On My Husband's Cooking

Oh thing of great beauty and delight--a meal conceived and created by my husband. Every Monday I work late, and he does the selecting of recipes, the shopping and most of the cooking (depending on when I get home). And what a treat Monday nights have become! He serves meals with such care to presentation and detail--the soup always has a garnish (tonight it was a small sprig of fresh rosemary), the meal is served on our Dick Lang light green pottery set (a wedding gift), and there is always a perfect wine pairing (tonight was a French white wine called Pouilly Fume). He's also becoming quite good with portion sizes. Each meal he cooks usually includes a serving of soup, a perfectly sized main dish and a salad or side dish, all artfully presented. Tonight we enjoyed Chicken with Sauteed Pears and Rosemary Sauce along with Tomato Soup with Lemon-Rosemary Cream and a side salad of arugula, lettuce, pears, almonds, goat cheese, and raisins. You will note that both epicurious recipes include a small amount of whipping cream. This is because I bought some to use in making cheesecake for Easter and we had some leftover, so he found delicious, creative ways to use it up. I am so proud of his cooking skills. I'm almost worried because I think he's getting better than me, especially in the gourmet area of cooking. (Naturally, I beat him hands down in the Mennonite area.) But this is a small worry. Mostly I'm wildly glad for the delectable meals he prepares for me, and so grateful that I have a husband who loves food and cooks well.