For Valentine’s Day, Chef (that would be my husband) and Cook (that would be me) decided to spend the lover’s holiday at home. We both adore the kitchen and decided on a four-course dinner. Flipping coins for the courses, he pulled the starter and meat course, I, pasta and dessert.

The first course was a surprise; Charlie refused to tell me what he was preparing with the tomatoes and asparagus I saw him pull out of his grocery bag. While I did some prep work so my dishes were mise en place, Charlie put together a cheese plate with Mt. Townsend Creamery’s Seastack and Fromage, some water crackers, and dried cranberries. This was a freebie course – an oversized amouse bouche so to speak.

When I was finished rolling pasta, I sat and enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine from O.S. Winery in anticipation of the first course. Charlie brought to the table a ramekin filled with asparagus risotto set on a plate with a tomato and asparagus salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. He served it with a Portuguese white wine we picked up from our local wine shop, West Seattle Cellars. How could I possibly follow this act?

I hand made ravioli for the pasta course. I completely botched the first go round, but luckily had prepared enough filling for a second try. I baked a salmon fillet from the Loki Fish Company and mixed it with Mt. Townsend Creamery’s Fromage, lemon juice, and dill. The finished raviolis were dressed in a dill butter sauce.

For the meat course, Charlie put forth one of his Chef signatures. Marinating a t-bone steak for hours, letting it come to room temperature, then grilling on each side for a calculated amount of time to achieve the perfect doneness. He served it with a red wine and balsamic reduction that I was mopping off the serving plate. The dish was accompanied by a glass of Cuillin Hills Cabernet Franc.

I chose an old standby for dessert, the same one I made last Valentine’s Day – Chocolate Decadence. I couldn’t resist the heart-shaped cake oozing from the middle with chocolate. I topped it off with a dusting of powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Sharing the kitchen with my husband, showing off our cooking skills, spending hours eating and drinking wine; we should do this more often. I wonder how Chef and Cook will celebrate Valentine’s Day next year?

I promised Jerry Stokesberry I would cook it slowly. And cook that grass-fed chuck roast slowly I did. I had picked up some sweet potatoes from the market and imagined the two would marry well.

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This was my first visit to the West Seattle Farmers Market in weeks. I had missed the fresh vegetables, sustainable proteins, and the vendor smiles as they share their knowledge and tips for preparing their goods. I grabbed my Flip ‘n Tumble shopping and produce bags and headed to the market sans husband.

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I live in my kitchen, breathing flour and blinking butter, skating from the pantry, around the island, and back to the stove to stir. More concerned with my dish than the condition of my clothes, I rarely tie on an apron.  An extra step, a nuisance I once thought, until I owned a few. My husband and friends had to remind me at first, but I soon began to adore them. And adoration has quickly led to an obsession.

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The last Stratejoy ReFresh of 2009 was one of reflections. Too often we focus on the future and forget to turn around and see how far we have come. The ReFresh girls and I sat around the table and took turns shouting out our favorite book of 2009, favorite vacation, moment of power, etc. Then we took a few moments to write and reflect on the big things that we accomplished this year. Here are a few of my foodie favorites:

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Purchase or borrow unwanted tacky holiday sweater, wear it with pride, and gather in room of like-dressed people. Twelve months later, do it all again with a new/old (new for you), recycled, or swapped-with-a-friend sweater. Repeat for five years and here you are, at the 5th Annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party.

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Through the Twitter grapevine but mostly from the mouth of @LolaLocal, I discovered the Cascade Harvest Coalition’s Eat Local Challenge for Thanksgiving. I unofficially took on the challenge, but there was just one small glitch. My grandma-in-law is the sanctioned Thanksgiving chef in the family and I couldn’t step in and dictate her ingredient choices.

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When our friends Chris and Renee got engaged this past summer there was no question that Charlie and I would host an engagement celebration for them. After all, they did the same for us when Charlie got down on one knee. Three weeks ago we opened up our doors and a few bottles of champagne.

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This post is a salute to my heritage. I am in the midst of taking a food writing class and through explorations of my foodie past, I’ve found such a comfort in the Minnesota Hotdish. I have been working on an article to bring this gem to light. At the same time, I signed up to give a speech for my Toastmasters group. I researched once for two projects and this was the “humorous” speech I gave last week.

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“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” – Chinese Proverb

At FareStart, food is the tool that empowers lives, nourishes families, and builds communities. It is an organization that empowers homeless and disadvantaged men, women, and families to achieve self-sufficiency through life skills, job training, and employment in the food industry. It is the epitome of the famous Chinese Proverb.

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