One of the things I miss the most about being single is cooking for the one you love. And sure I have amazing girlfriends, with families, who are willing guinea pigs. But sometimes you just want to cook a meal for your significant other, something a little gourmet, a little sexy and a little bit of a set up for romance...oh crap what is happening to me...I am supposed to be the least romantic person on the face of the planet.



However, thanks to this amazing journey I am learning how to take time for myself and to truly savor and enjoy every moment of my life...and tonight that is exactly what it was all about. It was about celebrating and loving myself and doing something that I love...spending time in the kitchen, enjoying the culinary experience and a good glass of wine.

So tonight I decided to take myself on a date. Just like other dates the excitement starts with the anticipation. So today I started thinking of what I wanted to make, which wine I wanted to serve and the ambiance. When I got home from my day I started the evening by pouring myself a glass of wine...King Fu Girl Riesling, which is a drier citrusy Riesling from Washington State...with a kick ass label. I also turned on some smooth jazz, put the flowers I bought myself in a vase and I started cooking.

My menu included Gorgonzola polenta and a shrimp asparagus saute with gremolata. Gremolata, if you are unfamiliar with it, is a chopped herb condiment, normally made with parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Ok I was pretty happy that this was a date for one, since the gremolata I made was packed full of garlic, and kissing just wouldn't be super sexy after eating it.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with my meal. However, I do have to say that although I loved the polenta and I loved the shrimp with gremolata...I just wasn't super thrilled with them together. So next time when I make these two dishes again they will be made separately. However, since they were made with love it was the experience of sitting at a table, looking at the candle light and savoring my meal that truly made my night.

The polenta was incredibly easy to make. Boil 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of milk with a pinch of salt. Whisk in 3/4 cup of polenta and cook until thickened. Take it off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of Gorgonzola. Holy yum!!

The shrimp dish came from Cooking Light. You can make the gremolata ahead of time, so you can savor a glass of wine prior to your meal. The gremolata is made with parsley, salt, pepper, lemon zest and garlic.

Next saute the asparagus in olive oil for 3 minutes. Take it off the heat and keep it warm. Next saute the shrimp in additional olive oil until it is no longer pink. Add the asparagus back into the pan and add some salt and pepper. Serve with the gremolata on top. Voila!!


Gremolata:
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Shrimp:
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

1. To prepare gremolata, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside.
2. To prepare shrimp, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add asparagus to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove asparagus from pan; keep warm.
3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle evenly with gremolata.

Hope you all have an incredible weekend filled with love, laughter and amazing food/wine. It is now time for me to go back to my date...probably should watch some cheesy Hugh Grant movie or something, right? Cheers!