Birthday Surprises!

This year for my 30th birthday, my wonderful husband planned several nights of birthday activities, all of which were surprises to me. I don’t think it mattered that it was my 30th birthday, either, because Matt is fantastic about doing something special for any birthday.

My first birthday surprise was an Ingrid Michaelson concert at the Phoenix. We had seen her the summer before, and she was great, plus had since picked up both her CDs, so actually, seeing her a second time was a bit more fun because I knew more of her music. (A funny side story, Matt and I were talking about Ingrid the weekend before the concert, and I had casually said that I probably wouldn’t see her again in concert, not because she wasn’t good, but because I thought, “I’ve already seen her.” I think that worried Matt about the upcoming concert and whether or not I would like it, but it was a great surprise and concert, and Matt, I’m sorry to have worried you!)

The second surprise was a wine and cheese tasting at Leslieville Cheese Market on Queen St W (sorry, no photos – was too busy eating cheese!). We often frequent the market to pick up some good cheeses and have always seen the adds promoting the class, so again, great planning on Matt’s behalf! (He is really setting the bar high for me when his birthday comes around…) The course was pretty packed, and after serving us all a glass of red wine, the instructor then introduced us to the theme of the night – Ontario Cheeses! We got to sample 5 different cheeses from across the province, and was even introduced to a Barely Blue cheese, which we thought we might not like, but were surprised at the nice flavour.

The last and final surprise was a cooking class for couples at Calphalon, conveniently located right by our condo. As we headed out for the night, I had an idea that this might be something he had planned, and even though I told him that’s what I thought it might be, he of course denied – as any smart person would! But the minute we walked in the door, I knew for sure. And it was a great birthday surprise indeed. It also fit into the birthday theme this year of kitchen and cooking.

The night’s menu was Surf & Turf, and for Matt, it would be his first time tasting lobster. We both are not huge seafood fans, but the one time I had eaten lobster, I liked it because it was meaty and not so fishy, as I find other fish can be. Plus, who wouldn’t enjoy lobster once it’s dunked in melted butter!

The class was packed with 12 couples each at their own cooking stations, and after a small salad for the two of us to share (class took about 3 hours, so it was going to be after 9:00 before we were ready to eat), we were ready to begin class. We started with a espresso chocolate mousse, and the two of us worked together whipping egg whites and melting chocolate chips. We started with dessert so that it would have time to set while we cooked the rest of the meal.

While that chilled, we moved on to our appetizers – spinach, roasted red peppers and goat cheese philo triangles. I had never worked with philo paper before, but I think I need to start to! You brush each paper with melted butter and layer them on top of each other. Then you add the filling (the cooked spinach, shallots, garlic, roasted red pepper and goat cheese), then fold into triangles. Brush again with butter, and cook in a hot oven for about 10 – 12 minutes (we were given the recipes for everything we made that night, so we probably will try this dinner again soon!).

Next step: marinate the lobster and shrimps in a combination of olive oil, finely diced garlic and one hot pepper, and let sit for 10 minutes or so. While that rested, we moved to the steak – Matt took over the cooking here and did a fine job getting the steak just right! We made a quick sauce of red wine and shallots, reduced, and drizzled over the steak. The final step for the marinade was to add lemon juice and salt, then place in a grill pan on the stove to cook through. Once that was all done, plate it up with the steak, and enjoy! Roasted potatoes and melted butter were already prepared for us to enjoy (the butter was a HUGE hit with us…), and what a great dinner! Plus, it was extra special that the two of us got to cook it together.

We finished off the night with our chocolate mousse, one each, plus two to take home to enjoy later. If anyone has ever thought of taking a cooking class, I would highly recommend it. It was a lot of fun, and I picked up some great little cooking tips and of course, a few good recipes.

Turning 30 has actually been a LOT of fun... Thanks, Matt!