Beef Carpaccio & Garlic Artichokes

Our first Valentine's Day together was in 2007. Sick of waiting on tables in over crowded, impersonal restaurants & watching couples struggle to enjoy the "perfect night" together, we opted out. Armed with a bottle of Montepulciano Ray had stashed for ages from his brief stint in Italy, a DVD of the Apartment & a lovely piece of beef tenderloin we stayed in. Somehow, a musty rental house, a couple of candles & home cooked meal tops dinner reservations every time. So, with little fanfare, we achieved the "perfect night." The "perfect" Valentine's Day.

Beef Carpaccio, for 2

1 8-10 oz. beef tenderloin

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

salt to taste pepper to taste

1 small bunch arugula

1 small piece of parmigiano-reggiano

1 small lemon, zested & juiced

Freeze the tenderloin for at least one hour. Once frozen, heat a skillet over high heat (you want it very hot!) & throughly salt & pepper the tenderloin. Drizzle about half of the oil in the skillet & sear the tenderloin on all sides, about 4 minutes total. You're not trying to cook it through, just give it a good sear on the outside. Once seared, place the tenderloin back in the freezer for at least another hour. This will make it much easier to slice the meat very thinly.

While the meat is freezing, make a bed of arugula. After an hour, remove the tenderloin from the freezer & slice it as thinly as possibly (be very careful!). Arrange the slices on top of the arugula & toss some parmesan shavings over it (I usually use a vegetable peeler to get small parmesan shavings - though you could just grate it if you like). Finally, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice & zest. Serve at room temperature or cool.

Garlic Artichokes, for 2

1 large artichoke

6-8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp. butter

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Sauce options: Garlic Lemon Butter, Rosemary Lime Mayo

Bring 1 c. salted water to a rolling simmer in a deep pot. Meanwhile, trim the pointy tops off all the artichoke leaves, trim the base of the stem off & trip the very top of the artichoke off (leaving you with a flat top & bottom). Stick garlic cloves & small cubes of butter between the leaves (no where specific, just anywhere you can wedge a bit in). Put the artichoke, stem end down, in the pot & cover it. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the leaves easily pull away. Halve the artichoke & scoop out the choke (the thistly part in the center) with a spoon. Serve with dipping sauces of choice. My two favorites are Garlic Lemon Butter & Rosemary Lime Mayo - I've included recipes below.

Garlic Lemon Butter

2 - 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

Whisk all ingredients together.

Rosemary Lime Mayo

3 tbsp. mayo

1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp. lime zest

Whisk all ingredients together. Enjoy!