What can I make as a special dinner?

Seafood alfredo??/i’ll be right over! ;))That sounds like a great dinner.I’m sure whatever you make will be great!After all,it is really about the company :))

Have you ever heard the old saying, “the way to a mans heart is through his stomach”? this saying must really be true, since my wife is a great cook and keeps her hubby well-fed. this is one of my favorites and its simple and men love it….a pot roast dinner made in a slow-cooker overnight. buy a 2–3 pound nice pot roast. salt and pepper each side. place in slow-cooker. add potatoes cut into four sections, carrots, celery and lots of onions cut into small pieces. cover with water about halfway and cook on low overnight. the smell will drive him crazy. be sure to serve right out of the slow-cooker. there will be plenty left over to freeze for another night down the road. i hope he’s made happy.

@john65pennington – I’m making dinner for tonight so overnight isn’t an option, although I will def keep that in mind for next time. And I totally agree- if his belly is happy, he’s happy.

Ask him – then make what he asks for – that would be special.

Fondue is always great .. and easy. You can make cheese fondue and dip bread cubes or veggies, or use oil and cook beef, veggies, shrimp, etc. Fondue makers, both plain and electric, are inexpensive, and come with long forks. Guests love fondue cooking. Just serve with a big salad and you’ve got a great dinner.

Ultimate Toad in the hole

A British classic

With due respect to Zen_Again, a surprise would be more fun.

Seafood Royale Casserole

1 lb. cooked, cleaned shrimp (frozen works fine)
1 lb. crab meat (canned works fine)
2 cans cream of shrimp soup (or shrimp bisque)
¾ c. milk
½ c. mayonnaise
Sm. onion, chopped
1½ c. celery, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
5 oz. water chestnuts, sliced
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. sherry (or cooking sherry)
Salt and pepper
Paprika
½ cup slivered almonds
2 c. cooked rice

Mix soup with milk and mayonnaise. Add remaining ingredients, except for rice, and blend. Layer rice in buttered casserole. Cover with seafood mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and slivered almonds. Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Or, instead of making the casserole, you can combine the ingredients (leaving out the almonds), transfer to a saucepan, and heat over medium heat for about 10 – 15 minutes. Serve over cooked linguine.

What about a lobster dinner?

Hmmm… so I guess my biggest problem is I don’t mind spending all morning getting the ingredients together then pretty much the rest of the day making it but here are some things I’ve made in the last few months for special occasions

starters: lobster napoleon, virginia (smithfield) ham and morel fettuccine, celery root bisque, french onion soup with homemade stock, garlic chips, tea steamed bass
main courses: rack of lamb with barley and wild mushrooms, arctic char with ratatouille and butter garlic sauce, salmon chops with black truffle, roast rabbit with bacon
sides: sweet corn sauté, garlic custard, spaetzle, caramelized fennel
desert: dark chocolate and mint truffles, candied orange peel, cinnamon ice cream

everything there can be made in a day, even the ice cream, but you’d need to start that now.

Pretty much anything you do will make him happy, that’s really what these kinds of things are all about. I’d suggest doing something together, you get to spend more time together and share in the process which always make the end result (good or bad) that much more special.

For something along those lines I’d suggest: home made fettuccine with roasted foie gras and morel mushrooms with a side of garlic custard.

Regardless of what you do, this pasta recipe has to be consistently one of the best I’ve used:

8oz all purpose flour
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1½ tsp olive oil
1 tb whole milk

make a well from the flour large enough to hold all the eggs.
add everything to the well, breaking up the eggs with your fingers.
slowly turn the mixture in a circular motion with your fingers keeping everything in the well.
keep turning, slowly (very important or it gets lumpy) incorporating all the flour.
once it’s too think to turn, cut the remaining flour into the dough.
at this point it should look a bit shaggy, form it into a ball.
knead the dough with the heal of your hand pushing forward, reform the ball, repeat 4–5 times.
your dough should be moist but not sticky; for it into a ball.
clean your work surface, dust it with flour.
kneed the dough (as you have been) until it’s silky smooth and snaps back when pulled with a finger.
It is NOT possible to over kneed the dough, I often do this for 25 minutes.
once smooth and snappy roll into a ball, double wrap in plastic wrap, let rest in the fridge for 30–60 minutes.
roll out and cut as desired, cook with “sea-water” until desired doneness.

@RareDenver What do the British know? They eat Spotted Dick!

@filmfann our cuisine is wonderful Sunday Roast Fish & Chips Tea and scones

How about reversing things and making a “taste of winter” dinner? Either chili with all the fixings (corn bread, grated cheese, sour cream) or braised short ribs, roasted potatoes and root vegetables would be nice wintery meals. You could start with a butternut squash or pumpkin soup.

Since he did the delicious summer picnic food spread, how about you do the delicious summer picnic food spread with a little posh? Everything you can pick up in the grocery and basically rinse, chop and serve:

Dungeness crab: rinse, break apart and chill (covered with wet towels)
King Crab legs: rinse, crack along the length and chill (covered with wet towels)
A few giant prawns to serve as “peel & eat”: boil a few minutes then chill
1 jar of cocktail sauce
several lemons, pick the heaviest ones you can since they will be juiciest inside
Baguette or loaf of sourdough bread
Wedge of ripe brie cheese or triple cream spreadable bleu
Small tub of mixed marinated olives: deli section or buy a jar of mixed to drain, cover in olive oil, cracked black pepper and minced parsley
1 gargantuan artichoke to steam or 1 bunch of asparagus to lightly blanch and chill so you can eat them with your hands
A tub of fruit ice/sorbet

If my girlfriend happens to read this I would like Manicotti with garlic bread and a small spinach salad.

This all sounds sooo delicious. I’m headed to the grocery store with lists of all the possibilities..

@filmfann – I think I will live the spotted dick at the grocery store :P