Shabu Shabu in Manila! With Angus beef and huge prawns. Freaking delicious.

The wife surprised me with Prime Rib and Baked Potato.
Old fashioned, but great.

jambalaya
shrimp, chicken, 2 sausages

jambalaya
shrimp, chicken, 2 sausages
very good , if I do say so myself

Last night was braised short ribs and homemade fries.

Short rib was awesome.

Fries were good, but probably not worth the effort (or the smoke, for that matter).

Last night:
Lobels bone in Wagyu strip steak - the most I have ever spent on steaks, and while it was probably the best steak I've ever had, I don't think it was really worth the price of admission. Still awesome stuff tho.

Also cooked:
Cheddar bacon Brocolli quiche
Mushroom ragout on toast points (this was really tasty)

Last night was my turn to prepare Valentine's Day dinner for PURPLE so I cooked the following:

Jalapeño & Goat cheese stuffed Medjool Dates
Seared Scallops with Poblano Potato Puree
Coriander Crusted Halibut, Smoked Red Grapes & Swiss Chard Picadillo
"mini" Chocolate Covered Cheesecake

The Dates rocked. I can type up recipes if anybody wants anything in particular.

Last night I took my daughter out for Valentine's Day at Yutaka Sushi Bistro at her request:

Hari Hari Salad with Ginger Dressing
California roll
Soft shell crab roll (rocks my world!)
Ishiyaki Kobe Beef...cooked on hot river stones with onions, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms
Steamed rice
Kaki Age...mixed veggies, shrimp and scallop (kind of like a tempura frittata)
King Crab tempura with jalapeno vinaigrette

The kid eats most of the kobe beef and the good parts of the soft shell crab roll

last night(did not cook):
soy hamachi
mushroom risotto
seared sea bass

today(cooked):
soy seared okra with shredded broccoli and toasted almond slivers

can't wait for tonight!

Whole Wheat Parpadelle Bolognese
Below is the recipe I used from Mario Batali. I substituted Red Wine, minced panchetta instead of ground, and I added frozen peas near the end and baby arugala almost at the end. The arugala was really great in this.

Ragu Bolognese

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, finely, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 pound veal, ground
1 pound pork, ground
1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, ground
1/2 tube tomato paste
1 cup milk
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the veal, pork, and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Add the meat over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned. Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.

When ready to use, the cooked pasta should be added to a saucepan with the appropriate amount of hot ragu Bolognese, and tosses so that the pasta is evenly coated by the ragu.

Lazywoman's Red Sauce - my 11 yr. old loves it.

Take two large jars of good red sauce - I like Barilla, but sometimes combine jars depending on what's in my pantry and put into large saucepan.

Smash 6 or 7 cloves of garlic, add to sauce in saucepan.

Cut up 2 long sausages from butcher into cubes - my freezer was stocked with lamb sausage, but veal or beef work well, too.

Add to sauce.

Simmer sauce for 45min. or so. Serve over linguine.

Makes a rich, meaty and garlicky sauce.

Still dreaming of mushroom ravioli and that incredible sauce...
sigh...

Saturday Night Valentines Day meal for my girl:

Butternut squash & corn soup
Raw Yellowtail with chives, lemon zest, & white truffle oil
Seared Scallop w/white wine cream sauce
Parmesan Crab Souffle
Duck Leg Confit & Foie Gras
Venison Osso Bucco
Seared Medallions of Elk Tenderloin in a veal demi glace
Raspberry, blueberry, blackberry tart

Last night in Denver with our kids:

Beef Stew over Pasta
Baked Veggies
Salad
Apple Cobbler

Really good Thai food in Austin tonight.

Hea Austinites, check this out:

Little Thailand

BTW, chowhound is my new favorite website, after this one of course.

CWG - it sounds pretty good but it's waaaayy out there.

I didn't cook this, but I DID eat it...

WARM CEPE GELÉE pickled watermelon

PINK GRAPEFRUIT ginger, tarragon, black pepper

CALIFORNIA OSETRA CAVIAR sautéed bone marrow, beet gelée

SEA BREAM SASHIMI white soy, yuzu, chives

SOFT COOKED EGG YOLK spicy onion relish, bacon, parmesan foam

YUBA 'PAPARDELLE' coconut milk, curry spices

TURNIP-APPLE SOUP black tea gelée, shiso

HOKKAIDO SCALLOP WRAPPED IN ITS MOUSSELINE butter poached oyster, peppercress sauce

ROASTED SQUAB endive, sauce of hibiscus, foie gras and vanilla

ROLF BEELER GRUYERE TART miner's lettuce

BLOOD ORANGE SODA

WARM RUM BABA WITH VIETNAMESE COFFEE ICE CREAM mejool dates, pickled kumkuats

WARM FROTHY MALTED MILK crispy peanut butter cookie

Sounds like Coi. Okay, inside info. Also, sounds interesting!

-Al