Those who read itsagreatdayto.com are world wide, men women, young old, urban, rural, you name it and they are an interesting and smart viewership. Soooo, when a recent reader contacted me suggesting that my next book consideration be a topic of men cooking for their gals. He even had a title for me, “Cooking for Your Lover.” Hum….He then shared with me his menu for New Year’s Eve, being a non-regular cook. It looked pretty good and he even had a charcuterie board to start with-if Charcuterie is not yet in your vocabulary, ‘hold my beer‘, we’ll get to that. Yes, he is on the right track of romancing his gal. Bingo! (Although I did not get a follow up report-yet) I believe that he is on the right track.
Anyway, this got me thinking. Maybe a book, maybe not, but there is something there in his suggestion which led to today’s Marvelous Monday theme, which got me thinking a little more, as in another meal idea on this topic, a few more thoughts and ideas and I am seeing a series here. After all, we’re just under 6 weeks out from Valentine’s Day which would lead to a few practice sessions in advance, so as not to disappoint on the holiday of romance. WHICH may just lead to not only a few great days and meals but maybe…Some Great Nights, if you know what I mean… ❤️
Everyone has their own style of setting a romantic table/counter for their special person. Here are some of mine. The more you do it, the better and more creative you get…Your efforts will be greatly appreciated…
Cooking for Your Lover Lesson 1
Salmon on a Plank served with Grilled Asparagus & Baked Sweet Potatoes
SALMON
Ingredients
-2 salmon fillets Wild Caught is Best*
-2 lemons
-extra virgin olive oil*
-sea salt & freshly ground black pepper*
-grilling planks (available on Amazon) in different sizes
Method
1. Soak plank in water, submerged for an hour
2. Preheat grill to medium high heat (about 450 degrees F)
3. While grill is preheating, pat salmon dry, drizzle lightly with olive oil over salmon, place on a plate, season with salt and pepper and squeeze some fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon per fillet). Slice the other lemon. Add a slice to each salmon fillet and you could add a slice to the grilling asparagus boat
4. Placed cedar plank(s) that has/have been soaking in water on grill for about 3 minutes, until you sense a smoky scent and grill marks are present. This enhances the flavor. Flip the plank(s) over, then place the seasoned salmon on top of the plank, with a slice of the lemon. Lower heating to low-and slow, until a meat thermometer reaches 125 degrees F for medium rare or 130 for medium, which will be approximately 8-9 minutes depending on thickness of the salmon fillets.
5. Remove plank(s) from grill onto a plate and let sit while you are finishing up other sides.
*Notes:
Wild Caught Salmon. You can order from different sites or get from your local grocery store, maybe even in freezer section. Ask your butcher in the grocery store.
-butcherbox.com
Extra Virgin Olive Oil-You’ll find it in the grocery store. Get one in a dark glass bottle-no plastic. It is a little more expensive, but worth it.
Sea Salt-it’s with the other salts and it just has good flavor.
Freshly ground black pepper. You can buy it with the spices. Get the one with a grinder so you can grind it right out of the bottle.
ASPARAGUS
Buy a small bunch in the produce section at the grocery store. I like to store asparagus in a glass of water. Before putting it in the glass, I get my cutting board out, chop a fresh edge off the bottom-that is the larger end of the asparagus-and then place the stalks standing up with the larger ends on the bottom. Before grilling, you will rinse your asparagus in a colander in the sink. Wipe with a paper towel to get extra water off. Make a boat out of aluminum foil. make the boat a little bit larger than the length of the asparagus. I like to set my aluminum foil boat on a plate and then drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Then sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on top. When you put the planks on your grill place your asparagus boat and then occasionally turn with tongs to evenly grill. When you are checking your salmon, check your asparagus and turn with tongs. Usually when I take the salmon off the grill, I take the asparagus off as well. I put the asparagus on a separate platter or you could put both the salmon planks and the asparagus if your platter is large enough.
BAKED SWEET POTATOES
Buy two sweet potatoes at the grocery store. Look for sweet potatoes that look fresh and are unblemished. You can store these on a bowl on the kitchen counter. When it is time to make dinner, you will wash them with water and pat them dry. It will set your oven to 400°F. After wiping the potatoes dry, will take a fork poke several holes around the sweet potato for steam to escape. Rub them with some olive oil and salt. Wrap each potato in foil. If you prefer not to use aluminum foil, just placing them on the baking sheet ‘naked’ is fine too. The foil helps lock in moisture and may result in a more tender interior. You will then place your sweet potatoes in either a glass Pyrex dish or a cookie sheet to bake for approximately 1 hour. Remove pan with baking sweet potatoes out of the oven with a pot holder. Place on top of stove. Use tongs to take sweet potatoes from the pan to the plate with you salmon and asparagus on it.
DESSERT & BREAD
if you live in a town with a good local bakery, I would I would start there. Or better yet you’re going to find out what your gal‘s favorite dessert is. If it comes from a local bakery, make a call and see if they have her favorite dessert on hand. The reader who contacted me told me that his gal’s favorite dessert is carrot cake so he went to the local bakery and picked up carrot cake, and bread. If you don’t have a local bakery, the grocery store is an excellent option. For example, I spend time between Michigan and Florida. In Michigan the local grocery store, Kroger, has an excellent selection of cakes and pies, and they also carry Sanders’ cakes. Sanders is a company out of Detroit, dating back to 1875. They have excellent cakes in the freezer section, I have picked up their chocolate cake, white cake and their Bumpy Cake. They also do carry a carrot cake. if you’re unsure of your gal‘s favorite dessert, you could always pick up ice cream and hot fudge. My favorite dessert this time of year would be peppermint ice cream. Kroger carries Hudsonville, which is a company outside of Hudsonville, Michigan. They have excellent ice cream. In addition to their peppermint, mint chocolate chip is outstanding. You could serve hot fudge sundaes with the flavored ice creams or traditional vanilla. If you were in Florida, Publix carries their own brand of ice cream. I think their mint chocolate chip is an excellent substitute for the old Baskin-Robbins mint chocolate chip. They have other excellent flavors as well. Most grocery stores also carry baguettes (the long skinny loaf of French bread) either already baked or unbaked. You can always ask someone in the bakery section if they could give you one unbaked with directions to bake. Usually that would be to turn your oven too 375 or 400 and bake until done about 10 to 15 minutes. Watch it though. You’ll find a timeline below and all of this.
Setting a nice table or counter…
Make the place where you will be eating look nice. We have had a cozy dinner at the island in our kitchen, at the kitchen table or in front of the fireplace. Look around your place and decide on a cozy place for your dinner. If you don’t have matching plates, you can pick some up at Walmart very inexpensively and you can buy them separately. I have picked up solid, navy blue white and they also carry other colors as well. A tablecloth is nice, but not absolutely necessary. Set the table in advance so that your gal has something pretty to see when she arrives or when she enters the kitchen from getting ready. Set the table with appropriate silverware plate and glasses for wine and water (Remember, fork on the left of the dinner plate, on top or next to the napkin and knife and spoon on the right of the plate. Pick up a nice but not overly expensive wine unless wine is your area of knowledge and preference. Most gals are fine with what you will select. If you need help go to your local wine store and sometimes you can find someone at the grocery store who could steer you in the right direction. Flowers are a nice touch on the counter or table too.
CHARCUTERIE BOARD
Charcuterie board is a fancy word for a plate of appetizers. Of course, a board would be made of wood, think of a cutting board or a nice platter with a few snacks on it. This is a welcome touch to have with a glass of wine before dinner. This does not have to be fancy or over done. Most often, I have items in the kitchen pantry or fridge without having to pick up extra stuff at the grocery store. If your cupboard or fridge are bare, you may need to pick up a few things, but don’t overdo it and don’t buy stuff you normally wouldn’t purchase anyway. We’re talking some cheese (cheese you would normally have on hand so it won’t go to waste) such as cheese cheddar or Swiss, some nuts, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts, a few slices from your bread/French baguette/ crackers and maybe a little bowl of fruit like blueberries or raspberries. Again, you just want something to snack on anD, you don’t want to fill up and not enjoy the delicious dinner you have spent time planning, preparing and cooking.
Groceries List
-ORDER YOUR GRILLING PLANKS ON AMAZON NOW
-2 salmon fillets or order in advance from one of the sites mentioned.
-extra-virgin olive oil
-2 lemons
-Sea salt
-black peppercorns in a jar with a grinder
-2 sweet potatoes
-One bunch of asparagus
-unsalted butter
-nuts (almonds, pistachios, or walnuts)
-Swiss cheese or cheddar, buy a chunk either in the deli that you can cut into squares or buy a package
-one French baguette
-One package of blueberries or raspberries
-dessert either a cake from the bakery or ice cream and hot fudge
-If you do not have plates, pick up 2 dinner plates (2 smaller salad plates for cake or 2 bowls for ice cream sundaes) Kroger or Walmart carry plates, possibly other grocery stores as well.
-If you don’t have napkins on hand, pick them up in the aisle, where the paper towels are
-1 or two bottles of wine. Most people like a white or a rosé with fish, but get what you and your gal enjoy drinking
-a bunch of flowers. Get what looks fresh, unless you know your gal’s favorite flower
-2 sets of tongs
Time Line
A few days before, order your cedar plank(s) on Amazon
Day Before: Grocery shop, Get your clothes in mind, tidy up your place, flowers in a vase when you return from grocery store
Day Of:
-If you bought a frozen cake, let it defrost in the fridge, like when you come home from the grocery store. Day of, take it out of fridge and let it finish defrosting on the counter.
-Set table
-1.5 hours before:
-Make your Charcuterie Board or Platter
-Get your planks soaking in a bowl of water, completely submerged, about 1.5-1 hours before
-Wash your sweet potatoes, dry and poke a fork, place on a baking sheet
-butter on a little dish on the table, toss allow time to soften
-Preheat oven for sweet potatoes 425 degrees (make sure oven is on and you see the red/orange light on AND set temperature. When oven is hot, put sweet potatoes in set timer for 1 hour.
-Wash your asparagus, make your aluminum foil boat, place on a plate or baking sheet, so that olive oil/liquid doesn’t leak out. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
-Preheat your grill outdoors to medium high heat
-As oven heats for your sweet potatoes, get your salmon out of package, place on a plate as directed in Salmon recipe. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, juice 1 lemon squeezing 1/2 on each salmon filet. Place a slice of (second) lemon on each salmon fillet.
-While plank(s) is heating for the 3 minutes, add the asparagus in the foil boat to the grill, toss in a lemon slice.
-When grill is heated, lower heat-again as explained in directions above, heat planks for about 3 minutes on grill, then turn over and add salmon to each plank.
-Grill salmon on plank for about 8-9 minutes, with grill cover closed. Occasionally open to check on salmon & asparagus. DO NOT PLACE SALMON ON PLANKS THAT HAVE NOT SOAKED IN WATER, this could cause your salmon to catch on fire-not a good thing.
-When salmon and asparagus are done, turn off grill and remove each plank with tongs and get an additional set of tongs to lift foil boat with asparagus onto a plate.
-Sweet potatoes should be done now. Remove pan from oven. I like to serve with butter on the table to add once sweet potatoes are sliced open down the middle, like a regular Idaho baking potato, although sweet potatoes are so flavorful even without butter.
-When you take the sweet potatoes out of the oven, place the bread in either to warm-just for 2-3 minutes-or to bake if you purchased a baguette to bake. When bread is baked or warmed, it can be placed in a bread basket, lined with a dish towel or on a plate.
-Place food either on the serving plates or directly onto each plate.
Additional notes:
-Dim the lights, it just makes things more romantic.
-Nice background music also sets a nice tone. Either make your own playlist or find one of your favorite genres of music on Spotify or Apple Music. Here’s a playlist/soundtrack I made on Spotify for this post. Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3SU5LLWuvvgUXWt4P5eHpw?si=oa4kJfjMSq-f5n6GR9h1Fw&pi=XvzMtUWxQsuSt
-Dress for the occasion. This could mean a variety of things such as a nice pair of jeans/slacks, a sweater or a nice shirt. Spruce yourself up including a nice cologne.
-Candles can be a nice touch too. Just remember to blow them out. You don’t want to burn the house down. Flameless candles are also a good option or the chargeable little lamps you often see on restaurant tables now (see top photo on this). These can be found on Amazon and they come in a variety of colors/finishes. They add the light of a candle without the effort of a candle.
This week I think that is everything. This is your homework, to prepare and execute this dinner. Next week another great lesson on this topic to get you in tiptop shape for Valentine’s Day. I would love feedback on how it goes. Wishing you a great day and an even better night🌙
