As always they start with the best ingredients. Last night it was a delicious gumbo. Smoky andouille sausage, succulent shrimp, and garden fresh okra all simmering in a perfectly seasoned broth with a deep brown roux.
Sometimes it’s Italian food. I love a good Alfredo sauce all rich with butter and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, served over tortellini with browned Italian sausage. Or maybe a spaghetti with homemade marinara? Garlic sauteed in olive oil, a red wine reduction, crushed tomatoes and fresh basil and oregano from the backyard.
Or may be we use the grill? A well-seasoned chicken breast with perfect black lines, and all the juice still inside served over wild rice. Maybe a 1/3 pound burger, shaped so that the patty just barely hangs over the side of the bun, and cooked so that a delicate brown crust forms on the outside while the inside is bursting with flavor, topped with melted fresh sliced cheddar or colby-jack, and served over a lightly toasted bun.
And then sometimes there’s dessert. Oh, the dessert!
Also my wife and son are there.
