Happy Birthday to Him

2010-07-13T17:26:00.007-07:00

Today is Husbands' birthday! Happy Birthday Husband! We do not have a lot planned - partly because Husband is not necessarily BIG on celebrating birthdays but also because of all the crap that has been going on.

What Husband is big on is food. And, as per tradition in my family, a birthday entitles the birthday boy or girl to a dinner menu of their choice. I haven't felt like cooking much lately - the heat and well, the aforementioned crap - but I am happy to cook for Husband on this special day.

These are not really recipes, exactly. I will try and post more precise recipes (and some pictures) in future blogs, but for now, I am sticking to some guidelines for flavor.

Menu
Salmon with Ginger, Chilli and Garlic
Roasted Sweet Potato Mash
Corn on the Cob
Eton Mess

So, the salmon is inspired by a dish we had in Seattle a few years back. It was originally a tuna dish, but it also works well with salmon. Anyway, first, I make a marinade. I put about one or two tablespoons of soy sauce and the juice of one or two lemons (depending on how juicy your lemons are) into a medium bowl. Then, I add two cloves of chopped garlic, about a tablespoon of chopped ginger and one or two chillis - I use birds eye, because I like things HOT, but have used other chillis in the past. Then, I put the salmon in the bowl and spoon the marinade over the flesh. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 15-20 minutes.

We usually oven bake the salmon - I feel more comfortable doing this, because I always get flustered cooking proteins on the stove top (blame it on all these years of mostly vegetarian cooking...). Pre-heat oven to about 375 F, put salmon on a baking tray (reserve the marinade!) and let cook in oven for about 10 minutes.

As for that marinade - while the salmon is cooking, I like to reduce down the marinade in a pan to use as a sauce to pour over the salmon and the sweet potato mash. Yum.

The sweet potato mash is simple. Roast some sweet potatoes - in their skins - for about 45 minutes in a 375F oven. Take out, peel, put flesh in a sauce pan and mash. Add a small knob of butter, if you desire, and salt and pepper to taste.

And then the Eton Mess.

I normally make Husband a cake of his choice, but this year, he decided he wanted Eton Mess. I think he has been spending too much time with cake-hating me. Anyway, Eton Mess is an English summertime dessert. I first had it at the party held the night before our wedding. It is a delicious mix of crushed meringues, berries of some sort and whipped cream. Here is the recipe I followed - though, I used raspberries instead of gooseberries.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/may/26/foodanddrink.features

To make up for the lack of food pictures, I give you a kitten picture. I am sure he will be a regular feature here, so get used to it.

Manga Me

2008-08-15T02:34:00.002-07:00

I think it is a pretty good likeness. For a cartoon, of course.

....the problem is she talks too much....

Happy Birthday to Him

Manga Me