Three Years and Stanbury

Recently, the Hubby and I celebrated our third anniversary. Hard to believe how fast time flies! One of our favorite things to do together is dine out. We like good food...actually, let me rephrase that: We love great food! Even though we cook a lot at home, we always appreciate the hard work that chefs and restaurants put forth in our area. So we try to support them as much as possible.

One such restaurant is Stanbury in Raleigh. We decided to try it out for the first time for our anniversary! From the start, we were impressed. The restaurant isn't downtown or in a strip mall, but a stand alone place near Peace College and Seaboard Station. We walked in and snagged the only two seats left at the bar while we waited for our table. The place was hoppin' for a Wednesday night, and you could tell everyone was having a great time. 

Stanbury has an open kitchen, so we got a nice sneak peak at several of the dishes while we ordered drinks. The staff couldn't have been nicer and you could tell they loved their jobs. So here is a little review of our meal from the Hubby and I....

Swordfish Crudo

First course - NC Swordfish Crudo with watermelon, pickled cucumber, jalapeño and basil. 

This was like biting into flavorful air! The dish was so clean and refreshing, but then you get a bite with all the flavors and get that surprising punch from the pickled cucumber. The herbaceous basil gave it a nice peppery finish. Oh man, this was definitely MY favorite of the night!! 

Green Beans with Smoked Blue Fish

Second course - Green Beans with smoked blue fish, green goddess dressing, tomato and crispy shallot. 

This one was like biting into straight up smoke, but it wasn't overwhelming because the green beans smoothed it out. I'm a big fan of a dish that can cover all the consistencies - creamy, juicy, crunchy, crispy....this one had them all!

Bone Marrow

Third course - Roasted marrow with parsley, shallots, capers and Boulted Bread. 

This one was all for the Hubby! Seriously, look at the size of that bone! It was fatty and greasy and all the right things. Oh....My....God! I barely have words to describe this. Simple decadence.

Crispy Pig Head with 62 Degree Egg

Fourth Course - Crispy pig head with field peas, a 62 degree egg, arugula, mustard and creme fraiche. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this one - best pulled pork in the form of a crab cake EVER! The mustard cream gave it a nice punch. Another dish that seemed to cover all bases on the consistency spectrum - fresh arugula, creamy egg, earthy lentil, crispy pork and spicy mustard.

Seared Scallops

Fifth Course - Seared scallops with farro, roasted turnips, greens and mustard cream, or as I like to call this one, Surf and Earth. 

Hearty, filling, and once again the mustard flavor bringing everything together. This earthy meal had a bright, fresh finish, and the buttery addition of the scallops rounded things out perfectly.

Escazu Chocolate Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cake

DESSERT - Escazu Chocolate spiced ice cream with pumpkin cake. 

If this dessert doesn't embody the Fall, then I don't know what does! One bite gave us pumpkin pie, spicy chocolate and Kit Kat all in one! Dessert heaven! Artisan chocolate shop Escazu is right next door to Stanbury, so I have a feeling they always have good desserts. 

I was so sad to say farewell to our perfect anniversary meal, but we left a little note in one of many old cookbooks that they bring the bill in. We shall return to Stanbury, with even bigger eyes and emptier bellies!!

Anniversary and Fall Flavors

Happy Anniversary Hubs - 2 years :)

Honeymoon in Costa Rica!!

October 1, what a great day of the year!! Besides reminding me of the best day of my life, it marks the beginning of Fall, our favorite season in the Kettler home! Since there seems to be this obsession with pumpkin flavors...

...we decided to be Fall-flavor agnostic this year and will post a series of Fall-inspired recipes this month. Yes, this will include the occasional pumpkin-flavored-something since I am one of the many that fall into the trend :)

But for now, we want to share our amazing Anniversary meal at Poole's Diner - our favorite restaurant! Never disappoints!!

Arugula salad with Marcona almonds, buttermilk blue cheese, Honeycrisp apples, red onion and maple dijon vinaigrette. 

Beef carpaccio with crispy okra and horseradish creme fraiche.

Local rabbit confit with trumpet royals, pink eyed peas and ricotta gnocchi.

Short rib au poivre with braised cabbage, currants, tobacco onions and shallot gravy.

Local green beans with toasted chili flakes and white wine.

The Famous Macaroni and Cheese.

Dark chocolate torte with Rye whiskey caramel and fleur de sel.

Leftovers :)

Chocolate Coffee Stout Lava Cakes

Marriage. It can be amazing and challenging at the same time. It is a partnership that takes two people contributing equally. This is something Ryan and I have learned from two great marriages. 

Today, my parents celebrate 43 years of marriage! That is quite an accomplishment, one that Ryan and I look forward to achieving one day. 

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the other big anniversary in our lives, 34 years. Ryan's parents would have hit 34 years of marriage this past month. Easy to see that we have some amazing role models in our lives and for our relationship. 

I started this blog when we got married, in an attempt to capture recipes that we both enjoyed. After more than a year, it has grown to be something that we both contribute to. Something that has brought us together with food, excursions and, most importantly, compromise.

So in honor of our parents and their everlasting love, I am sharing this romantic lava cake recipe. We once made this on a date night and felt like it was most appropriate for the occasion. 

Happy 43rd Anniversary to Rose and Chris!!

Happy 34th Anniversary to Desiree and Dave!!

Chocolate Coffee Stout Lava Cakes

Yields: 6 cakes

Adapted from Beeroness Chocolate Mint Stout Lava Cakes

3.5 oz (100 g) Dark Chocolate 70% (used Green & Blacks Organic Dark 70%)

10 T butter (1 ½ sticks)

⅔ cup Chocolate Coffee Stout

2 teaspoons espresso powder, split

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1 cup powdered sugar

⅓ cup cocoa powder

¾ cup flour

2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425F and butter six souffle dishes very well. We like to soften butter and spread around with our fingers to evenly coat the dishes.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the beer and 1 teaspoon of the espresso powder, stir to combine.

In a bowl, whisk the 3 full eggs and 3 additional egg yolks with the powdered sugar. Whisk well to combine and pour the chocolate mixture slowly over the egg mixture and stir well to combine.

Sprinkle cocoa powder, remaining espresso powder and flour over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Divide the batter equally amongst the souffle dishes. Do not fill more than ⅔ full. Press a few chocolate chips into the center of each souffle dish. At this point you can make ahead and store in the refrigerator.

Bake at 425F until the outside is set, but the inside is still liquid (about 9-12 minutes, depending on the size of the dishes). When it looks like the cakes need a few more minutes, then they should be done.

Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake and place a plate on top of each ramekin. Quickly turn it upside down and lift the ramekin to reveal the cake. Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream or berries.

If concerned about flipping the cakes out of the dishes, serve in the ramekins and start by pressing the spoon into the center to reveal the chocolate “lava.”

Valentine's Day Menu Ideas

Ryan and I don't like to go out for Valentine's Day anymore. Restaurants tend to be more crowded and there is so much pressure to have the perfect meal. Instead, we discovered a few years ago that we have much more fun coming up with our a menu together to cook at home.

Much like our One Year Anniversary meal, we like to make it special, but simple. Our meal planning always starts around the protein, which in this case will be Alaskan King Crab Legs if we can find them. Don't worry, we will share pics and recipes!!

Here are a few menu ideas for a nice home-cooked date night.

Cocktails

Valentine's Day usually involves a drink of some sort. Whether it be a really good bottle of wine from the cellar, crisp champagne or a fancy cocktail, it is nice to begin the meal with a wind-down and toast to your relationship. Since I am starting to find blood oranges around, Ryan requested that we start with a Blood Orange Martini or Old Fashioned.

We will probably pull out a bottle of wine to finish the night and hope to not be feeling it the next morning! 

Appy

Next up is a nice appetizer to keep your appetite at ease while making dinner. This is also a good way to prolong the evening and slow the meal down. We just picked up some yummy goat cheese from the Farmers' Market, so we will probably make Roasted Grapes with goat cheese and crostini. 

A simple cheese and crackers are a good choice too, but don't eat too much and ruin the star of the show! 

Main Course

We usually like to get seafood, something that we don't purchase a lot. We are straight up seafood snobs, and not afraid to admit it! My regular readers know from previous posts that I rarely spice up seafood. If it is fresh, then none is needed! Lobster tails are a great idea for main course because they take very little time to cook. The prep work (cutting of the shell) can all be done ahead of time, so your attention can be on your date or loved one and not the food! 

We tend to stay away from attention seeking dishes that fall into the "labor of love" category, like risotto. Same goes with the side dishes. A simple vegetable or rice pilaf works great. Occasionally we will spruce up something with a sauce, but most of the time we keep it light so we aren't painfully full at the end of the meal either. This just better prepares us for the best part - dessert! 

Sweets for my Sweet

Yes, I love saying that and LOVE making desserts for Ryan. I always offer to make the dessert for our special meals. This year we are going to take a crack at a chocolate soufflé. My advice would be do any chocolate dessert such as:

• Chocolate Cherry Brownies
• Chocolate Stout Cake with Macerated Blackberries or Raspberries
• Chocolate Raw Brownies (for the gluten free fare)

We are looking forward to having a nice date night at home with delicious food. Hopefully we can find the Alaskan King Crab legs! 

Happy Valentine's Day :)