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Calling all the ladies in the house

Steven FordSteven Ford
in Community Forum 🏠

Okay at last week's race I had a bet with a fellow club member, If I beat her by 30 minutes she would make dinner and if I did not I have to make dinner for her and make it a class. So I figured out a few things but want the ladies in the house opinon on the main course.

For when we start I figured we would make mini pizzas with fresh tomatoes and basil, figured this would be while we set up.

Salad would be Mix baby greens with honey/balsamic vinegar dressing  roasted pecans and cranberries.

Intermizzo (sp) would be sorbet with champagne to cleanse palate

Main course..............

 Homemade Bread.

Dessert would be an apple tart with homemade vanilla bean ice cream

So what should the main course be? What would a lady want to learn to make to impress someone?

I know if I won I probably would of got canned macaroni and cheese.

Comments

  • jburbattjburbatt
    My "cooking to impress" meals are generally some kind of long, slow, braised dish (osso bucco, short ribs, beef bourguignon) since I can assemble and start it cooking ahead of time, with no worries about cooking while entertaining someone. You could always make it first, then go on to making/showing the other stuff, and it would be close to ready to go by dinner time. Then I just switch it out of the oven with the dessert. image Ha, feels like I'm giving away state secrets!
  • KitbooKitboo
    My DH is a meat-a-tarian (thanks of the term, Michele!). I had him at the 6 pound Herb Crusted Rib Roast. Carving it at the dinner table was quite the gastronomic foreplay. Ha!
  • rah2774rah2774

    I think both responses given are very good... and have another few thoughts to add...

    1) anything on a grill, assuming your subject owns a grill and assuming she's like most women and rarely, if ever uses it (I had one for years and it only got used when a guy was over and acting as grill master).  Heck, you can roast cornish hens on a grill/use a rottisserie for a turkey... do some really cool stuff.  Including making yummy grilled veggie cabobs as a side.

    2) fish.  it's typically easy to do, but something about actually buying it and cooking it is a bit difficult for some.  I got over the fear, but I admit I had it for a while. 

    this would be a lesson in good things that don't have to be hard to make. 

    good luck!

  • Beth_SBeth_S
    All good thoughts -- I'd go for impressive-sounding food, too. The seduction of food begins with the anticipation of a name:

    Julia's recipe for beef bourguinon.

    Salmon tarator.

    Roast chicken with truffle slices.

    Or, you know, anything with lobster:

    Neil Perry's lobster over soba noodles.

    And you can't fail with a bone-in ribeye, perfectly cooked, with a little bit of lemony spinach on the side.
  • ginagina

    "The seduction of food".

    LOVE THAT!!

  • Beth_SBeth_S

    Gina, have you read any Jim Harrison? This is one of my favorite books.  Serious manual on the seductive powers of food. 

  • ginagina
    Posted By Beth Schwindt on 14 Jul 2010 08:25 PM

    Gina, have you read any Jim Harrison? This is one of my favorite books.  Serious manual on the seductive powers of food. 

     

    (Not to hijack the thread)

    NO, have not read any of his books, and will have to pick up a copy.

    Some of my favorite foodie reads:

    The Art of Eating- M.F.K. Fisher

    On Food & Cooking- Harold McGee

    The Apprentice- Jacques Pepin

    My Life in France- Julia Child

    The Soul of a Chef & The Making of a Chef- Michael Ruhlman

    Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- Barbara Kingsolver

    Assorted works by Mr. Bourdain & Mr. Pollan

     

    Ahhh, so much good food to enjoy....

  • penlynwilsonpenlynwilson
    Steven: If you're going grilling. . . you can also grill the pizzas. Oil the grill down first, roll the dough thin, a couple of minutes on each side, add topping, throw back on the grill for a couple of minutes. YUM!

  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    OK- I have very little to add here since I'm not much of a cook (Joe is the cook in this house). But if I were on the receiving side of this bet payoff, I'd be looking for something I could learn and then feel comfortable I could make on my own for company (or even just myself). So something that isn't too intimidating and yet useful. Therefore the grill sounds like a great idea.
  • Steven FordSteven Ford

    The grill is out for the main course anyways, the place she moved after her divorce does not have grills

    Yes something she can easily do at home.

     

  • tuckermtuckerm

    I know you are looking for the ladies input here but figured I could lend a hand as like to fancy myself a cook.  I have found that women always love when  Imake scallops.  Favorite seems to be grilled scallops with an avocado puree with a jalpeno pesto served on a nice tortilla chip.  Can either be a main or an appetizer.

    So how much did you lose the bet by?

  • Steven FordSteven Ford

    I beat her by 20 minutes, which I think is more than enough in a olympic race.

     

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