Day 2 of Man Cookery

When last we parted, I had started detailing a week's worth of menus made for The Pickiest Man Alive. The Wednesday of The Man's arrival, it was midnight stromboli. On Thursday we enjoyed a wonderful meal at Tini. Since I've reviewed Tini here before I won't get into too much detail, except to say that if you ever find yourself looking at the Blackbird Steak Sandwich on the menu, order 5.

Onto Friday. We were joined by our dear friend Stacey as well as John's mom, Susan. The menu for the evening was marinated flank steak, risotto and roasted asparagus. And lots of wine. The verdict: Yummy noises all around. The details after the jump.

Marinated Flank Steak

(Recipe from the Food Network Kitchens)

- 1.5 Pounds Flank Steak

- 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

- 4 Cloves Garlic, Crushed

- 1 Teaspoon Sugar

- Freshly Ground Pepper

Cut the steak in half into 2 long pieces to make it more managable. Poke it all over with a fork. In a large plastic bag, mix all of the other ingredients together, and add the flank steak. Marinate at room temp for 1 hour, or refrigerated for up to 6. On the Friday evening, I marinated for just one hour. A few days later, I made the steak again, this time marinating for about 3. The difference was negligible, so don't worry if you're short on time.

Remove the steak from the marinade and pat the excess liquid off. Position the oven rack in the top position and broil 5 to 8 minutes per side. Let the steak rest for a few minues before slicing into thin strips.

Risotto

My favorite risotto is mushroom. But for John, I went really basic. The only add-ins were shallots and garlic. But if I may say so, my risotto technique is pretty darn good, and even the plain was delicious.

Roasted Asparagus
Simple and classic with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

Dinner was s hit, and there were many laughs to be had. That's one thing I love about cooking and entertaining at home as opposed to going out: the atmosphere is much more relaxed and the laughs tend to come easier. And restaurants tend not to like it when I hold my cat while sipping my cocktail.