as you whisk to form an emulsion.  I use about 3-4 tablespoons, but this can be adjusted quite a bit – the more you use, the milder the flavor will be.

Place the cooled asparagus in a shallow dish.  I also add thinly-sliced, roasted red bell peppers (jarred are fine).  Pour the dressing over the asparagus, and chill until ready to serve.  Capers and/or kalamata olives would also be good additions for extra flavor.

The Afternoon Inqueery (or AI) is a question posed to you, the Queereka community. Look for it every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 3pm ET.

(featured image: treatsforme.tumblr.com)