Dinner Disaster

I can't always be Susie Homemaker and the other night's dinner was the PERFECT example....to bad it had to be the Valentine's dinner I made mr. wonderful

Here is how it was SUPPOSED to go -

Roasted thyme potatoes * shitake mushroom dusted juicy steak * crabcakes with lemon aoili sauce * creme brulee - all cooked to perfection with love for my hubby!

{I was even going to look super cute doing it with my new apron!}

Here is how it REALLY went -

1.No roasted potatoes...because I forgot to buy them - enter instant mashed potatoes {do not judge, they were a last ditch effort!}

2. No shitake mushroom dust {no that is not a reference to drugs folks lol} because apparently no grocery stores in the freaking city carry dried shitake mushrooms

3. No juicy steak because ladies and gentlemen, luck just wasn't on my side this time - seriously I must have gotten the toughest steak in HEB!

4. Still on the steak, the amount of smoke that filled my kitchen {and entire house} as I tried to grill them on my griddle created a gag worthy romantic scene!

5. The crab cakes tasted wonderful...but would be better called crab cake pieces as I had a grease filled pan with tiny crab cake pieces floating around while they burned fried

6. If you have never made a lemon aioli to go with your crab cakes...do it. It is wonderful...when it works correctly. Without turing into your 5th grade science teacher...you are basically causing a chemical reaction when you combine the water and oil at a high speed and forming a very thick creamy sauce. 3rd times the charm right??

7. I will pat myself on the back for the creme brulee though because while I could have made 16 dinners in the time it takes to make one batch of creme brulee...my hubby sure scarfed it down. {willingly}

{This is the only picture you will get - as all the others went up in smoke...haha...get it? no? okay anyways}

And after all this...I didn't even remember to put on the damn apron...so when hubby got home I was barefoot, still in my work clothes and sweating from all the smoke...Happy Valentine's Day babe!

P.S. - here is the wonderful creme brulee recipe I used!
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup white granulated or light brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a heavy-bottomed medium non-reactive saucepan, heat cream with vanilla bean over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to ensure it does not burn; do not let boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla bean, or save for another use. Strain cream through a fine mesh sieve.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar. Add about half the cream mixture, a little at a time, to the egg mixture, whisking until well blended. Then pour the egg mixture into the remaining cream mixture. Stir until completely blended.

Pour the custard into 4 (9-ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Place the dishes in large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mixture is set in the center (it should still wiggle when shaken). Carefully remove the dishes from the baking pan. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. Let creme brulee stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Divide 1/3 to 1/2 cup white or light brown sugar in a thin, even layer over each custard, covering it completely. To caramelize the sugar, light a propane torch* and hold it so the flame just touches the surface. Start at the center and spiral out toward the edges of the ramekins. If the sugar begins to burn, pull the torch away and blow on the sugar to extinguish the flame. Serve immediately.


- Lindsey Nicole