A Floridian Feast

The Food:
Yesterday, Olivia and I were lucky enough to leave behind the dreary New England winter to go to Captiva, Florida with my grandparents. After a very restful afternoon reading and napping on the beach, we were treated to a delicious G-ma supper. Right before dinner we had a sunset that looked almost good enough to eat!

The highlight of the meal was the fresh, local snapper. Apparently there is a technique to making fish come out so tender and moist. G-ma says that you have to cook the fish "very gently". First she coats it with a very thin layer of mayonnaise - the thin part is key, you are to apply it "like you apply cold creme to your face". This is then topped with salt, pepper and lime juice and popped in a 475 degree oven for about 7 minutes. A handy G-ma trick is that you know it is done when it feels like the fleshy part of your forearm, if you let it get to the point that it feels like your wrist you are up a creek without a paddle. When the fish starts to feel done, you turn on the broiler for about 30 seconds to give it a nice top. To top the fish off, G-ma cut up some grapefruit and orange and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to take the chill off. What a treat!

This was accompanied by a delicious sweet potato, apricot, and cranberry casserole. We will be very happy to have this recipe next time the fruit and veggie co-op gives us sweet potatoes.
1) Combine 1/2 cup water, 1 2/3 cups chopped dried apricots, 3/4 cups craisins, and a 12 oz. can of apricot nectar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 20 minutes. Drain the mixture over a bowl, reserving both the fruit and the cooking liquid.
2) Combine sweet potato (about 4 pounds, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick) and 1/4 cup of water in a 3-quart casserole dish. Cover with the lid and microwave on high for 18 minutes, stirring about halfway through. Drain well and set aside.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4) Arrange half of the sweet potatoes in a casserole coated with cooking spray; top with half of the apricot mixture and 1/4 cup of sugar. Repeat procedure with remaining sweet potato, apricot mixture and 1/4 cup of sugar. Pour reserved cooking liquid over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

The meal was rounded out by some nice broccoli.

The People Who Ate It:
We were all too eager to dig in to take a picture, but the meal was enjoyed by Olivia, G-ma, G-Pa, my Aunt Betsy, and me!