[A summer repeat from July 3, 2016] I scored a point or two by asking Donna if she wanted to go out for dinner on Friday (ka-ching). “No she said . . . how about if we stay home and have something simple.” Now I have come to realize that “simple” in Donna’s parlance means plain chicken, rice and asparagus. Three of my favorite things. Not. So I offered to make dinner.
I went to Fresh Market (my usual haunt for dinner inspiration) and bought 3/4 of a pound of wild Atlantic sockeye salmon for Donna. Simple. And I got three crab cakes for myself (a regular crab cake; the “ultimate” crab cake; and a salmon cake). I wanted to try them all. The salmon was drenched in olive oil. Seasoned with turmeric and pepper and baked for 20 minutes at 400. The “cakes” I sautéed in olive oil until brown.
Then (be still my heart) I got organic white potatoes; organic carrots; and some Shiitaki mushrooms. The potatoes I diced thinly and sautéed in butter. Topped with ground pepper, turmeric, Kosher salt and garlic powder. The carrots and Shiitakis were washed (the carrots were filthy), the carrots skinned and everything diced and sautéed in olive oil. Both took about 40 minutes on low(er) heat. Candles. A little Gato Barbieri crooning in the background. “Well?” I asked. Donna looked up. “This is probably a nine and a half.” She paused. Savored a bite. “Actually a ten” (ka-ching). And then – the píece de résistance – I whipped out a Talenti Sicilian Pistachio gelato to close the meal. And did the dishes. Ka-ching ka-ching . . . . .