People get weird about cooking for me. I wish they wouldn't. I seem to have a fearsome reputation as a food snob or something else, and honestly? It's not all that fair to me.
I recall once, waaaay back in the 90s when I worked at the restaurant, being at a potluck and having someone tell me in a friendly manner that they could tell where I must be sitting because surely I was offloading other people's food into the large plant pots, right? And I chuckled, I am sure, but I was kind of offended deep down. Someone cooks for me, and I am appreciative. Make me some Kraft Dinner? Thank you for taking that time, I will enjoy it thoroughly.
(I get a little different when it comes to restaurants - that's a situation that involves an exchange of monies, and I thereby have expectations, not that the food be "fancy" or anything like that, but that it be cooked properly.)
Last night, while Conrad was out of town, I enjoyed dinner with Van (and Olive, of course). And wow, did I appreciate it. And loved it! So much.
Van had planned and prepared a nice, candlelit dinner for us, a treat on a Tuesday night. We started off with some deviled eggs and olives to snack on
and cocktails (The Fallen Angel - yum!)
to take out and sit on the patio with. He had put some potatoes in the oven to bake in the meantime, so we enjoyed the early evening before it got dark (and too chilly), and we sipped and chatted, having such a nice time.
I stayed out of the kitchen as much as possible, doing a very little to put some wine and water on the table. He asked a question or two, and I was happy to provide advice, but that man is absolutely capable of putting a nice meal on the table, so I gratefully let him do so. I watched him prepare the lobster,
and got all the more excited about the surf-and-turf ahead.
Oh yes, surf and turf! Wow, a classic: steak and lobster.
A good potato each (and he cooked up some pancetta chunks to sprinkle on it), some green beans, a bottle of chardonnay. We sat at the table and savoured the meal. Oh so much.
I cannot state enough how much I love having someone cook for me, and all the better to have someone I love cooking for me. Thank you, Van, so much for that Tuesday evening. Now to make a nice dinner for us in return!
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