Happy Anniversary

It's good to have your anniversary fall in the middle of the week - we got to celebrate twice! Last Saturday night, Ken took me to eat at the Garth Mansion's Woodside Restaurant. The food was awesome and we got a tour of the mansion, where Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) was a guest. You can even sit in a chair he once sat in - how cool!

On our actual anniversary, I made dinner for Ken - "mock" beef wellington and crisp roasted asparagus with gremolata. It was a really good meal (and I got to cross two items off my list of 101, so that made me happy). I couldn't find liver pate around here, and I wasn't about to go to the trouble of making it myself, so I just did without. They turned out to be tasty without pate, and we enjoyed our dinner out on the deck . . .
For the "beef wellington," I baked puff pastry cups (as directed on the package) and filled them with beef (kabob meat) and mushrooms cooked in butter, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and a splash of wine.

The crisp roasted asparagus with gremolata was a recipe from The Silver Palate. I didn't get a good picture of the gremolata, so you'll have to use your imagination . . .
Crisply Roasted Asparagus with Gremolata
Gremolata
2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
2 tsp. garlic, finely minced

Asparagus
1 pound asparagus (woody ends removed)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
optional: 2 lemons, halved crosswise, for garnish

1. Prepare gremolata by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place asparagus (on foil) in a roasting pan in a single layer, facing the same direction. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes; remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Place asparagus in a serving dish and top with gremolata. Serve with lemon halves, if desired. - The Silver Palate