The Pepper 🌶️ Party 🎈

The original idea was my brother Jeff’s.

I didn’t want to go. I certainly didn’t want to try and stuff a hot pepper.

“Come on! It’ll be awesome,” Jeff said. “Worse comes to worse, you’ll eat a dozen stuffed peppers.”

I was still hesitant.

“Okay, I’ll bring you the stuffing. All you have to do is put it in the pepper and put the peppers in the oven. I guarantee you’ll win.”

Technically, I garnered second place.

Jeff obviously won.

I’m not quite sure of it, but I’d be willing to bet that he’d be on a 20-year first place streak if he would’ve been at the party this year.

Almost a full year after that first party I was trying recipes on my own.

I called Jeff.

“I think mine are as good as yours,” I said.

An hour later, Jeff handed me one that he had made.

“Yours are that good?”

I wasn’t in the same stratosphere.

This year, Jeff’s son Johnny was with me as I worked to make my peppers.

I seasoned two pork loins for two days. Baked them and then cut the meat into small pieces.

I added garlic, onion, feta cheese, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and cream cheese.

Blended it all.

Stuffed the peppers and baked them.

I tried the mixture.

“Damn!”

Johnny waited.

“I’ll be the judge.”

He took two of the peppers.

“Listen, if you can get those to the judges hot, you’re going to win.”

I had to tell him.

“If your Dad was in this contest we’d all be trying for second place.”

“I know,” Johnny said. “But he’d be so happy knowing that you’re still doing it.”

Exactly.

Smart kid.