Birthday Stuff

As most know, we love to eat good food and love to make good food. Because of this, every birthday we make each other a special meal. One would say, “you guys always make good meals” but, we try to out due ourselves every time. This year, I gave Holming a choice and he chose Feuilletés aux fruits de mer (Seafood in puff pastry) which is a combination of seafood in a creamy sauce served in a puff pastry. I won’t bore you with the 3 ½ hours of steps that it took to make this dish on a warm Summer day but I will share the ingredients.

12 ounces puff pastry
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water to glaze
4 tbsp dry white wine
2 shallots
1 pound mussels
1 tbsp butter
1 pound sea scallops
1 pound shrimp
1 pound lobster meat ( I used crayfish since we don’t get lobster here)

For the sauce
1 cup butter (I used ½)
2 shallots
1 cup fish stock
6 tbsp dry white wine
1-2 tbsp cream ( I used about 1/3 cup)
lemon juice
salt and white pepper



It’s times like these that I really wish his birthday were still in the Winter. He’s not complaining because now mine is in the dead middle of Winter so making food such as this is no problem.
I accompanied this dish with a light Romaine lettuce (cos), yellow tomato and parmesan salad. It’s his favourite and I’ve not made it for a while.

In addition to a very special meal, I had also purchased a Linksys E2000 wireless router (which is some fancy shmancy, high falutin’ router you can’t get here), a Wüsthof whetstone knife sharpener and a book on playing piano that he really wanted. Add the shipping from the US and YIKES!

Next on the agenda is a Friday afternoon facial with massage, then a lunch out to wherever he wants. I should add that we will both be getting the spa treatment. We always have one together for our birthday’s.

Happy Birthday Honey!