I set down my spatula, sipped from my glass of Mad Housewife, and smiled at her. There it was—life could be so simple. A glass of wine, a friend, in the kitchen. There is no crisis that a fine dinner can’t diminish, that a roasted quail can’t quell, no problem that cannot be forgotten when engrossed in a new recipe, no distraught friend who cannot be calmed by the heavenly aroma of garlic browning in butter. Creating food soothes the soul. It renews us. When our love is thwarted, food allows us to express our love. When our talents are unrecognized, food offers us a creative pallet. We daub in the butter and sprinkle on the almonds like kisses, whip up egg whites like a frenetic love dance. Our hearts pound with excitement, with the joy of creativity. And when we present our fabulous dish to an appreciative audience, life seems simple and good. The secret to life is not wine, women, and song, but wine, women, and a great new recipe! I am quite sure that the transient nature of domestic bliss is wholly attributable to the short amount of time modern couples spend in the kitchen. If I ever open up a counseling service called Wise Old Women, my first sage advice will be, “learn to cook!” So have a glass of wine and enter the kitchen. Your problems will sort themselves out. Give it time. Meanwhile, try cooking up this elegant but simple recipe with salmon and shrimp all in a lovely wine sauce. Ah, the aromas, the colors, the textures! Now don’t you feel better already? Salmon with Shrimp in Wine Broth Peggy dropped by late afternoon, complaining about the usual—her husband, her mother-in-law, her three boys, and her tick-infested, skunk-loving, epileptic Irish Setter. I poured her a glass of Mad Housewife wine. She took a sip and looked at me as if I had rescued her. She ranted for nearly a half hour before she realized that I was doing something in the kitchen.
“What’s for dinner?” she asked.
This dish for two looks ever so fancy, but is easy to make, and is absolutely delicious. 2 salmon fillets 8 jumbo shrimp ½ onion, minced 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup Mad Housewife Chardonnay 6 stalks asparagus ¼ cup frozen or fresh peas 1 cup chicken stock 1/3 cup cream or half and half 1 can chopped clams 1 Roma tomato 1 bunch mixed herbs, basil, parsley, thyme, tarragon, chives Black pepper 1. Brown minced onions in butter. Place salmon face down and brown top, about 2 minutes. Flip salmon and add shrimp and wine. Cook until salmon is almost done, about another 2 minutes. Remove salmon and shrimp from pan and cover. 2. Add stock to wine in pan. Add clam juice and 3/4 of herbs. Boil for five minutes. Whisk in cream. 3. While the sauce is boiling, cook sliced tomato in microwave for 1 minute. Set aside. 4. Add asparagus and peas and clams to the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes. 5. Divide salmon and shrimp between two bowls. Pour broth around the fish. Make a decorative line of sliced tomatoes down the center of the fish. Salt, pepper, and garnish with the rest of herbs. 6. Serve with good French bread for mopping up the sauce. Enjoy!
Ruth
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