Hey all - and help!

[TomCooks]

Hey everyone,

I've just joined this forum because it looked like a nice place to ask for help - and that's what I need to do!

It's my one-year anniversary this Wednesday and I had always planned to cook my partner a three-course dinner in return for him coming to up/taking days off work to visit me for a long weekend.

The first problem is that I'm not a great/experienced chief. However, I really love throwing myself into things and I pay great attention to detail when I do cook. I am willing to go in 110% to get the meal right if I can find the right recipe.

Here comes problem no. 2, which is that I have a job with the student union at my university and I am obligated to chair a meeting from 6.30 until about 9 PM on Wednesday evening - my partner's fine with that, because I've told him that we're going to a great restaurant afterwards - by which I secretly mean my house... genius (I am rolling my eyes at myself as I write this - is that even physically possible?).

So, what I'm asking (and will keep asking over the next few days, to various poor fools who cross my path and look like they can cook) is:

1) would you recommend any recipes to someone who has all day UNTIL 6.30 PM to turn it into a labour of love? and
2) will this recipe involve me then leaving it to cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours and not being burnt to a crisp?

I need a starter, main and pudding (though I can make a cold pudding to leave aside all day, just hope I can trust my housemates with it!).

Thank you so much - and sorry to be such a bother!

Tom

 

[snickerdoodle]

Hi Tom! Welcome! I'm going to preface the rest of my post by just saying that I'm pretty much a beginner too, well, maybe novice at this whole cooking thing. My first thought is crock pot... like maybe a hearty stew of some kind. It's possible that a lasagne or something like that would stay warm in the oven while you're gone as long as you keep it covered (to prevent drying). With either of those options, a nice crusty bread would be good as a side. For a starter, you could go with a salad of some kind, or even a marinated veggie salad. I don't have any good pudding recipes except for rice pudding but you should go for something a little more decadent or rich, IMHO

This place is absolutely wonderful! I've only been a member for about a month and already my hubby is very appreciative of the improvement to my cooking. I look forward to reading about how your anniversary dinner went!

 

[DaveSoMD]

Welcome to DC Tom!

I will second the suggestion of a Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker meal.

A Beef Stew with wine or even Guiness might be nice
Braised short-ribs
Braised Ox Tails?

Sides could be:
field greens salad and a really good crusty bread (Stew)

field green salad and mashed garlic potatoes (ribs or ox tail) as you could get them all ready and in the water and just cook them when you get home. If you dice them small they will cook much faster

Appetizer and a pudding would depend on what you have for the main course.

 

[GB]

Welcome to the site. My first thought was some sort of Crock pot meal as well, but honestly I have never found one that would be good for my idea of a romantic meal. They are great for winter meals that are low frills and hearty and east and inexpensive, but personally I have never found any that would make someone go "WOW".

What kinds of things do you and your partner like to eat and what kinds of things do you not like?

 

[Giselle]

Hi Tom, I have a nice recipe for salmon filet wrapped with spinach in phyllo served with a lemony cream sauce. The salmon wraps can be made ahead and will only take 20 minutes to bake when you get home. I'm pretty sure the cream sauce can be made ahead and left in the fridge.

You could make a wonderful salad and keep it in the fridge and toss at the last minute (eat while the salmon bakes?). And I know a great dessert recipe from Joyce Goldstein's "Kitchen Conversations" cookbook called Jennifer's Chocolate Budino. It's actually a sort of souffle and so very delicious. Also can be held in the fridge before baking for a few hours.

Let me know if either the salmon or the budino appeals to you and I will post the recipe.

Good luck on Wednesday!

 

[babetoo]

first of all,howdy. crockpot came to me as well. many choices, you can just google crockpot recipes. you will have many choices

 

[TomCooks]

Thanks!

Hi!

First of all, thank you so much for the help from everyone. It's so encouraging and I think I can see myself posting a lot in the future as I learn more about cooking!

Hi Tom, I have a nice recipe for salmon filet wrapped with spinach in phyllo served with a lemony cream sauce. The salmon wraps can be made ahead and will only take 20 minutes to bake when you get home. I'm pretty sure the cream sauce can be made ahead and left in the fridge.

You could make a wonderful salad and keep it in the fridge and toss at the last minute (eat while the salmon bakes?). And I know a great dessert recipe from Joyce Goldstein's "Kitchen Conversations" cookbook called Jennifer's Chocolate Budino. It's actually a sort of souffle and so very delicious. Also can be held in the fridge before baking for a few hours.

Let me know if either the salmon or the budino appeals to you and I will post the recipe.

Good luck on Wednesday!

I would like ALL OF THIS! Well, the two recipes would be wonderful. Thank you so much! I do have access to a slow cooker, but I agree with GB that I don't think they're so good for romantic meals. Also, my partner loves salmon and I LOVE souffle! So everyone wins. If you could post me the recipes, I'd be eternally grateful.

Thanks you all!

 

[DaveSoMD]

You have to let us know how it all turns out!

 

[forty_caliber]

Howdy! Welcome to DC.

.40

 

[Giselle]

I sent Tom the recipes privately because I too am new here and wasn't sure of the posting rules for copyrighted material. I'm sure they're in a link here somewhere but I just haven't read them all yet.

 

[taxlady]

How about a pasta carbonara? That wouldn't take long. Serve it with a salad. The salad can be ready and the vinaigrette could be ready to whisk in the oil right before tossing with the salad. A home made cake for dessert could be made earlier in the day or a day ahead.

Here's my carbonara recipe for two:

• 4 medium scallions/green onions, sliced in thin rounds, including the green part
• 4 ozs of bacon (~ 4 slices) fried and crumbled
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup sour cream, creme fraiche, yoghurt, or heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 4 tblsps (1/4 cup) grated parmesan
• 1 tlbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried basil
• 4 ozs pasta, I prefer fusilli for this because it really holds the sauce.

Fry the bacon and slice the scallions ahead of time. Grate the parmesan too.

• When ready to serve, start the pasta in lots of boiling water. Cook al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, whisk the eggs with the wine, and yoghurt or cream.
• Stir in the parmesan and basil.
• Put a collander in the sink.
• When the pasta is al dente, drain it.
• Return it to the pot over the lowest possible heat.
• Add the sauce, scallions, and bacon to the pasta.
• Toss until the sauce has thickened.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Well??? How was your anniversary dinner? What did you end up making? We like follow ups here... can you tell?