Beef Filets with Asparagus and a Roasted Shallot and Tarragon Sauce

For Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
20 large shallots, peeled and with roots slightly attached
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Steaks:
4 filet mignon steaks, about 8 ounces each
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon light olive oil


For Asparagus:
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 to 2 tablespoons butter




TO PREPARE SAUCE: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a sauté pan or skillet. Add the shallots and toss to coat well. Transfer the shallots to a baking dish and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the baking dish and stir in the cream, wine, tarragon, salt and pepper. Return to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.


TO PREPARE STEAKS: Meanwhile, rub the steaks with the tamari and some freshly ground black pepper. Rub the steaks with oil, and sear the steaks for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or about 7 minutes per side for medium. For the cool cross hatch marks, turn steaks 45 degrees in the middle of each side's cooking.


TO PREPARE ASPARAGUS: While the steaks are cooking, prepare the asparagus. Place in a steamer or in a steamer basket set over a saucepan of boiling water. Steam for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a serving platter, dot with the butter and let it melt over the asparagus, and season with salt.


TO SERVE: Place each steak in the center of a warm serving plate and spoon the sauce around the meat. Place the shallots evenly around the steaks and arrange the asparagus spears artistically around the steaks in spoke fashion or to the side. Serve immediately. Have a condom in your pocket, cause you're gonna get laid.

p.s. don't skimp on the asparagus you cheap bastard. Prime asparagus season is March through June, so you're golden.

Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Gouda Soup

4 cups chicken broth

2 jalapeno chiles, halved lengthwise, deveined, seeded

1 large red potato, peeled and chopped

4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced


2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

4 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated smoked gouda (make sure to get wax rind completely off)

Zest and juice of 1 lime


1 cup sour cream, garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro, garnish

some grated smoked gouda, garnish



Combine broth, jalapeno chiles, potato, and tomatoes in large saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the chiles from broth. If you like, save them for the garnish, but warn people in case they don't want to eat those. I usually just eat them myself in the kitchen.


Brush peppers with oil on both sides. Roast in oven for 10 minutes, medium low heat. Pull peppers out before skin blisters and turns black.

Heat remaining oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and bell peppers; saute until tender. Transfer mixture to a blender. Working in batches, add broth mixture to the blender with bell peppers and process until smooth. Transfer soup to the large saucepan. Stir in milk and cream and gouda. Rewarm soup over low heat (do not boil). Add lime zest and juice. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.


Ladle soup into serving bowls. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro and shaved or shredded gouda.

Soup is easy, you want another wild recipe? Ditch the tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and chiles, and add celery, apple and a very little bit of bacon if desired.

Really, you can adapt this recipe to almost any combination of vegetables and fruits, and get acceptable results. Just don't ever boil a cream based soup, your flavors get out balance once something on the bottom burns (usually pototatoes or cream).

eating alone.

crackers? Several bottles of wine? Sleeping pills?

Damn, this V-Day will be my first one alone in 10 years.

Oh well, all shall be well.