Menus for Two
Cinco De Mayo for Two
These delicious recipes bring all the best of Cinco de Mayo food and drink to your own kitchen.
Elegant Easter Menu
Spring favorites like asparagus and lamb make for an elegant, delicious Easter dinner for two.
Labor of Love: Valentine's Dinner for Cooks
If you and your partner both love to cook, why not celebrate Valentine's Day in the kitchen? This elegant dinner is as fun to cook as it is delicious to eat.
Classic Steakhouse Valentine's Dinner Menu
This classic steak dinner menu is perfect for couples who want a traditional Valentine's Day celebration.
Christmas Eve Menu for Two
This delicious Christmas Eve menu for two is based on the Italian tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Simplified and updated from the multi-course Italian extravaganza, it's a special seafood dinner for a special evening.
Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner for Two
New twists on traditional Thanksgiving classics create an unusual and delicious menu that you can prepare almost completely in advance.
New Year's Eve Dinner for Two
This special dinner for two is great for any occasion, but shines especially bright on New Year's Eve.
In Memoriam
For a period of time between around 1985 and 1995 my family would gather at my parent's house each Memorial. We siblings were living all over the country and with wives and boyfriends Christmas and Thanksgiving were almost impossible. So we chose Memorial Day as our and would gather for a long weekend of swimming, eating, jokes, and just...
Mother's Day Menu
This Mother's Day menu is another one for the men out there. These days I always cook for Mother's Day, because I live near my parents and can. But during the period they had no children living near them my father made a point of cooking something special for my mother in celebration of her day. So this menu is for the gentlemen who want to...
Breakfast in Bed
When I was married I served my wife breakfast in bed every couple of months. I'd wake her with a kiss and we'd sit on the bed and share a platter of food.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day falls on Sunday this year – which is tremendous because it makes planning and cooking a meal so much easier. It also means it's a great opportunity for the two of you to cook together.
New Year's Brunch Menu
I gave up attending New Year's Eve parties about the time I turned 28 or 29. So I started celebrating on New Year's Day with either a dinner party or a New Year's brunch. Either event was more relaxed and laid back than the traditional NY Eve party and best of all, there aren't any drunks on the road.
Christmas Menu 2009
I'm doing a roast rack of lamb this Christmas. Although for many people Christmas dinner is an opportunity to splurge on that greatest of beef roasts, a standing rib roast (aka, prime rib), it's just too much meat for two (or three) people. A rack of lamb is essentially the same cut from a smaller animal and is perfect for two or three people.
Thanks for the Two of You
My 2008 Thanksgiving Menu for Two was a fairly traditional turkey dinner for two. Here's a much more interesting - and fun - menu that ackowledges the spirit if not the letter of Thanksgiving meals.
Thanksgiving for Two
Sure, you can go out to dinner on T'day and avoid the trouble of making your own feast. Or you could just make it a private celebration and be thankful for each other.
Labor Day Menu
Summer doesn't officially end until September 22, but for most of us Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. We gather round for a last holiday (it's about three months until the next one, Thanksgiving), put something on the grill and say good bye to the dog days of August. Here in the South that mean's we still face the dog days of...
Spanish Nights
I've been fortunate enough to visit (and eat in) France, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Egypt, England, Holland, Belgium, and Spain and my favorite cuisine was in Spain. It was defined by the flavors of olive oil, garlic and lemon (the Spanish like garlic and olive oil even more than the Italians), highlighted with Mediterranean...
An Italian Summer Evening
I have a deep and abiding fondness for food from the Mediterranean, whether the origin is southern France, Spain, Greece, Morocco, or Italy. These meals tend to be light and are perfect for al fresco dining on the patio.
Grilled Seafood Menu
Seafood cooks so quickly it almost seems like too much trouble to grill it. Because it's so quick there's time to cook other things - even over a tiny Weber Smoky Joe. Serves 2.
Tailgate for Two
Tailgate picnics were a common feature of my childhood. Whenever we took a road trip, whether it lasted a day or, in one case, three weeks, at lunch we'd stop pull down the tailgate on the stations wagon, and my mother would unpack sandwich fixings, paper plates and napkins, and whatever else my parents had purchased for our tailgate party.
Italian Easter Feast
This Italian Easter Feast was developed for a cooking class I taught and was a huge hit with the students. It's not completely traditional nor completely Italian, but it is mostly both of those. <i>Serves 2.</i>
Easter Ham Dinner
My personal preference for Easter dinner is lamb. Somehow it just seems to be the perfect main course for celebrating spring. But here in the South where I live the most popular dish is a glazed ham. Serves 2.
Be My Sweetheart
This menu offers foods of love, some are actual reputed aphrodisiacs while others are simply licentious by nature. Most of these can be prepared in advance, giving you plenty of time for a little pre-dinner flirting. Serves 2.
Football Buffet Party
To my mind, a fall or winter day watching a game in front of the TV calls for soup and sandwiches - with some coffee-table munchies tossed in for the boys parked in front of the TV and the ladies sheltering in the kitchen from the overt testosterone on display in the rec-room.
New Year's Feast
I have an abiding affection for holidays and celebrations so I began a tradition of my own to acknowledge the new year: a New Year's Feast.I'd invite a few friends over for dinner on New Year's day, prepare a fancy meal, and we'd have a couple of glasses of champagne (sparkling wine) without worrying about other drivers or traffic checks by the...
Christmas Menu for Two
I've spent many Christmases alone or with just a friend or two, and as with all other holidays I absolutely dispute the idea that just because there are only one or two is no reason not create a feast. A smaller feast? Yes, but that makes it even harder to justify going out to eat instead of cooking.
Thanksgiving Menu for Two
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner for two isn't that hard and is well worth the effort. Most of the dishes in this menu can be at least partially made in advance so you can relax and enjoy the holiday.
Early Fall Menu for Two
This is a good weekend menu because it takes a bit of time (although very little effort). Cornish hens are the perfect answer to roast chicken for two - no leftovers. Slice some of those late season tomatoes on the side and my recipe for braised Brussels sprouts has won over sprout haters. Finally, what better at the end of the meal than an...
A Flagging 4th of July
For most of us, the 4th of July means grilling or barbequing. My favorite is barbequeing (slow smoking) ribs but I've also been known to fire-roast Cornish game hens, grill steaks or kebabs, and smoke a whole salmon.
Father's Day 2008: Fried Chicken
I've been pondering my Father's Day menu. I always ask my parent's over for lunch on their parental and birth days and so what to fix this coming Sunday. I finally decided on fried chicken. Serves 2 or more.
Birthday Dinner
A birthday dinner is the perfect opportunity to tell someone you love them.
Happy Anniversary: Celebrate Your day
Anniversaries are the ultimate couple's meal, even more so than Valentine's Day because it commemorates not only your love but your history. To me, this is the time to pull out all the stops.
A Lazy Weekend
Cooking on the weekends is particularly enjoyable because you have time to cook seriously. Sometimes that means cooking something complex that stretches your imagination, abilities and teaches you something new. At other times it means making something that simply takes a long time - as in the case of this menu.
A Perfect End to a Long Day
It's your night to fix dinner, but the day has been back-to-back meetings and lunch was a bag of chips and a promise. You won't get home before 7:00. Sound familiar? Well here's an idea, and with a little planning you won't even have to stop at the store.
Valentine's Day Menu for Two
Popular with lovers of all ages, there is no other holiday so suitable for a couple unencumbered with children. This menu is as intimate as it gets.
Feasting on the 4th
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like at some point every summer we have a 4th of July. In fact, I can't remember not having a 4th so I thought it would be good to plan ahead. My favorite is to barbeque (slow-smoke) baby-back ribs, and I find half a rack is just about perfect for one person. But this year I thought I'd do beef instead,...
Dad's Birthday Menu
My father's birthday is next weekend. My sister is coming in for a visit so instead of two, or one, or even three I'll be cooking for four. Nevertheless, this menu is perfect for two and easily scaled down to one or up to four. It features some of my father's favorite foods - which actually means almost anything. I'll be going out to my parent's...
Southern Birthday Menu
I've had two birthday parties in my life. The first was when I was six or seven and my parents organized it. The second was when I turned 50 an I organized it - I invited foodie friends from all over the country (and my family) to join me. I had 20 people show, the furthest coming all the way from Charsleston, South Carolina to my home in...
Thanksgiving/Christmas Roast Duck
Roast duck is my most favorite of Thanksgiving/Christmas feasts. It's not too much food for a single person and perfect for two (because the leftovers are so adaptable). And a single duck will feed four if you're willing to share.
Christmas Brunch Menu
As a child my family had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and the only cooking done on Christmas Day was a brunch. It's a tradition I've continued to honor since I first left home whether I was cooking for a house-full or just myself. (Note: Make sure there are enough leftovers from Christmas dinner to provide supper on Christmas Day if you...
Christmas Dinner
I hope you will be able to have your Christmas dinner with a house-full of family. And if you are so-lucky, this meal will easily scale up to 8. But if, like me, you are cooking only for yourself or a neighbor/spouse/room-mate, this menu is equally perfect. It's not difficult and I make the bulk of it a day or two ahead so I have time to relax...
New Year's Eve Menu
I attended my last New Year's Eve party around 1983. I don't like having restrict my Champagne intake, and even when I do I dislike being on the road with people who didn't. So I've fallen into the habit of a private New Year's Eve meal and every three or four years I do a New Year's Day brunch.
Having now nailed down what I'm fixing for...
Valentines Day 2011
This year (2011) Valentine's Day falls on a Monday. This offers a number of celebratory options. One, dash home from work then go out to a crowded, over-priced restaurant for an unremarkable meal. Two, you can cook yourself but celebrate the event early (Saturday or Sunday) or late on Monday night. Or three, you can prepare this meal - ideally...
Mardi Gras Menu
In my house, the weekend before Mardi Gras, literally "fat Tuesday," which marks the last day of pigging out before denying yourself pleasure until Easter. But if you're not Catholic its the time to celebrate Cajun/Creole food. Sometimes the celebration is just me, more often I invite a couple of friends over, and a few times I've thrown a...
Saint Patrick's Day Menu
Saint Patrick's Day is March 17. I usually forgo the green beer and being of Scots extraction I make a point of wearing something plaid instead of green. Nevertheless, in the spirit of comradery with my fellow Gaels I generally fix a special meal to mark the occasion. Often I fix a corned beef (which is more American/Jewish than Irish) but this...
Easter Rack of Lamb
You don't have to make this rack of lamb specifically for Easter, but you do have to make it in the spring when rhubarb is available. The lamb itself is nothing fancy - it's really good, but not exceptional. It's the rhubarb compote that makes the dish exceptional.
Memorial Day Menu 2011
The first time I had grilled tri-tip was on a Memorial Day in California. I invited some of my co-workers over to join me, bought a tri-tip (California's most popular grilling meat) and we had a really pleasant and relaxing afternoon.
Fathers Day Menu: Steaks!
We've got another Father's Day coming up. This year I won't be able to get out to my parent's house to cook on the date so I'm planning an early Father's Day. After a bit of reflection, I decided on steak with a wine/blue cheese sauce this year.
July 4th Mushroom/Wine Burger Menu
Every year it's the same old question: what do I cook for the 4th of July? This year I'm thinking hamburgers. Specifically, I'm thinking a Mushroom/Wine burger that Ruby Tuesday's served when it started back in the early 70s.
Labor Day Menu
This Labor Day menu wanders the globe, it includes savory shortbread from the Southwest, grilled pork chops from Italy, salad from the middle east, and a couple of dishes that have no real origin. But whatever the origins, the food is good and satisfying.
Birthday Boy Menu
This year I've decided on a childhood treat for my birthday meal - meatballs in sour cream and wine sauce. I'll serve them on noodles with sprouts on the side and apple/gingerbread crepes for dessert.
A French Fall Menu
Not knowing Jack Nicholson, I'll probably never complete my bucket list. But one of the items on it is to spend October in France and to enjoy menus such as this Fall French collection.
Christmas Menu 2011
This menu, featuring roast beef, is quite British but more suited to two people than the traditional prime roast of rib - and cheaper too. It's also quicker - though you want to do the in advance.
Valentine's Day Menu
This delicious Italian meal will not only beat any meal in a restaurant, but you can make everything in advance and then finish cooking it on Valentine's day with minimal effort - giving you time for a little pre-dinner romance.
Dinner with St. Pat Menu
This menu offers a recipe for corning your own beef (super good) along with a recipe for cooking corned beef. But if corned beef isn't your thing there's a recipe for steak and Guinness pie.
Easter Picnic Menu
The spring of 2012 has arrived sweet and warm, if early. It will almost certainly get cold again – in fact last week we had three days in the mid-60s – but as I thought about Easter dinner this year it occurred to me a picnic by a stream in the Smoky Mountains would be a good idea.
In Memoriam
For a period of time between around 1985 and 1995 my family would gather at my parent's house each Memorial. We siblings were living all over the country and with wives and boyfriends Christmas and Thanksgiving were almost impossible. So we chose Memorial Day as our and would gather for a long weekend of swimming, eating, jokes, and just...
Mother's Day Menu
This Mother's Day menu is another one for the men out there. These days I always cook for Mother's Day, because I live near my parents and can. But during the period they had no children living near them my father made a point of cooking something special for my mother in celebration of her day. So this menu is for the gentlemen who want to...
Breakfast in Bed
When I was married I served my wife breakfast in bed every couple of months. I'd wake her with a kiss and we'd sit on the bed and share a platter of food.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day falls on Sunday this year – which is tremendous because it makes planning and cooking a meal so much easier. It also means it's a great opportunity for the two of you to cook together.
New Year's Brunch Menu
I gave up attending New Year's Eve parties about the time I turned 28 or 29. So I started celebrating on New Year's Day with either a dinner party or a New Year's brunch. Either event was more relaxed and laid back than the traditional NY Eve party and best of all, there aren't any drunks on the road.
Christmas Menu 2009
I'm doing a roast rack of lamb this Christmas. Although for many people Christmas dinner is an opportunity to splurge on that greatest of beef roasts, a standing rib roast (aka, prime rib), it's just too much meat for two (or three) people. A rack of lamb is essentially the same cut from a smaller animal and is perfect for two or three people.
Saint Patrick's Day Menu
Saint Patrick's Day is March 17. I usually forgo the green beer and being of Scots extraction I make a point of wearing something plaid instead of green. Nevertheless, in the spirit of comradery with my fellow Gaels I generally fix a special meal to mark the occasion. Often I fix a corned beef (which is more American/Jewish than Irish) but this...