Surf and Turf . . . and LOVE!

Tonight was a real race against the clock. Not only did I have elaborate dinner plans but Jen was home uncommonly early! This gave me a mere 20 minutes to prepare for dinner before she returned home -- just enough time to do the dishes.



To satiate us until the main course I put out a baguette with some goat cheese and sour cherry jam. This tasted great but a little too much like cheesecake so it seemed like we were having dessert first. How decadent! It felt like 3 AM at 6151 Richmond Street.



For a salad I made this little number with arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, crispy pancetta, and candied pecans. It was only as I wrote this that I realized I had not put the sliced Pinova apple on top as I'd originally intended. For some reason when I forget to put an ingredient into a dish it fills me with an unholy rage.



For a main course I took the same pan I'd rendered the pancetta in and seared a half rack of New Zealand lamb, and some sea scallops. Then I removed all and threw in some garlic, finely chopped onion, and Great Northern Beans. Then I threw in some chopped parsley and the remainder of the fresh baby arugula. I was a bit worried about all of this being redundant but Jen told me it was "thoughtful." I was thinking "lazy" but I'll go with her assessment.

I feel like surf and turf has long been locked into either beef and shrimp or beef and lobster. I just turned surf and turf on its ear by turning it into lamb and scallops.

On its ear I tell you!



To accompany our dinner we enjoyed some Clairette de Die that Jen picked up recently. She wished to recreate the time we enjoyed this beverage while driving through the Vercours in France.



Unfortunately we didn't get the fine packaging we'd observed when we were there. Meoooooooooow!



For dessert I made this fruit tart with the remaining pastry cream from the "Japanese" dessert I made the other night.

After I threw this together I realized it reminded me of something. At first I couldn't remember what it is then it hit me!



Oh my God! It's Biff's ashtray from Back to the Future II!

For the rest of the night I was afraid that Jen was going to pull out a revolver and tell me that she warned that a "crazy, wild-eyed scientist, or her husband would come asking questions."

So far she hasn't tried to shoot me yet. I'm sleeping with one eye opened tonight though.