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Posted: 8/31/2005 3:58:29 PM EDT
Ok, I have this girl coming over to my house for our second date and I told her I would cook dinner. I'm a damn good cook so it's this is no big deal for me...but I wanted to throw out my plan and get some feedback. The girl is the same girl that my "$0.00 first date" thread was about...if you don't remember it, we went fishing for catfish for 8 hours and things went very well.
Since she likes catfish and everyone that has my catfish swears it is the best catfish ever, I've been told I should make that for her. So that is the main dish. I'll also be cooking French sliced green beans cooked with pieces of bacon, a dab of bacon grease, a little bit of butter, and lightly seasoned. I'm not sure what to do about the other side though. Some type of bread or potato maybe. Any suggestions? To go with the dinner I have a white wine, it's an Ernest & Julio Gallo Cafe Chardonnay. I'm not a wine drinker and don't know anything about wine. All I know is I prefer a sweeter wine. Can someone tell me if this is a good choice? For dessert I have a couple options. Depending on how the evening is going, I’ll either take her for a motorcycle ride out for Bruster’s Ice Cream or I have fresh strawberry’s for strawberry short cake…complete with a can of whipped cream. If things go well hopefully I’ll get to eat both of those…with have servings of pie in-between. Any comments, feedback, criticisms, or flames are welcomed. |
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skip all that, get her some taco john's, coors light, and a couple roofies.
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Well, there's always going with a bruschetta. Toast some slices of a baguette, top with some garlic-infused olive oil, then a little diced tomato? Sounding good, man..... I'm taking my gal to some local restaurant for our second date.... didn't bother to cook.... |
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I wish I could do that. I can't seem to fit it in.
Aw hell. Mabe I will call her tonight or tomorrow. Have a good evening. Oh, I am not a wine guy by any means, but Ernest & Julio! |
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Dump the Ernest and Hoolio immediately. It's famous for being cheap wino crap. If there's a Trader Joes by you pick up some Four Buck Chuck. It's not the $2 bottles, these are $4 bottles, mostly Napa Valley grapes, much better, and very sweet. If not that, drop by your local liquor store and drop $8 or so on something they recommend for you. Also, don't feed her too much. She won't feel all sexy and whatnot with eleven pounds of bacon soaked green beans and a half a fish in her gut. Make a salad, chicks eat salad. See if you can work a little pineapple in there somewhere. Goes well w/pie. No onions, no garlic, easy on the salt, unless you want to swamp out her mouth with a little listerine before sucking face. +1 on the motorcycle ride. Sounds like a good date is in store. You did wash your sheets, right? And consider the possibility of putting a lit candle in the bathroom before she gets there. |
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Sheets are clean, whole has been getting cleaned (been awhile since I had anyone over). Candles have been mentioned to me before, I have candles I just need to figure out where to put them. I have a lady at work that is helping me with some of those details. I'll have to ask her where in the house the candles should go. I forgot to add, after dinner I plan on putting in a DVD and watching a movie. Hopefully I won't be seeing much of the movie beyond the title. |
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You sound just like a chick in your over-analysis and hypersensitivity about the whole event.
Get a grip dude, and just go with the flow. That being said, I'd probably be fretting about the whole damn evening just like you are. |
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I'm not worried about the evening as the girl is very much into me and we seem to get along. I could probably throw in a pizza and the evening would be good to go. But, that's not my style, I like to wow the pants of them. As for acting like a chick, I work in a company that is 80% female...their behavior has worn off on me. |
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A spring/field green salad.
I would drop the green beans and do some sort of rice dish. Risotto is a good suggestion, but unless you've done it before, you're better off not even trying. Shit, why not some good fried potato wedges? Fry them twice, maybe put a little batter on them the second time around. |
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Since I don't even know what Risotto is I guess I'll skip that this time. I like the potato wedges idea. |
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Candles are fine... just NOT in the bedroom.. it means you are assuming she will be spending time in there, the type of time that people like candle light... Elsewhere though is a great thought...
I would second a small salad, and some starch. How do you make your catfish? Is it fried? Baked? how.. that will help determine the side. also, I would second chilling out on the ernst and gallo wine. Go to a store and pick up something alittle nicer, but dont spend more than $12 or so on the bottle. Just something white and light. Use the ernst and gallo if you finish the first bottle, since it will taste better with some booze on board... Otherwise sounds like you got your shit together man. Just remember, you had fun fishing with this chick, so no need to pretend to be something your not.. |
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Risotta is arborio rice. Sweat some onions and garlic in a saucepan with some EVOO and butter. Then add the rice. Saute until the rice is starting to get golden brown.
Have 5-6 cups of chicken stock on another burner simmering. Once the rice is browned, add the hot stock one ladle at a time. Add a ladle of stock, and stir the rice until it absorbs the liquid. Then add more. The rice will slowly release it's starch and create a thick liquid. Keep adding the stock until the rice stops absorbing. Remember to stir always. Once the rice has stopped taking stock, add a little grated parm or romano. Season to taste and serve. Very versatile dish. www.e-rcps.com/pasta/rcp/ris/index.shtml |
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You know, if you treat her nice once, she'll expect it all the time...
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Fer gawd sakes, have a clean hole! |
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Peel and cube some potatoes. Boil them untill done. Drain and add butter untill they are well coated and slightly puddling. Add about 1/4 cup green onion tops diced fine. Salt/pepper to taste.
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Swire, on the wine, get a good Gewurztraminer or a Riesling. Both are "sweet" wines. The price of wine is often a direct correlation to its quality. For $10 - $15 you can get an excellent wine. Look for NW or California wines. The French make some good wines, but I would try to remain French Free!
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We can't really recommend wines until we know your goal. Are you trying to impress her with your taste and culture? Or are you trying to have a drunk girl in your house overnight?
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........and the last thing you'll hear before she hangs up the phone is "you used to treat me so good, but you never do anything for me anymore..." Seriously though......nice job. It's fun schmoozing da wimmenz! ETA: Definitely do a salad. Fresh spinach leaves with grated carrot is a great start that only gets better with fresh bell peppers, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, etc. For a great dressing, try this: one part Hidden Valley ranch dressing one part Sour cream a good dash of grated Parmesan cheese another good dash of fresh, rough ground cracked pepper Good stuff!!!! |
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That worked on this MP chick on base. |
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Find a box/ bag of orzo. It is a rice shaped pasta that is simple to cook, and a good "vehicle" for wahtever flavors or other ingredients you may want to include in your meal. Toast half of it in a hot pan with a little oil until it has a nutty aroma and a nice medium brown color to it. Add the other half of the orzo and then boil it in water until al dente. Orzo goes well with anything, and is tough to screw up compared to rice or rissotto.
Good luck with the girl! --VT |
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I say, that's a great idea. No need to spend all that $ when you are in the "getting to know stage". |
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The only think missing is your address; why oh why do people post their cooking plans and leave out the GD address???? And I don't even like fish, but it still sound good! Merlin |
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I'm a Yankee, I don't know how make hush puppies. I'm trying to fit in here the best I can. |
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Get a bottle of J. Lohr Johannesburg Reisling. Good compromise between sweet/ dry.
You be in dem pants by 11 |
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what are you still posting for is the date over already its only 10:15. Or is she washing the dishes
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I don't do anything to impress women. I just do what I do best. My goal is to have a good dinner and fun conversation, go for a motorcycle ride and ice cream, then cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie. If we get side tracked in between, that would be just fine. I'm not trying to impress her by pretending to be something I'm not nor am I trying to get her drunk...if the evening is done right alcohol isn't needed at all. I just happen to have the wine so I figured why not add it into the meal. As for the catfish it will be fried in a canola oil with a corn meal and flour breading with my special blend of seasoning mixed in. |
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I didn't say the date was tonight, it's tomorrow night. Don't you think a couple hours is very short notice for making changes to a good meal? If I'm posting after 6pm tomorow night, things will have gone bad. |
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Be careful! That butter and bacon grease is going to go straight to her ass!
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Pretty gutsy making catfish and greenbeans for a second date...may be better to stick with a steak or chicken dish...
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Perhaps it's just as well. Since you already make the best catfish, if you ever mastered the art of the pup it would be too much power in the hands of one individual. And two fried dishes might be stretching it anyway. |
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UPDATE
The dinner went well even though we never made it to dessert...but the pie sure tasted good. A highlight of the evening was a comment she made after looking at my book case, she goes "So you've shot an AR?" I said yes and asked her if she had to which she replied "Yes, they are fun to shoot". |
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Cool. Sounds like that's just icing on the |
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No pics??? |
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Damn, you're making me envious. Good going SWIRE! Fortunately I have a date tomorrow night. |
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I think a bunch of us will be disappearing from the boards shortly...... we've learned the game |
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be sure and use pond raised catfish..not river cat...distinctive taste difference.
I lived in MS for 7 years and pond cat is delicious....river cat....blah. You should have let me come by to take the Dinner Pic (and post it here). Essayons |
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