What a Weekend!

So this weekend I really strapped on the ol' feed bag as my dad likes to say.  With my mom's birthday on Saturday and Valentines Day on Sunday, there was plenty of indulgence going on.  We get together every year with my mom's side of the family to celebrate the six birthdays that occur in February.  I included a photo of the lovely birthday women (Mom, Aunt Hannah and Maw-Maw), and the stunningly handsome birthday boys (Jeremy, Henry and Hank) for your viewing pleasure.  Thanks in advance to my beautiful cousin Ashley for letting me rip these off your Facebook page.

This year my dad researched where we should go and picked the Green Valley Grill in the O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro.  I have to say, it was spectacular.  I ordered pan seared sea scallops in a blood orange buerre blanc served over a butternut squash gratin with vintage gruyere.  Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds.  Going for lunch instead of dinner was a great choice, as my entree was only $14!  The service was impeccable, and the atmosphere is impressive.  They have an open kitchen where you can watch ducks, chickens, and pork loins rotate over the oak burning oven.  I really lament that I did not take a photo of my meal, as the presentation was terrific.  I guess I just couldn't stand the pain of not diving right in!

For Valentines Day, Jeremy presented me with the most gorgeous bouquet of two dozen longstemmed red roses and really pulled out all the stops.  We went to Whole Foods where I got to pick out all kinds of deluxe items.  After cooking dinner together, we relaxed with some red wine and watched The Time Traveler's Wife.  Check out these amazing ribeyes!

Each one got treated to a rubdown with a thinly sliced clove of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, course ground black pepper, hawaiian pink salt, and some chopped fresh rosemary before Jeremy grilled them to medium rare perfection.  Confession: my favorite part of having steak for dinner is waiting until I am alone in the kitchen with the plate of cooked and cut meat, tipping the plate full of juices up and slurping it down.  Please tell me I am not alone in this probably repulsive desire.  Regardless, it's heavenly.


For our side, I braised some swiss chard with caramelized onions.  I had done this before with rainbow chard, but this was wayyy better for whatever reason.  I will allow that butter might have been that reason.  Try this:

Get your saute pan going on medium heat.  Add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon olive oil.  Toss in one very thinly sliced onion (I used a Spanish onion).  Separate the rings, and then walk a way a minute or two to give it a chance to get those sugars hot.  Add another tablespoon of butter. Continue to cook on medium heat until the onions are golden brown.  Reduce heat to low while you coursely chop up one bunch of swiss chard.  This stuff is beautiful!  Cram it in your pan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid or large plate so that it wilts a bit.

  Five minutes should be plenty of time.  Uncover, and continue to cook on low until the juices thicken and your meat is ready to come off the grill.  That's it!  So easy, so delicious, and so good for you.  (Really, adding the fat from the butter helps your body absorb all those fat soluble vitamins and nutrients!!)

Serve some good crusty bread (we used my favorite, Pane Paisano,  spread with some Herbs de Provence goat cheese) alongside your steak and greens to sop up the awesome juices.  Not your most elegant or visually stunning meal, but the flavor is totally going to seduce you.