Our Valentine's Day Dinner 2009

We decided a few years ago that going out to eat on Valentine's Day, was, simply stated, stupid. Especially on a Saturday night! We all know how restaurants jack up prices for events such as these.

So, last night, like prior year's, we made our own special Valentine's Day Dinner. And, it WAS special; not just the menu (Mr. B picked out the main course and I added on a starter, a vegetable and the dessert) but the fact we prepared most of it together, working side by side in the kitchen pretty much all day and well into the late afternoon. We even took a trip to the wine store to buy wine for the meal.

Here is what we ended up with for the menu and wine and a few pictures of the happy evening:

Insalata di Sedano e Olive (celery and green olive salad; also carrots, red onion, fresh Italian parsley, oregano, white wine vinegar and olive oil). Served with 2007 Villa Lanahta Italian Chardonnay.

Roasted Stuffed Pork Loin Genoa-Style with Garlic Flavored Jus. What was it stuffed with? Italian sausage, fresh breadcrumbs and pesto. OMG. To die for!

Also Wild Mushroom Risotto (Mr. B's recipe; the only thing on the menu we'd had before) and Asparagi alla Parmigiana. We paired the main course with a 2005 Rocco delle Macie Chianti Classico (yes, it had a Rooster on the bottle!)

For dessert, we had Torta di Nocciola (hazelnut cake). Wow, this was also quite good. We roasted the hazelnuts prior to using them. This really brought out the hazelnut flavor. We had a sparkling Mocata D'Asti with this (semi-sweet dessert wine).

For those of you who live close by, you can expect to see this menu replicated at some point for a family dinner.

Lucy did not get to sit at the table but she did get a few scraps

Mrs. B

What's Cooking at the B's

I have a bunch of Blog ideas but just can't seem to get around to blogging these days. So, since I know it's been a few days since I HAVE blogged, I'll at least post something.

As I type this, Mr. B is in the kitchen working away on some yummy things for dinner. As is typical of these days, I plan the menu and usually do all of the cooking except for on the weekends (or if I am away at a meeting). This afternoon, we've been having fun working together in the kitchen preparing our meal for later on tonight while sipping on Victory Hop Devil Ale.

So, what's on the menu for tonight?

Grilled Filet Mignon with Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Pepper Chimichurri

Crusty Lentil Cakes with Garlic and Herbs in Tomato Chipotle Sauce

Salad

A bottle of some really good wine (TBD)

You can imagine how wonderful our kitchen smells now with the aromas of roasted garlic, tomatoes, onions and a spicy smoky chipotle finish!

I'm doing a lot of the Sous Chef work tonight but that's fine by me; every time we do this, I learn something new.

Mrs. B