Recipe: Romantic Dinner Menu - Bread with Honey Butter, Spinach Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, Lamb Chops, Steamed Asparagus, Sauteed Potatoes and Onions, Panna Cotta

ROMANTIC DINNER
rec.food.cooking/Dennis Blythe/1993

APPETIZER:
Warm loaf of bread with honey butter. Bowl of fresh cut fruits (Papaya, kiwi, bananas, passion fruit and of coarse strawberries)

HONEY BUTTER:
Place 1/2 cup of butter in a heat-proof bowl in a cool oven. Turn oven to 350; heat for 3 min. Transfer butter to a cool bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of honey and 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel. Serve with bread.

SALAD: Spinach leaves and tiny tomatoes.
DRESSING: (GREEN GODDESS)
In blender container combine 1 cup of loosely packed parsley leaves; 1/2 cup mayo; 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 green onion, cut up; 2 Tbls tarragon vinegar; 1 Tbls anchovy paste, 1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed; and 1/4 tsp sugar. Cover and blend till smooth. Refrigerate till ready. MAIN COARSE: Lamb Chops
In a large skillet brown 1 inch thick lamb chops (med-hot) heat in 2 Tablespoons of hot olive oil. Cook 7-8 min on each side or until done. If preferred you can season with salt and pepper while cooking.

VEGTABLE 1: (Steamed Asparagus)
While asparagus is still in the steam basket sprinkle on distilled vinegar and olive oil, and a few dashes of dried basil. (MAJOR YUM!!!!!!)

VEGTABLE 2: Sauteed Potatoes and Onions
Slice approximately 15 small red potatoes and 1 med. onion. Cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil (about1/4 inch)add sliced potatoes and sliced onions and generously sprinkle with pepper to taste (about 1 tsp) Cover and cook on medium heat. Cook until tender (about 30 min) Make sure to turn the potatoes over occasionally so they won't burn on the bottom of pan.

DESSERT: Panna Cotta
Sprinkle one pkg of gelatin (unflavored) over 1/4 cup of milk in cup; let stand 5 min. Heat 1 cup of heavy cream (or whipping cream) with 2 strips of leman peel (3 inches each) and 1/4 cup of sugar in a medium sauce pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 min. Remove from heat and add gelatin until completely dissolved, 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/4 cups milk. Place saucepan in larger bowl of ice water and stir gently until mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon, 5 to 10 min. Remove lemon peels. Spoon cream evenly into six 4 oz custard cups. Cover and refrigerate 4 or up to 24 hours. Stir together 1/4 cup of raspberry jam (seedless) 1 Tbls of hot water and 1 Tbls raspberry brandy in a small bowl until smooth. To serve, cut around edges of custard cups to loosen; invert onto dessert plates. Drizzle raspberry mixture over Panna Cotta. Garnish with strawberries.

ROMANTIC TOUCHES:
Dinner on a patio or deck at night is wonderful! The night air adds to the romance, Candlelight, maybe some floating candles in a glass bowl. Or if you have a lot of privacy trees or shrubs near the table you can decorate them with tiny white lights (strand of tiny white Christmas lights) Borrow a Sinatra Album. Chill some wine in a champagne bucket. Garnish dinner plate with a exotic colorful flower. Also simmer potpourri. You can dress a table with linen and colorful linen napkins.