Happy Anniversary, Baby

Today is our 11th wedding anniversary. Funny, but it only feels like a year or two so I guess we're doing things right.

We decided not to go out for our anniversary dinner, but instead to split the task of making a scrumptions meal to remember. I was in charge of the starter and sides for the main course and Michael was in charge of the main course protein and dessert.

For starters I made the Canlis Salad from the Canlis restaurant in Seattle. This salad was named as one of the 10 best things to eat in the U.S. I'm not quite sure about the ranking, but it was good. To me it was an update to a classic Caesar Salad. The salad consisted of Romaine lettuce, fresh mint, fresh oregano, chives, grated pecorino cheese, home-made croutons flavoured with dried oregano, thyme and garlic. There was also bacon in the salad (for this you dice the bacon in 1/4 inch cubes and using a 10" skillet bring 1 cup of water to a boil then add the bacon. Cook on a high heat until the water has evaporated, then turn the heat to low and cook another 5 minutes or so until the bacon is crispy. It certainly had a lot of flavour). The dressing consisted of 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, to which you add a whole egg (at room temperature)and gradually whisk in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. When you got a little of each ingredient on the fork it certainly made for a tasty bite.

Michael barbecued beef tenderloin prepared only with a little olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper -- divine. We seldom eat red meat so this was a rare treat. To accompany the steak I prepared grilled eggplant and cherry tomatoes sauteed with fresh herbs (basil, thyme, and Italian parsley). We washed it down with a lovely Cedar Creek Shiraz (2007) recommended by the folks at Sips (the wine store at Ironwood Mall that sells only BC wines). Although we sipped on the wine before the main course, it really came alive when eating the steak, which is what the wine aficionado at Sips told me would happen.

For dessert Michael prepared an apple pie (yes, from scratch - my husband is a great baker) and served a simple scoop of Hagen Daaz vanilla ice cream to finish. Ahhhhh, Happy Anniversary.