This Valentine’s Day, my husband took me to the same restaurant he took me to on our first Valentine’s Day ten years ago. For some reason this number of years makes me feel old and young at the same time.
It was surprising how this evening became a measure of us. That perspective shift of seeing through your older eyes what you saw when you were young, and how some of those things weren’t out there but inside yourself. Like standing on your college campus, reading a childhood book, or seeing an old friend. The place was like a time capsule of our former selves.
Ten years ago, with our cubical job/company softball team/few years out of college eyes, the restaurant had seemed fancy. The menu, the wine, the atmosphere felt like we were participating in a grown up life that was just a bit ahead of our twenty-something lives. Now, after three kids, many travels, and well, a job where you take people out to dinner, we are there. The food wasn’t outrageously expensive, as it had seemed then, there weren’t uber chic surroundings, merely sophisticated ones, and, because an early wake up was sure to greet us the next day, we only had one bottle of wine instead of two (that explains a lot doesn’t it?)
But somehow, even though a place can change, food is unique in it’s ability to make a memory that is indelible. When I took one bite of the Filet, with a nice sip of Bordeaux, I was transported back to that Valentine’s Day, ten years ago, when I fell in love with my husband, and with good food.
A cheese plate with a French Sheep’s milk cheese, a blue and goat cheese, with honey and raisins. This is a good example of the measure of 10 years. This seemed fancy. Now, this is a regular pre-meal nosh at home.
Oeuf en Cocotte with Truffles, Pommes Purée, Marinated Chanterelles & Brioche – love the French towel it is served on!
Chermoula Braised Short Rib with Pommes Purée, Rainbow Carrots & Pickled Radish
Filet Au Poivre with Cognac Cream, Grilled Scallions, Green Peppercorns & Pommes Au Gratin
This was a tough choice because we make Filet Au Poivre a lot at home, in fact that is what we had for Christmas Dinner. But it was good and the addition of the cognac in the cream sauce and the green peppercorns were inspiring.
We are off for a week of skiing for school vacation week where I will be making more meals out of the Ski House Cookbook – I will let you know which one’s we love! I can’t wait to come back and buy lots of veggies and fish and have healthy meals and spring clean our house!
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