Valentines Dinner 2010!

FOR the fourth year in a row, Sean and I decided to stay in for Valentines dinner. The past three years we have ordered out Italian food from our local favorite Italian restaurant, Marios by the Sea, but as the "cooking" bug has recently bit me this year we decided to cook at home together. That and our year of vegetariasm wouldn't allow us to devour the infamous "Chicken Mario".

We were both on the look out for authentic Italian dishes and found a good number of them on the endless steam of internet web pages. Personally, I wanted something a bit more time consuming and challenging to make AND as always, something new and exotic! We settled on...

Sicilian Vegetable Stew:

We had a good time in the kitchen, some kitchen boogie and kisses added romantic Valentines festivity, fun and flair! After about two hours of prepping all our ingredients were laid out beautifully and ready for action.



It took about another hour of frying, sauteing, mixing, tasting and simmering. We baked a loaf of bread with fresh garlic and butter to serve on the side. Probably not in line with our "authentic Italin" dish but it is one of my favorite indulgences and seeing as it was Valentines Day...I just couldn't resist. Choosing to eat it warm (the alternative and traditional way being served cold like a brushetta) with our bread, we sat down for dinner shortly after the stew was finished.

Toasting at the table with one candle lit, a delicious creation and an inexpensive Sicilian wine from Trader Joe's in hand made this the most memorable and my favorite Valentines Day to date. Dessert menu and details have been censored.

Thank you, husband!

XOXO