Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks -- Something to Celebrate With

Last week of January. National signing day is on Wednesday — Diego signs his letter of intent to Colorado State. He is the only senior at our school signing for football this year (Daquan signed early, in December). The school is doing a small ceremony in the auditorium Wednesday morning. Lisa is taking the morning off. The grandparents are calling in. Hayley's parents are coming. Mike Reyes and Tony Davis are coming. The signing is a formality — Diego committed in April — but the formality is a moment, and we will treat it like a moment.

Diego came down to breakfast Saturday morning and said, "Dad. I am ready for Wednesday." I said, "Yeah, mijo." He said, "I have been ready for ten months." I said, "I know." He said, "Are you going to cry on Wednesday." I said, "Yes." He said, "Out loud." I said, "Probably." He said, "It is okay. I have already accepted that you are going to cry at every major life event for the rest of your life." I laughed. He laughed. He went to find his backpack.

I made tortillas with the twins Saturday afternoon. Real tortillas, from scratch, with the press, on the comal. Mamá-quality tortillas. The twins are getting better at it. Marco has the press technique. Elena has the flip technique. They produced thirty tortillas in an hour. We ate them with the leftover beans and rice and red chile sauce from Sunday. The twins ate seven each. They are growing. They are eleven in November. They are taller every month.

Wednesday came. The signing ceremony was at ten. Diego sat at a table at the front of the auditorium. The CSU hat was on the table. The letter of intent was in front of him. Lisa was in the front row. I was on stage with Diego because Coach Ramos had asked me to introduce him. I introduced my son. I said something I do not entirely remember, but it ended with, "Diego is going to be a Ram. I could not be prouder. He earned every yard. Go Rams."

Diego signed. The school photographer took photos. Lisa cried. Hayley's mother cried. Tony cried. Mike cried. I cried. Mrs. Burns sent a video message that the AD played on the screen. Mamá and Papá were on a video call from Las Cruces — Papá sat in his recliner with the laptop on his lap and Mamá behind him, both of them watching, both of them waving when Diego waved at the camera. After the ceremony, Diego came up to me. He hugged me. He said, "Dad. Thank you for everything." I said, "Mijo. I love you." He said, "I love you too, Dad." Lisa was next to us. She put her arms around both of us. We stood there for a while.

Saturday I sat on the patio with coffee in the cold and I thought about what I wanted from the rest of the year. The rest of twenty-five. Diego graduates in May. Diego leaves for Fort Collins in August. The household becomes a five-person household for the first time since 2007. I want to be present for that transition. I want to be present for Sofia's sophomore season — both the spring track and the cross-country fall. I want to be present for the twins, who are going through middle school with all the chaos that middle school produces. I want to be present for Lisa, who is going to physical therapy and is going to need an attentive husband. I want to coach the next team well. I want to call Mamá more. I want to call Papá more. I want to write more often in this journal. I want to keep the road bending toward Las Cruces. The road is bending. The road is bending. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

After Diego signed his letter of intent Wednesday morning and we all stood in that auditorium crying — me, Lisa, Tony, Mike, Hayley’s mother, all of us — I wanted something for that evening that felt like a celebration snack, something the kids could grab off a plate and keep moving, something with a little heat and a little crunch that matched the energy in the house. Pepper jack felt right. The twins devoured them. Diego ate four before dinner. That is how you know.

Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 sticks (1 oz each) pepper jack cheese, cut into 4-inch strips
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Marinara or ranch dressing, for dipping

Instructions

1. Freeze the cheese. Place cut cheese sticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes. This keeps them from melting too fast in the oil.
2. Set up your breading station. In three shallow bowls, place the flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and breadcrumbs mixed with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt in the third.
3. Bread the sticks. Working one at a time, dredge each frozen cheese stick in flour, shake off the excess, dip in egg, then roll firmly in the seasoned breadcrumbs. For a thicker crust, repeat the egg and breadcrumb step a second time.
4. Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy skillet or small saucepan to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high until it reaches 375°F.
5. Fry in batches. Fry 3—4 cheese sticks at a time for 1—2 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on all sides. Do not crowd the pan.
6. Drain and serve. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with marinara or ranch dipping sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 280 | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 20g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 540mg