“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” – Julia Child

It has been a while since I penned a legit foodie post. I have taken some photographs at restaurants, sure, documenting the yumminess, but it’s been a while since I last wrote about something I prepared myself.

Well here it is, with a couple of explanations behind my thoughts:

• First, I may be “thinking food” because I am super inspired by the progress in our new kitchen at the renovation/restoration on Saint Patrick Street (see, “The Kitchen Takes a Giant Leap“). I can’t wait to get set up, get all my pots and pans and tools in place, and get serious.
• Then, Rebekah was served a most amazing steak last week at On the Square. We don’t usually buy New York Strip but OTS did such a great job I was inspired.

So I selected a good looking New York Strip steak at the grocery store and read up on a few recipes. The key to tenderness is preparation, so I put together a simple marinade and gave the steak 24-hours to get ready.

Then, Wednesday evening, I pan-seared the meat in my 45-year-seasoned iron skillet before throwing in some large shrimp and finishing it in the oven. The steak rested for a few minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, I had prepared garlic butter green beans and red-skinned potatoes. The meal was simple, easy to put together, very low in carbs, and delicious.

But the real reason I’m sharing today is that Rebekah loved it. She could not stop talking about how great her steak was. Granted, she also goes nuts over fries and a good hamburger (below), so it’s not like I’m trying to impress Anthony Bourdain or get a mention in Food & Wine.

The real reason I cook:

I guess I’m not so much a hard-core foodie as a sucker for making Rebekah happy. She has good taste, of course; but I’d rather serve something run-of-the-mill that she enjoyed than a gourmet feast she didn’t.

The best ingredient for a great meal, of course, is who you are with. It doesn’t matter how good the food is, it tastes exponentially better in good company. And that, my friends, means that every meal here at home is a feast.

So, bon appétit… and – more important still – bon amour – DEREK

below – the pecan bread pudding from OTS