A wonderful treat for me, has been that Vanessa is sharing more of the cooking, and mind you, doing so in a positively delicious manner. A couple Tuesdays ago Vanessa made a linguine and mussels marinara. The red sauce was heavily flavored with chunks of garlic, diced vidalia onion, and wine. It had a little spice to it, and an amazing fishy flavor. The mussels had been sitting overnight in a bowl of salt water to keep them alive. When they cooked and opened up in the sauce, it was like adding a rich, salty fish stock to the tomatoes. The thrill of eating this pasta came from taking the mussels like a spoon, and with chunks of garlic, onion, tomatoes, and broth, devouring the crustaceans out of their shells. Honestly, the mussels and sauce were so delicious that the linguine itself was almost superfluous... almost. It was as good a pasta-with-seafood dish as any I've had in a restaurant.
I am sorry to say however, that in our gastronomic euphoria and slight inebriation, we neglected to snap any photos to post. My apologies. My imagery will have to suffice.
The next Tuesday, we reprised our romantic dinner. I was away at work all day, while Vanessa was home on a day off. The preceding night I had taken two inexpensive cuts of lamb shank, and marinated them in dijon mustard, and a rub of ground cumin, fennel, herbs de provence, salt and pepper. In the early afternoon, Vanessa took the shanks and browned them, then reduced the heat and added wine, stock, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and fresh rosemary. The shanks slow-braised for close to five hours.
While they cooked, Vanessa had time to go about her day: getting her hair done, doing cartwheels, juggling torches - typical stuff. When I got home from work, I returned to a wonderfully aromatic house and a beautiful straight-haired woman who greatly resembled my girlfriend (FYI: Vanessa is a curly-haired redhead). It was a beautiful day, and the sun was getting lower in they sky. We decided to drive to the beach for a sunset stroll. If the smell of braising lamb had not already set the mood, then a walk along a sand bar at low tide did the trick.
When we returned home, the aromas permeating the air were even more intense than when we had left. We finished up the cooking. Vanessa got to work on her famous garlic mashed potatoes, prepared this night with the addition of minced scallion and parsley. Meanwhile, I took over the main dish, removing the shanks, and reducing the sauce. When the liquid had largely evaporated and the flavor had concentrated, I stirred in some sour cream to further thicken the gravy. I also threw together an arugula salad with a homemade raspberry wine vinaigrette and some vegetables. One of us thought to throw a baguette into the oven to toast. And before long, we were ready to dine.
Vanessa with Her Straightened Hair at Our Last Romantic Dinner
We like to say that Vanessa specializes in comfort food and I specialize in gourmet food. This dinner was a wonderful meeting of the two. At its core, it was meat, potatoes and a salad. But the flavor and tenderness of the lamb was just outstanding. And the starch and vegetables were perfect complements. Also adding to the experience was some Enrico Rava, an Italian trumpeter, in the background and some Don Miguel Gascón, our favorite bottle of Malbec wine, in the foreground.
Slow Braised Lamb Shank
with Vegetables and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Arugula Salad with Raspberry Wine Vinegarette
Warm Baguette and Gascon Malbec
Sadly, Vanessa had to work the following Tuesday night. But we shall see what the coming weeks have in store.
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