After trying to decide on a restaurant to celebrate our anniversary this year, we decided to stay home & cook. Don't get me wrong, we love to go out to dinner! But for some reason we just couldn't find a restaurant that we wanted to go to this particular weekend. I felt like every place that sounded good, was some where that we eat on a normal day. I wanted something special for this anniversary so I decided to come up with a menu myself.While we were on our honeymoon, we bought some fresh clams to steam. (Yes, we even had the desire to cook on our honeymoom!) Steamed clams are one of John's all time favorites. I, however, am not a fan of any kind of seafood- what so ever. I know, it's odd but very true. So, I'm pretty sure, our first meal cooked together as husband & wife was this steamed clams meal. I can't remember what we had with them, other than drawn butter & wine. (I'm sure lots of wine was involved.) But I was so deleriously in love decided to try these wonderful steamed clams that my dear husband had made. I mean, you dip the little clam in drawn butter at all!! How bad could they be?!? HA! Let me put it this way, we have not cooked steamed clams since. So, I thought this anniversary, what better to surprise my husband with but his favorite, steamed clams! Just because I don't like them shouldn't mean he never gets to have them at home, right?!? I was even able to track down fresh, from NC's Outerbanks, clams! We had a great evening, all the food turned out fabulously & John was shocked that I bought him clams! We watched our wedding video with Hannah & let her eat the 1st course with us. Then we fed her dinner & got her off to bed before we watched our Reception video & cooked the rest of our dinner. We had so much food that I didn't end up making the pasta dish that I had planned. We saved it & made it the next night instead. It was a fabulous anniversary. Here was our menu from the evening: (I will follow up with a post of the recipes too! If you don't see one that you want just let me know.)
Cocktail:
Lemon Bacca Baci
Lemon Bacca Baci
1st Course:
Roasted Tomato Bruschetta
Parmesan Butter
Cipollini Onion with Parmesan, Asiago & Provolone Spread
French Baguette Crustini
Asiago Cheese Filone
2nd Course:
Endive Salad with Tomato, Olives & Toasted Pecans with Roasted Garlic dressing
3rd Course:
Steamed Little Neck Clams with Drawn Garlic Butter
Fettuccine with Asparagus, Bacon & Parmesan
4th Course:
Anniversary Cake: Old Fashioned Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Endive Salad with Tomato, Olives & Toasted Pecans with Roasted Garlic dressing
3rd Course:
Steamed Little Neck Clams with Drawn Garlic Butter
Fettuccine with Asparagus, Bacon & Parmesan
4th Course:
Anniversary Cake: Old Fashioned Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Cocktail & 1st Course
2nd Course
3rd Course
John & his Steamed Clams
4th Course: Cake from Whole Foods, it was SO good!!
