He pulled it off!

Right after my post yesterday I asked Paul what recipes he was using - thinking he had picked up one of my many cookbooks and picked some things out, or maybe consulted The Food Network - but his answer was none, he was going by his gut. Frankly, I was terrified. He is very meticulous, so I knew if he'd picked recipes they would turn out fine, but going by his gut? Uh-oh! He locked me in the living room after we put the kids to bed where I played online bingo and actually won €50.00 whilst sipping an orange cream mimosa (thank you Ali) - could things get any better?

Well, yes they could... much better! Finally he was ready and led a slightly light headed me into the kitchen and this is what I saw:Roses, rose petals, chocolates, card, champagne, candles AND dinner??? Could this be for real? Yes, yes it really could! Am I a lucky lady or what?

So the starter/appetizer was beautifully presented. It was a Mediterranean inspired salad served in a Parmesan basket. Parmesan baskets are a lovely way to present things and so easy to make. Just put some grated Parmesan in a frying pan and heat until golden brown, then using a spatula put it on top of an upturned bowl to shape. Allow to cool and voila! You can make them several hours in advance and if they start to get soggy, just put them in an oven set on the lowest heat to dry out again. Best of all they are edible!

The salad consisted of black olives, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and mixed salad. He dressed it with an oregano infused balsamic reduction emulsified with truffle and avocado oil. It was delicious... a little heavy, but that just meant we held off on the main course for awhile. It really was amazing, but nothing compared to what was to come...


The main course was Tiger Prawn and Lobster Ravioli served with asparagus and a white wine cream sauce. For this he sauteed the shrimp and lobster in lemon, garlic and butter, chopped them up, added Parmesan and put in the ravioli, the pasta which he also made from scratch! The sauce was a white wine bechamel, delicious! And steamed asparagus to top it all off. Asparagus is my all-time favourite vegetable and the sauce went really well with it as well. This was absolutely divine... simply heavenly... and the best part... there's still some left for lunch today!!! As well as some pasta dough, so I think I am going to try and make Gordon Ramsay's Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle for lunch! Keep an eye out!!! The dinner was accompanied by a Peter Lehmann Semillon white wine, it was a perfect match!

Soooo... as if things couldn't get any better, there was dessert. I knew he had bought profiteroles, he called it a cop out, I called it a smart move. That way is he screwed up dinner, he had a surefire success for dessert! So I would have been happy with the profiteroles just thrown on a plate, but no, that would be too simple! Instead he arranged sliced strawberries in a heart shape, added MORE cream and arranged so beautifully! A definite shout out to Aldi for their yummy profiteroles (in most cases I am not an advocate of prepared food, but these are delicious and at a mere €2.99 who could complain) and pink champagne? I just wish the photo wasn't fuzzy! I am a terrible photographer... any tips greatly appreciated!

So all and all, a wonderful romantic meal. I am so lucky!!! It's been five years since he cooked the last dinner... I wonder if I have to wait another five years for a similar experience? I hope not... I told him I was giving up cooking! So Paul, thank you a night better than any number of carnival cruises! I love you lots! Check back for the tagliatelle....