Artichoke and Spinach Dip

I headed to my friend Annie's place for Oscar watching last night, and while I wanted to be really creative and make appetizers to match each Best Picture nominee, I was just way too lazy (see endlesssimmer for more of an effort).  Instead, I decided to go with a tried and true artichoke and spinach dip, with some of my expected modifications.  The result?  A really quick and easy recipe you can take to any future shin-dig!

Click below to get the recipe!

Lamb Chops, Cauliflower & Prosciutto-Wrapped Pears w/ Goat Cheese

*Post by Mark.

Angela can be a busy young lady. When she's not working, marathon training, sleep-walking (oh, you have NO idea), or keeping up with an intense weekly DVR regiment (apparently Bones is 'must-watch TV'), she's usually cooking some extravagant meal for this guy's exclusive benefit. Now, I'm no stranger to the kitchen, but I usually step aside when it comes to the kitchen... no, I literally step aside. The kitchen comfortably fits 1/2 a normal sized person, which means it fits one Angela comfortably (Also, she's a total control-freak).

With her upcoming birthday and a strenuous recent workload and my fear of gradually becoming an easily replaceable component in this relationship, I decided tonight would be a good opportunity to nudge her aside, squeeze into the close-but-foreign quarters of the kitchen and make myself useful. Perhaps my apron-wearing hiatus made me antsy to push my culinary ventures, or perhaps I had a lot of reciprocating to do, but I settled on a menu that given my talents limitations, may have been a little... ambitious.

Click READ MORE to see what Mark cooked for Angela.

Cannellini Bean Spread

I'm watching the Super Bowl at my friends' place, one of whom is a vegetarian.  So I decided to bring one of my favorites, a cannellini bean spread from Steamy Kitchen.  It's fast and simple, and the resulting spread is luscious and satisfying.  For a vegetarian recipe, that is. 

Click below to get the recipe!

Prosciutto-Wrapped, Mascarpone Stuffed Medjool Dates

I hate raisins.  I really actually dislike most dried fruit - I'm not sure if it's the texture, or the cloying sweetness, but I can't stand them, particularly in savory dishes.  BUT, my stance on the issue recently took a serious hit.  If you'll remember, Mark and I had the pleasure of dining at Komi a couple of weeks ago, and one of our favorite little dishes was the mascarpone-stuffed Medjool date.  It was this amazing bite, balancing the soft sweetness of the date, the richness of the mascarpone and the sea salt.  I would have been happy had the rest of the meal been composed of a plate of those jewels.

Then, last week, we celebrated Mark's friend's birthday at Bodega in Georgetown, where we had delicious crispy fried dates wrapped in bacon.  What was happening?!  Did I have to reconsider my position on dried fruit?

After a little research, I think I'm okay sticking with my hatred.  Medjool dates are an exception to the rule, not your run-of-the-mill dried fruit.  Instead, these juicy, almost meaty treasures are considered the "king of dates" and were once reserved for Moroccan royalty and their guests.  And through some miracle, I found them in the produce section yesterday at Safeway!  I grabbed a couple dozen juicy dates, a package of mascarpone cheese, and some thinly sliced prosciutto, and headed home to try and recreate the Komi magic.

Click below for the recipe!