This weekend the FC and I went on a pilgrimage to meet my family. After eleven months (almost a year) he still hadn’t met my clan, and since we were going to France for Christmas (the usual time for family introductions) I had to put together a quick pre-Christmas visit. I just couldn’t wait until 2010 to finally share the very important person that was now living under my roof. (Though they’d seen him on the blog, for all they knew he could have been a hired model or a creature of my own imagination. It was time to make him real, for them and me.)

Our first stop on the journey was London Ontario where my sister lives in a charming old house with her boyfriend Adam. The visit couldn’t have been more perfect. We played three hours of Frisbee golf  in the woods on Saturday morning (sorry to all the trees I pummeled with my disc) watched two movies Saturday night (including Die Hard 3)  and munched on easy low key food including my sister’s delicious hummus, recipe forthcoming I hope.  These are things we couldn’t have done during Christmas, which is too special for Bruce Willis, and too busy for three hour outdoor games, and where the big fancy meal, including appetizers and roast leg of lamb, always causes an undue amount of stress. 

Though I’ll miss the tasty lamb, the amazing presents (everyone always goes overboard) and my family’s usual high energy hustle and bustle (Boxing Day shopping is nuts)  ironically, this trip was way more relaxing than any “official” holiday. Leaving on Sunday afternoon, the FC and I felt like we’d just spent the weekend at a B&B, with just enough energy to pop by my Mom’s afterwards for some apple pie, aged cheddar and a glass of wine. I had debated inviting her to my sister’s in London, and I’m so glad I didn’t. That would have been another “event” involving further organization, meal planning and social multi-tasking, plus a two hour drive for my mother.  Instead, Mom hung out with us on her own turf, and the FC made fast friends with her hyper-active golden retreiver Clancy  (he really is a dog person). Mom also spoiled us rotten by taking us to Walmart and buying us an early Christmas present — a GPS – or what I like to call a “relationship-saver.”  (The FC and I have trouble navigating.)

So here’s today’s recipe for love: Don’t wait until Christmas to visit your family; visit them now, or visit them later. Trust me, they’ll love you even more for making the effort at a time when it’s not expected, and you get to bond with them in a relaxed environment free of holiday stress. 

Sister serves up some tasty tangy hummus.

GPS, or what I like to call, the "relationship-saver."

Strong and confident at the wheel (and in the hands of the GPS, versus me, who has Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to spotting important road signs and exits.) He made it back to Montreal without a hitch.

Despite their bad rap, brussels sprouts, when you really think about them, see
them, say the name out loud, are exotic. They speak of foreign places (Brussels)
and look like a French term of endearment (un petit chou.)  For me, brussels
sprouts are the frumpy girl in the office with the big glasses and buttoned-up
cardie who, when you look a little closer, is really a princess in disguise just
waiting for someone to plant one on her at which point she’ll instantly bust out
of her shell and start dancing on the photocopier.

After reading aninteresting article on brussels sprouts, I’ve started
buying them again and I’m in love.  I’ve been slicing them (that’s the secret!!)
and sauteing them with zucchini, garlic, yellow pepper and diced carrots then
throwing them on a bed of spinach with a sprinkle of cooked red quinoa and a
drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. They’re crunchy, delicious, healthy and pretty
to look at.  How did my warm salads live without them?

I think this brussels sprout recipe sounds good too, as well as this. I’m also
going to create a sexy appetizer, skewering them with cheese and a thin slice of
fried chorizo. (Wouldn’t it be fun circulating a cocktail party with an hors d’
oeuvres plate saying, “anyone want try a Brussels sprout?”)

What other Ugly Betty vegetable can I fall in love with?

Like sex, the way a couple eats together is a pretty good indicator of a relationship’s future and what troubles may lie ahead.

I recall a first date with a guy who wanted to show me his favourite Montreal restaurant. When I arrived at the charming candlelit bistro he suggested we dine at the bar then proceeded to chat up the cute female bartender. Sure, he lavished me with expensive wine and food (both were amazing and delicious) but I wasn’t sure who he was trying to impress: me or her. That was our first and last date.

When dining out with another prospective boyfriend I suddenly developed a bad case of stomach cramps. I think it’s because I couldn’t entirely relax around him: he was just too intellectual and intense. Needless to say, the romance never took flight (mostly because I was always flying off to the ladies’ room to pass wind.)

My friend Christin says she once dated a guy who made her a superb homecooked gourmet dinner, but she couldn’t enjoy it because the whole time she kept thinking she’d never be able to make him a meal just as good. He wasn’t a romantic interest, he was a rival. End of story.

The FC and I had good food chemistry right away. He wasn’t a pretentious gourmand wanting to impress me, or the bartender, with his good taste: he just enjoyed eating. He also made me relax (no stomach cramps) dug seafood (phew!) and was always very appreciative of my cooking — ie, he didn’t need to compete, though we did have one close call.

What was your worst romantic food moment? Did it end the relationship or were you able to recover? Please share.

After a lousy Saturday night I decided to start Sunday morning with a clean slate, including a brand new pancake recipe. Instead of my usual Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes I did a quick scan of the net and found Smitten Kitchen’s Blueberry Pancakes. Like my standard recipe, they also use buttermilk, but with a few key differences, including the addition of melted butter to the batter and baking powder (mine uses baking soda only.) I was determined to test them out and see the difference.

SK’s directions were impeccable and though I don’t have a griddle my stovetop skillet worked fine. The pancakes were scrumptious! Fluffy and moist, not cakey and dry (my biggest fear!) I added some additional blueberries on top as well as some whipped vanilla lemon ricotta (my new favourite condiment) and the FC gobbled them up.

I think homemade pancakes are one of the most romantic homespun mood-enhancing Sunday morning delights.

Vanilla Lemon Ricotta

4 big tablespoons ricotta
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use a high quality extract)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Whip and serve a dollop on fresh pancakes. Drizzle with maple syrup.

Guys with fancy sports cars don’t do it for me. But a guy with a secret wine cellar? He’d have me at “bordeaux.”

See this funny article for more information on secret wine cellars and how to get one.

I was giving some more thought to the whole “cleaning for cooch” conundrum (see Cleaning For Cooch) and I feel I may have underplayed the gravity of the situation. Many men don’t clean, which is very frustrating. (As I write this article I can see the breakfast table, full of dirty dishes that the FC didn’t even bother to clear away before heading out to work.)

Yet why shouldn’t men clean, especially if you’re the one doing all the cutting, chopping and cooking?

Of course if your man does other things (like driving and snaking your drain) don’t nag him to death either. Expecting an equal division of all household labour is emasculating for men and not good for women either (mostly because we don’t like emasculated men.)

But maybe it’s just a question of finding the right cleaning accessories; to make cleaning more macho (like automechanics, or shaving.)

I had a quick scan of the internet and found a line of manly-looking cleaning brushes by Oxo. The sleek steel casing adds to the macho appeal so your guy can pretend he’s washing his Ferrari instead of your sticky frying pan.  Here’s my top pick. 

This soap-squirting dish brush from Oxo looks pretty manly. Will guys appreciate it, or be threatened?

Let’s face it, there’s nothing sexy about feeling bloated and overstuffed. That’s why in my early dinners for the FC, I didn’t make any appetizers at all (besides, the excitement of new love was already constricting my tummy muscles, which is why love is the best diet trick of all!) For early romantic dinners, best to stick with a light, modestly-portioned main course, like risotto or mussels, followed by a fresh salad. No dessert or just one to share. This dinner style shows you’re sensual and sensible, not the Marquis De Sade.

Why is this crucial?

Early dates are all about assessment. Your new guy is judging you, not just by how you look, but by what you eat. Will you be a gluttonous binge he feels guilty about the next day, or a nutritious steady diet that makes him feel energized and full of hope?

But appetizers are also good nerves-soothers. (When the FC and I first met we were both smokers; disgusting I know, and thank God it was both of us or we were have judged each other out of the picture. Without that crutch, maybe we would have needed some finger food.)

Inspired by a recipe I saw in Self Magazine a few years ago,  I love this simple dip/appetizer, where low fat fibre-rich peas add volume (plus colour and taste) to mashed avocado without extra fat. Paired with a bowful of radishes,  it’s gorgeous to look at and good for you.   What’s not sexy about that?

Avocado Pea Dip

Ingredients

3/4 cup cooked frozen peas (not canned)

1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 large clove of garlic, or 2 small
1 tablespoon chopped green onion (just green parts)
1 teaspoon olive oil
generous salt and pepper to taste
12 radishes, rinsed and trimmed, leaving part of the stem for holding (carrots are good too, or sliced red peppers)

Directions

Mash or put in a food processor until roughly pureed. Salt to taste.   You can add a teaspoon of lemon for tang. I’m going to throw in a jarred artichoke next time and see how that turns out. It’s a very versatile base to work with.   You can add hot sauce or chopped tomato for variety and to give it a more guacamole-like quality. Serve with rice crackers, toasted pita, tortilla chips or fresh veggies, like carrots, or my favourite, radishes. Double the recipe for a small dinner party.