The anniversary menu

A couple of you have checked back in to ask how Friday night’s dinner turned out. Well, if I do say so myself – and I think Curt would agree – it was pretty freakin’ fabulous! And not just because I have mad skillz in the kitchen. I can’t tell you about the rest of the evening because, well, my mom reads this blog, and also, some things are better left to the imagination. (Seriously, Mom. Don’t ask. Don’t.) But I will happily share the dinner menu:

Jumbo Lump Crabcakes. We enjoy dining at Clyde’s restaurants in this area, and the have their crabcake recipe posted on their website.  I found a great sale on jumbo lump crabmeat at Giant – only $22 for a pound (compared to $33 at Whole Paycheck Foods).  There’s little else in the recipe… I substituted a dab of ginger-lime aioli from this recipe for some of the plain mayonnaise to add a bit of extra kick (and was glad I used only one garlic clove in the aioli instead of the two called for in the recipe).  The crabcakes barely held together. I made 4 piles of the mixture on foil on a cookie sheet and broiled them, then carefully transferred to our plates.

Risotto with balsamic reduction. That sounds super-glamorous, but really, it couldn’t be easier.  A friend and loyal reader has a relative who’s a chef and she was nice enough to pass along a real, chef-tested, professionally-endorsed risotto recipe. But you know what, I’ve been making this risotto recipe for years in – shhh! - my microwave (I know!), and it turns out pretty darn good.  And balsamic reduction? I had to Google it, but you know what it is? You put balsamic vinegar in a pot on the stove and boil it till it reduces and becomes thick and resembles – yes – motor oil.  That’s it. I added a dab of sugar and I probably cooked it too long because it darn near solidifed once it cooled.  WARNING: Don’t put your face over the steaming pan of vinegar; just stir at arm’s length with a really long spoon. (You’re welcome.)

Roasted baby asparagus spears wrapped in roasted red pepper strips.  I tossed super-skinny asparagus spears in some olive oil and kosher salt, then broiled for a few mins. Then I laid two thin roasted red pepper strips on the plate, piled the spears on top and wrapped the strips around. Then I sprinked some toasted sliced almonds on top. Because it’s all in the presentation, y’all.

Garnish.  I would love to say I had a picture to share with you, but my flippin’ camera is still with the good folks at Nikon, apparently waiting for some backordered parts so they can make the warranty repair.  To say I’m a little bit annoyed is like saying that my dog sheds a wee bit, or my husband kinda likes ice hockey. You’ll just have to use your imagination. I laid sprigs of flat-leaf parsley (the only thing that grew as a result of my pathetic attempt at gardening this year) on the plate and on top of them placed two overlapping thin slices of lemon. Then I took two strips of roasted red pepper strips and fashioned them into the shape of a heart. (All together now: awwwwwww!) Can you stand the cuteness? I know – neither can I.

Dessert ended up being, quite simply, some melted semi-sweet chocolate, into which we dipped strawberries and black raspberries. Or maybe they were blackberries. Whatever they were, they were juicy-good in a berry sort of way.   The wine was a Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay.

Best thing of all? We had the house to ourselves. The kids (and dog) were elsewhere. (Thanks, Steph!) Dinner is not usually a leisurely occasion in our house, so it was nice to be able to take our time, to talk without being interrupted, to not have to censor our words for the G/PG-rated audience.

I want to thank you all for your suggestions – your comments gave me some great ideas and really were helpful. The ones I didn’t use this time, I’ve tucked away with thoughts of future romantic dinners in-house, because this was a scenario worth repeating.

And THAT is all I’m going to say about THAT. Because, like I said, my mom reads this blog.

Menu 911

Dear Reader(s),

I need your help!  Pull up a chair, lemme ‘splain.

You see, this Friday is the 16th anniversary of the day Soup Husband Curt and I tied the knot.  Now last year, we did it up huge by going to Las Vegas.  Today, in fact, is exactly one year since the very day we began our most excellent adventure!  (I am pleased to report that I have almost recovered from that trip and the associated hangover…)

But this year? Well, 16 is not a multiple of 5. Also, cash is not something we’re flush with right now. But still, we feel lucky and blessed to have enjoyed 16 years of wedded bliss (well, mostly bliss), and nowadays, that’s something worth celebrating. We decided that instead of going out and blowing a lot of money we just don’t have, we’ll quietly observe the occasion at home. 

When you choose to celebrate at home, you have to make an extra effort to make it a Very Special Occasion.  By “special”,  I’m not talking about clearing all the stuff off of the kitchen table instead of pushing it to one side.  I don’t mean pouring drinking a Miller Lite from a glass insetad of the can.  Don’t try to tell me you’re wearing your “good” sweats.  No – what I’m talking about is sending the kids to spend the night at the neighbor’s house. I’m picturing a white tablecloth and the Good China and a bunch of candles on the dining room table; some carefully-selected jazz music playing softly in the background; a bottle of wine that I would normally hesitate to buy because it’s more than $5  $7  $10  $11; and a dessert that doesn’t come wrapped in cellophane.

Keepin’ it real. Keepin’ it Klassy.

Hamburger Helper and frozen fish sticks notwithstanding, I can hold my own in the kitchen.  In fact, I really enjoy putting a meal together. So I got to thinking, sure, we could go blow $150 on two martinis and appetizers and GAH THE MARKUP ON THIS WINE! and entrees and dessert and coffee and sambuca (Curt loves his sambuca), plus tax, plus tip, and sit in a room with a bunch of other people who are Celebrating Occasions. Oh sure, it would be swell to have a Smiling Someone in a clean white shirt and starched apron uncork our wine and bring our food and then take it away, avoiding all mention of dirty dishes. But for probably half the money, I could buy some first-rate ingredients and lovingly create a pretty tasty dinner to mark our celebration.

And, bonus? We can totally avoid the whole unseemly “who gets to finish the bottle of wine and who has to stop NOW so they can drive home and who drove the last time and…” argument debate.

So, I downloaded some menus from restaurants we might have gone to, and even a couple we might have ruled out based on distance from home or price. We perused them for yummy-sounding entrees that we would have ordered.  We agreed that steaks would be super-yummy, but it’s hard to find a really good cut of meat at your usual retailers. Crab cakes, however? Those sounded really, really good. I found the Clyde’s Restaurant recipe on their website and think I’ll use it, perhaps with a small variation or two… and I’ll be using fresh, jumbo lump crabmeat, not Krab Delites, y’all.

But I’m stuck, Reader(s), on the to-go-withs. And this is where I need your input. 

For a starchy side, I was thinking risotto, maybe, or some roasted potatoes. But honestly, they won’t be special because I am always doing something with potatoes.  (C’mon, I’m a Pennsylvania farm girl.) And for a green side? All I can think of is green beans with sauteed almonds, but that’s because I make it all the time.  BOR-ING. Dessert’s covered – Curt wants strawberry shortcake, so that’s what I’ll make. 

What I need from you is your great ideas for what would go great with crab cakes.  Is there something you love to make, or maybe you had a fantastic dish at a restaurant that you think would be perfect?  Leave it in the comments. Bonus points of you have a recipe you would be willing to share, but don’t let the lack of a recipe stop you. I can take a good idea and figure out how to make it. (If you do have a secret family recipe that you don’t want to publish to the world, and you can’t get over yourself, then leave me a comment and I’ll email you.) I have the crab cakes covered, but ideas and recipes for easy to make, super-tasty, even elegant side dishes would be most welcome and appreciated.

And that, dear Reader(s), is how you can contribute to our 16th wedding anniversary celebration. Thanks in advance!

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day from Bubta, The Boss and Peezer!

Speaking of independence: Remember Lori? She’s in Afghanistan now, and she has posted recently of the fine work the USO does for our troops. One cool example is they will record you reading a book to your child, then send the video and the book home for you! How awesome is that?

Pop over and say hi to Lori and read more about the USO.