Cooking Together

title COOKING TOGETHER

BY JIM MATHIS

Maybe it’s because I’m obsessed with food, but I think sharing a meal with your partner is probably the second most intimate thing you can do. (Please don’t make me elaborate on the first, this is a family publication!)

And if ever there was a time for a romantic dinner, it’s Valentine’s Day. Ladies, if you make this for your man, I’m pretty sure we’ll have a lot of happy guys in Sioux Falls on February 15. But for best results, get in the kitchen and cook together. Trust me, if eating together is good, cooking together is even better.

Now, if you want to go out for dinner, more power to you. Local restaurants will be rolling out the red carpets for Valentine diners. But here’s the rub, the best reservations will fill up fast. And as I check my “Decade at a GlanceTM”, this February 14 is on a Friday this year, so restaurants that are normally busy will fill up even faster. Many small independent restaurants will fill up with regulars making reservations weeks in advance. And the bigger places will be booked solid a week in advance. While I understand the appeal of dining out and encourage it on many nights, I think this Valentine’s Day if you want to really find the way to the heart

of that special someone, it’s time to head to the kitchen.

So what do I recommend to set the mood and pave the way to each other’s hearts? Follow along my friends; I think this meal just might do the trick!

My idea of the perfect Valentine’s meal is simple and sensual. Most importantly, you’ll be making it together. If one of you typically does the cooking, your partner may feel like the best thing they can do to help is stay out of the kitchen. I know that I am often guilty of answering Kara’s offers to help with “you can set the table.” If that’s you, or even worse, if you’re cooking and your husband is glued to ESPN, now is the chance to remind him of the times you followed him to stadiums and racetracks. It’s his turn to join you in the kitchen.

With Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday, you may want to send the kids to Gramm’s or a friend’s house, but you should make those plans early too. Or maybe work with another couple and have them take the kids on Friday and you take them Saturday night so your friends can celebrate then.

First, open a nice bottle of wine, a semi-dry white like Sauvignon

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Blanc or Chenin Blanc will work. You need a little for the soup, but pour a couple of glasses to set the mood. I always seem to cook better with a little wine.

Sage Brush Shrimp Appetizer 4 large shrimp (10 to 15 per pound size) Fresh sage leaves 4 slices prosciutto (very thin) Olive oil Salt and pepper

Peel and de-vein the shrimp then season lightly with salt and pepper. If your man isn’t comfortable in the kitchen, peeling shrimp could be a good way for him to start to get in the groove. Place a single sage leaf along the space where the shrimp’s vein was. Now wrap prosciutto around each shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and sear them on each side. When the prosciutto gets crispy and the shrimp turn opaque, they are done. Don’t over cook or they will get tough. You’re cooking together, it’s just that easy.

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Roasted Carrot Soup 1 pound carrots, peeled, sliced 1 small yellow onion, quartered 3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 cups chicken stock (the kind that comes in the box) ½ cup white wine 1 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon dry sherry Salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Even a kitchen novice can peel carrots, and if your guy is like most, he’ll enjoy the chance to play with sharp objects. Toss the carrots, garlic and onion in olive oil and spread out on a sheet pan, then season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the carrots just start to brown on the edges. Bring chicken stock and wine to a boil in a sauce pan, then reduce to simmer. If the carrots aren’t cooked all the way through, add the veggies to broth and cook until the carrots are soft. Remove 5 or 6 small pieces of carrot and set aside.

Puree the broth, wine and veggies in a blender until smooth. Return to the sauce pan to keep warm, stir in the sherry, salt and pepper to taste. When you’re ready to serve, garnish the bowls with the remaining carrot chunks.

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Filet Mignon Topped with Blue Cheese 2 8-ounce beef filet mignon 2 tablespoon olive oil Small wedge of good blue cheese (Maytag or Point Reyes are solid choices) Salt and pepper

Turn the oven up to 450 degrees, and at the same time heat an oven safe skillet (not a non-stick) on the stove over medium high heat. Rub the steaks with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook steaks in skillet without moving steaks, until browned and a nice crust has formed. This will take about 3 minutes per side. Move the skillet and steaks to the oven. Roast 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare (centers will appear pink and feel firm but juicy). The internal temp should be about 125 degrees. If you prefer medium, roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Put the steaks on a plate and top with about a tablespoon of the blue cheese. Tent loosely with foil to let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

You may want to add some potatoes, veggies or couscous, but this will cover the big parts of the meal. And by the time the steaks are done, you should be ready for the second bottle of wine, maybe a nice Cabernet or Pinot Noir. Now if juicy shrimp, a sexy carrot soup, tender steaks and two bottles of wine doesn’t set the mood, then I don’t know what will.

Do yourself a favor, eat something good today. Jim is a hopeless romantic who works side-by-side with his bride everyday at ADwërks, an ad agency in Downtown Sioux Falls.

February 25-26 7:30 p.m.