Yes!

As I had hoped, my Valentine’s Day meal was a crazazy success! Yeah, I put an extra “za” in that word.

It was just that good.

See for yourself!

I put a little water in the bottom of a pan like the Gourmet Guide that came with my package said. I split the shells down the center with a sharp knife. Then I placed the thawed lobster tails in the water with a dollop of butter on each of them — right down inside the split. I then baked them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so.

I kept checking them to see if the meat was nice and white yet. And when it was, and the shells were a beautiful shade of red, I took them out and served them with the yummy sirloin steaks we had grilled.

Here’s a closeup. Brace yourself . . .

I melted some butter and mixed it with a bit of Tabasco for dipping. (That’s how he rolls.)

It was definitely a meal to remember. And it was a Valentine’s Day that was as memorable as the time I baked my now-husband cupcakes and delivered them to his apartment while he was on a date with someone else. 

Our relationship was, how shall we say, undefined at that time.

But we’ve got it all figured out now and we can concentrate on more important things like what mouth-watering recipe we’re going to try next.

Oh yeah, and the kids’ college funds, the mortgage, car payments, retirement plans . . .

Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day, too!

I took my boxes of top sirloin and lobster tails out of the freezer.

This is what they looked like when I opened them up. . . 

Vacuum-packed for freshness. I can feel my mouth watering already. Not yet, Dena. Not yet. You’re not a lion. These have to be cooked. (And thawed first.)

I spread these out so that they can thaw thoroughly. In a few hours the steaks will be ready for a marinade or rub. I still haven’t decided.

I’m ready to take in the intoxicating smells of warm lobster tails mixed with the distinct aroma of freshly-grilled steaks.

My Valentine will be so impressed. And pleased, I hope. Lobster is a treat in our part of the country.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! May your day be filled with lots of love and great food!

All right, enough with the corny stuff. . .

I am so pumped I think I’m going to burst!

Tomorrow, I get to enjoy a dinner of lobster tails and steak with my Valentine. Sirloin, to be exact.

I’m going to take the steaks and tails out of the freezer tonight and let them thaw in the refrigerator tomorrow. Then, I think I’ll marinate those steaks in something scrumptious.

How does this marinade sound?

Yeah, the iPod’s all juiced up with some Frank Sinatra, Evanescence and Garth Brooks.

It may not sound romantic to you, but to each his own, right?

She gets too hungry, for dinner at eight . . .

Valentine’s Day is just two days away. 

And I hope you’re not one of those unfortunate souls who stress about it. Just make your sweetie an out-of-this-world dinner!

Hey, I’ve said it before, the way to anyone’s heart in my family is through their stomach.

And if you make enough for leftovers this weekend? Fuhgeddaboudit!

So here’s a great recipe for a spicy ribeye rub — though I’m sure it would be fantastic on any cut of steak!

Spicy BBQ Tomato Wet Rub
Makes enough for 4 to 6 Ribeyes

1/2 C. Tomato Powder
1/8 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Pacifica Culinaria Roasted Chili Avocado Oil
(If this is unavailble use a neutral oil, such as canola
and add an additional teaspoon of chili powder)
2 T. Chili Powder
2 Cloves Finely Chopped Garlic
1 T. Finely Chopped Shallot
2 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 T. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
3 Dashes Hot Sauce

Combine all ingredients till it forms a paste,
add water if necessary to create a nice thick
paste.  Bring beef to room temperature, then
salt and pepper it.  Coat all sides of the meat
with the paste and rub into the meat well.
Let meat sit in the paste for at least an hour,
then grill.

My brother and I (and our spouses) feted our parents on their 40th anniversary this weekend.

A celebration of 40 years of marriage is certainly a special occasion and we were all really excited about it.

And how else would we celebrate it but with food?

The only thing my parents wanted to do was come together over a great meal. So that’s what we did.

We had everything under the sun: salmon, boneless chicken breasts and, of course, steak. Yum.

What better way is there to toast a lifetime of commitment, perseverance and love? It’s what we’ve done for my entire life in my family. Great food makes us feel warm, taken care of and loved.

So happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. Thanks for the amazing example you set. We’ll be celebrating with great food for the next 40 years as well.

Look what appeared on my doorstep today!

It’s my order of lobster tails and top sirloin steaks that I’m going to prepare for my special Valentine!

I decided to mix it up a little and go for the sirloin. Gotta keep him guessing.

Here’s what it looked like when I opened it up. . .

That dry ice rocks! Everything was still really cold so I put the two boxes of meat directly in the freezer.

I like the reusable styrofoam cooler, too. It’ll come in handy the next time I brine a turkey.

I am excited to make this meal for Valentine’s Day next week. The only problem will be the waiting!

My neighborhood is filled with very colorful, friendly people. But my favorite has to be our next-door neighbor Eddie.

Eddie grew up in the Bronx in an Italian-American family. His father ran a butcher shop. And his mom was/is an amazing cook. So you know he grew up on great food made with incredible family recipes.

Whenever we get together with Eddie and his family we always end up talking about food. Eddie’s the cook in his house and he’s always making something really yummy.

Lately, he’s been calling us to meet him out by the back fence we share. It reminds me of the neighbor on the TV show “Home Improvement.” You never saw the neighbor’s face on that show — only his eyes. Eddie then hands over a steaming Pyrex dish of something delectable and we go inside and devour it.

Where the “drop-offs” occur 

A couple of weeks ago our treat was his homemade spaghetti with meat sauce made with sausage and tender ground beef.

We acted like animals at the zoo at feeding time. We had to hold ourselves back from licking the dish.

Then yesterday, right at dinnertime, he filled that dish again with rigatoni in a creamy vodka sauce. It was like Christmas had come early.

My next mission? Getting him to make Steak Pizzaiola.

Check out the Steak Recipes tab to the right here. There’s a yummy recipe for Steak Pizzaiola there.

I’m interested to see what Eddie’s will taste like. That fence is looking lonely. . .

To me, this photo is the perfect Valentine’s dinner. I’m a simple gal.

But my husband likes things a little fancier. He’s a fantastic gift-giver and he’d put a fourth mortgage on the house just to buy me something sparkly for V-Day.

He’s a sweet man. But that puts a lot of pressure on a girl to come up with something nice to give him on special occasions.

This year, though, I’ve got it all worked out.

We went to visit some dear friends in Boston this fall. Our trip was amazing. They actually live in a seaside town right on the water and the fall colors were beginning to pop around their property.

We watched the Red Sox win the World Series on TV during our stay and almost every night we went to a new place for steak and lobster. It doesn’t get much better than that.

You’d think we’d tire of the same meal, but we couldn’t get enough.

Sadly, we haven’t had lobster since.

So. . . this Valentine’s Day, I have ordered this steak and lobster tail combo. Since we can’t go to the lobster, I’m bringing the lobster to us.

My husband will be thrilled and I get to pat myself on the back. Finally.

My order should arrive tomorrow (or is it Friday?) So I’ll just have to enforce the “no peeking” rule when going in the freezer.

I’ll let you know how it works out!

What’s not to love about a recipe that mixes margaritas, GARLIC and steak? My friends, I cannot think of a thing.

So try this one the next time you’re feeling spicy!

From Loanne in Texas
Margaritas Chipotle Steak with Grilled Avocadoes
Enough for 2 lbs. Sirloin or London Broil Steak

Ingredients for Marinade:
¼ C. Soy Sauce
¼ C. Frozen Concentrated Margarita Mix, thawed
2 T. Tequila
1 T. Grated Garlic Cloves
1 tsp. Ground Chipotle Pepper

8 Dinner flour tortillas
4 Large Hass avocadoes

Mix all ingredients for marinade.  Marinate steaks in this mixture for 30 – 45 minutes. 

Grill steak just 5 – 7 minutes per side or to desired doneness. 

Let rest, then slice into thin slices, against the grain. 

Warm tortillas on periphery of grill. 

Cut avocadoes in half and remove pit, but don’t peel. 

Brush avocado with oil and place cut side down on grill until barbecue marks appear. 

Scoop out avocado flesh and divide over tortillas. 

Divide steak slices over tortillas and wrap with avocado into a cone. 

Eat warm.

Every year, my father, my brother and my husband go to Las Vegas for Super Bowl festivities. And this year was no different.

Meanwhile, the ladies take full advantage of the weekend, doing things together that our guys do not enjoy.

My father has a “thing” against garlic. We don’t know why. We don’t understand it. We just accept it.

So, when the cats are away, the mice will play. . .

We had a “Garlic Fest.”

Mushrooms stuffed with spinach, onions and garlic. Chicken parmesan made with boneless chicken breasts and bread crumbs sauteed in roasted garlic olive oil and a rich tomato sauce swimming in garlic.

And, of course, garlic bread.

The house smelled heavenly. And still does, I might add.

Garlic Fest had to be held at my house so that my father will not see or smell a trace of it. We think he might be a vampire, but we’re not sure.

The Giants won the Super Bowl — an incredible feat. But I’m still not sure it was as big a victory as pulling off Garlic Fest.

Why didn’t I grill some garlicky steaks, you may ask?

‘Cause my husband would kill me. He would feel so betrayed if I made a great steak meal without him.

Oh, the sacrifices I make . . .