‘Good Morning
Honey, Wish you a Happy Valentine’s day’, calls up Adam and wishes his fiancée.
Extremely pleased Eve says, ‘Same to you sweetheart’. In a rush to go get ready
Adam says ‘Got to go for work, but I hope you remember our plans for the
Evening, we’re cooking dinner together, I’ll pick you up at Eight, or maybe a
bit early, cooking together will take some time,’ he adds wickedly. ‘All right
see you then, and have a good-day, I got to go too’, answers Eve.
Adam has something
else on his mind, he takes a half day, (he’s worked late in the evening a day
before to make up for it), and guess what! Eve has done the same. So off to the
market they both go (separately of course), to buy the ingredients for the dinner,
they have planned. Knowing how health
conscious Eve is Adam plans to surprise Eve with a smoothie and pasta for
dinner (before she arrives) and Eve knows that Adam simply loves fish cakes, so
she plans to make that.
Sharp at 7:45pm,
Eve hears the bell ring, and she gives a last minute look at the mirror before
opening the door. ‘You look gorgeous as usual’, says Adam ‘Let’s go, hungry aren't we?’ he says in good humor. ‘Sure we are, and cooking will take a while.
Bye mom, I’ll be back around 11’, says Eve to her mother and they both rush
off.
On reaching Eve
quietly goes to the kitchen and puts her packet, but well there’s a surprise
for Eve.
The table is laid,
candles are lit and so is the dinner!! And Adam is equally surprised and happy
with what Eve has got for him. As they say the way to a man’s heart is through
his stomach.
Adam seats Eve on
the dining chair and says ‘I’ll be back in a jiffy’, Eve can hear him whistling
and true to his words he’s back with 2 glasses of strawberry smoothies. ‘This is amazing,
and how did you make it?’ questions Eve. ‘It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 if you own
some KitchenAid products baby!’
STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
For a couple
INGREDIENTS
Yoghurt: 450gms; Honey: 2 tsps.; strawberries (sliced): 250gms.
Method
] Combine all ingredients in
the KitchenAid cordless hand blender.
] Use
the Puree until extremely smooth.
HOT FACT: Strawberries improve blood flow; and feed the capacity of
sexual and carnal desire. Strawberries tipped with chocolate can get the
ultimate in desire!
After the smoothie,
both go to the kitchen together, Eve with the KitchenAid stand mixer makes the
fish cakes while Adam rustles up the pasta for his darling. And they start with
their favorite main course. ‘You would have made an excellent Chef if not a
chemical Engineer, and what may I ask is the recipe for this, it’s just the way
I like it,’ says a mesmerized Eve. ‘Sure sweetie, and here it goes,’ shares
Adam.
PASTA
WITH MUSHROOMS IN BASIL SAUCE
Makes 2
Pasta: 150gms (made using the KitchenAid pasta attachment);
Basil leaves: 10 Gms; Lemon juice: 15 ml; Salt: as reqd; Olive oil: 8 ml; Mixed
mushrooms (regular, oyster, shitake):130 Gms; Vegetable stock: 75ml; Rocket
leaves: a large handful; Parmesan shavings: Accompaniment/garnish.
Method
] Boil
pasta for 5-6 minutes. Drain and keep warm
] Chop
basil finely and put into a small bowl with the lemon juice and 4 ml of the
olive oil.
] Heat the
remaining oil in a thick based frying pan and fry mushrooms over high heat for
about 3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and continue cooking until the
mushrooms have softened and stock evaporated.
] Pour
basil sauce over the mushrooms. Add the cooked pasta and rocket leaves to it
and toss. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with parmesan shavings.
‘And darling how do
you make the fish cakes, I just love them’, says Adam. ‘It’s really simple and
easy when you know it.’
FISH
CAKES WITH CUCUMBER RELISH
Makes about12 cakes
Fish fillet (sole):
300 Gms; Red curry paste: 25 ml; Egg: 1 no; Granulated sugar: 5 gms; Corn
flour: 30 Gms; Kaffir lime leaf: 1 no; Coriander (chopped): 15 Gms; Green beans
(finely sliced): 50 Gms; Oil: For frying.
Relish
Rice vinegar: 60
ml; water: 60 ml; Sugar: 50 Gms; pickled garlic: 1 head; cucumber (quartered
and sliced): 1 no; spring onions (finely chopped): 100 Gms; Ginger (finely
chopped): 20 Gms.
Method
] Relish: - Bring
vinegar, water and sugar mixture to a boil, stir till sugar dissolves. Remove
from heat and cool. Combine the rest of the relish mixture in a bowl and pour
vinegar mixture.
] Combine
the fish, curry paste and egg in the KitchenAid chopper
attachment and process well. Transfer to a bowl and add in the
rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
] Mold and
shape mixture into cakes.
] Heat oil
in a wok or deep fat fryer, fry the cakes for 4-5 minutes or golden brown,
serve hot with relish.
‘So, honey what we do for dessert, should we
make that together?’ suggests Adam naughtily. ‘Yes, sure, we’ll have fresh a wild berry sorbet, that’s simple, easy to fix with the KitchenAid
ice-cream attachment and just delicious and very valentine!’ adds
Eve with innocence.
