An Unforgetable Dinner

I celebrated my birthday earlier this month. One of the surprises I got for my birthday is a special dinner lovingly prepared by my husband(I'm not the only cook in the family). Our son visited his grandparents that weekend(it's great because my parents live close by!)

He surprised me with lobster thermidor -- one of my favorite preparations for lobster. Lobster Thermidor is a labor of love. It took him hours to make this dish. I'm not exactly sure how he made it -- I was not allowed to help :-) Six pounds of live lobsters were sacrificed in a rich creamy cheesy sauce. They met their demise in the most glorious way.

He also baked a delicious coconut cake from scratch. Heaven.

Gourmet Comfort Food

Sometimes I like simple things to eat with just two or three ingredients. Take this snack for example: slices of delicious Fuji apples and Gruyere cheese. How can something so simple taste so darn good? There is nothing like good comfort food. Here are two yummy dishes using one of my favorite cheeses in the whole world -- Gruyere. Gruyere is an essential ingredient for great fondue because it is a fantastic melting cheese. It's takes mac n cheese to a whole new level.

Penne for your thoughts? Here is a baked gooey pasta casserole made with three kinds of cheese. Our little guy loves this pasta dish. It's a trio of three amazing white cheeses -- Parmigiano-Reggiano, Provalone and Gruyere. Fontina would be another good cheese to add. I melted all three cheeses in heavy cream and whole milk and folded the cheese sauce to the cooked penne. I topped the pasta cheese mixture with fresh bread crumbs and more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I baked it in the oven for 40 minutes until the crust turned golden brown.

My husband told me that this is the best ham and cheese sandwich he ever had in his life. I had a lot of help from Gruyere cheese. Anything with this much fat has to be good!

2 pieces of thick white bread
1 slice of really good ham (about 3-4 ounces)
4 ounces of Gruyere cheese
lots of butter.

Butter both sides of your bread. Put the ham and cheese in between two slices of bread. Using a non-stick pan on medium heat, fry the ham and cheese sandwich. Use a spatula to press down or flatten the ham and cheese melt. Wait for a few minutes until bread is golden brown before flipping it over . Brown the other side. Enjoy!