So, here’s an update on the surprise engagement I planned on springing on my girlfriend tonight.
started with flowers

A fancy dinner

An aromatherapy bath

A little massage

Profit! ![]()

the ring looks a lot bigger on her finger than it does on mine ![]()
The dinner looked a lot more romantic without a camera flash brightening things up.
As mentioned, the dinner was salmon mousse stuffed portobello mushrooms with beurre blanc.
Beurre blanc is a kind of sauce made by taking shallots and white wine, and reducing it down to practically nothing, and then adding butter back until you have a rich, creamy sauce. A little goes a long way! It goes perfectly with fish, and the salmon mousse is a good pairing. Baked until springy,the mousse has a rich texture, and soaks up the sauce nicely. All on top of a huge portobello mushroom cap, to provide a solid texture and flavor to compliment and gound the meal.
I made my beurre blanc with zinfandel, because I wanted a slight pink texture to the sauce to help keep in the Valentine’s Day theme. You can’t see it as much in the picture, but the sauce was slightly pink and the shallots took on an awesome reddish-pink color.
Served on the side is a cauliflower champ, similar to an Irish champ, but with cauliflower used in place of potatoes. A blend of white cheeses helps bring the texture together and provides a rich addition to the dish.
The salad is a mix of spring greens, with bites of fruit and vegetables. Small bits of dehydrated (but not dried!) apples, currants, and mangoes contrast nicely with the homemade red cider vinaigrette.
The wine is the same zinfandel that I used for the beurre blanc, so it paired perfectly with the meal.
Played her Come Away With Me, by Norah Jones…perfect mood setter ![]()
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBKcKQHZXks