Jan
22
Birthday dinner for my boyfriend?
ByI just had my birthday and my boyfriend cooked me a wonderful 3-course meal, so I want to return the favor for his bday in a few weeks.
However, I’m vegetarian (since I was a young teen) and he’s definitely not, so I’m not sure what to make. I’m a good cook and I don’t mind cooking meat, but we never have it at home.
Any ideas for recipes? His favorite meats are lamb, wild game (like venison/reindeer), and whale (which I know is controversial elsewhere, but I live in Norway where it’s readily available at most supermarkets). I prefer to cook from scratch using fresh ingredients, and would like to know tried and proven recipes, not something looked up on Allrecipes 
Also, any good recipes for Black Forest Gateau?
4 Comments
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:43 pm
how about simple spagetti. make the sauce with meat
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Black Forest Gateau ( Cake ) – If you arent too keen on alcohol then use less.
Cherry Filling
1 (25 ounce) can cherries in syrup, drained with syrup reserved
3 tablespoons kirsch (a 50ml miniature bottle)
Chocolate Sponge
9 extra large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Cream Filling
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
Garnish
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated
1.Cherry Filling: Stir together the drained cherries, 1/4 cup reserved syrup and the kirsch. Set aside while preparing cakes.
2.To make the sponge cakes: Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter (3) 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper and then butter the paper also.
3.Put yolks and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture has at least doubled in volume, is very thick and mousse-like and a wide ribbon trail slowly falls back into the bowl when beaters are lifted. This could take 5 minutes or more. Don’t short the time here!
4.Sift in the cocoa and gently fold with a large spoon.
5.In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
6.Carefully fold egg whites into chocolate mixture, 1/3 at a time.
7.Divide the batter into the 3 prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cakes spring back when touched and have pulled away from sides of pans.
8.Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack & peel off the paper.
9.Now go back to your cherries – drain them but hold onto the syrup! Place the cherries on paper towels to dry. Set aside 12 or so for garnish.
10.Cream Filling:.
11.In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the sugar and whip until slightly thicker.
12.Assembly: Place 1 cake layer on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons reserved syrup.
13.Spread with 1/4 of the cream filling. Press 1/2 of the cherries into the cream.
14.Stack on the second cake layer. Sprinkle it with reserved kirsch syrup as before. Spread with 1/4 of the cream & the rest of the cherries (except for the ones reserved for garnish).
15.Top with final cake layer & sprinkle with remaining syrup.
16.Cover the top and sides with all the remaining whipped cream – you can either pipe it or spread it on – then garnish with the reserved cherries & grated chocolate.
17.Refrigerate until serving time. Best eaten within 48 hours.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sheila’s Peppered Lamb Chops — These are the best lamb chops EVER!!
Ingredients
4 lamb loin chops
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons crushed peppercorns
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions
1Combine all ingredients and marinate at least 1/2 hour.
2Broil or grill to desired doneness.
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:18 am
Hmmmmmm….I would have no idea how to cook whale and haven’t cooked fresh game in years. I’m wondering if your dinner could consist of food that you would both enjoy. Here are some menu ideas you both might like:
Menu I:
Tomato Bisque with Creme Fraiche and Sweet Basil
Eggplant parmesan
Chopped green salad with a simple vinagrette
Menu II:
Bruschetta with artichoke tapenade
Lamb kabobs
Sundried Tomato Risotto
Baby spinach salad with roasted cashews, mandarin oranges, feta, and french dressing
Menu III:
Cracked crab and prawn cocktails
Potato Leek Soup
Steamed lobster with drawn butter and lemon
Rice Pilaf
Menu IV:
Vegetable soup with dill
Artichoke frittata
Baby lettuce salad with ripe pears, goat cheese, champagne vinagrette, candied pecans
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:40 am
Try something that almost every man loves – beef. Easy recipe
Swiss Steak 1 bottom round steak
cut the steak into serving size pieces and put in a paper bag with about 1/4 cup flour and some pepper. Shake to coat the meat, then fry in hot fat on the stove until browned on both sides, but not cooked all the way. Then in a roasting pan, either regular or electic roaster, mix one can cream of mushroom soup and about 1 1/2 soup cans of water and1/2 package of dried onion soup mix. Place meat in roaster and cook slowly at about 225 degrees for about 5 hours. It makes its own gravy, so make mashed potatoes and a green vegetable to go with it.