Delicious Nadine: Date Night In: Ashley Rodriguez is a Genius, or A Marriage Manual Masquerading as a Cookbook

“What I didn’t know was how hard we would have to fight for our happily ever after.”

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle for Two

Well, yes. I read that line and responded with a deep, resonant agreement. After Zoe was born, Nick and I struggled to make peace with the huge changes that the arrival of a third person in our twosome meant to who we were, individually and together, not to mention with the utter transformation of our day-to-day lives. We really did--do--have to fight for our happily ever after.

The person who wrote that line is Ashley Rodriguez, and her book Date Night In is a practical guide for her own version of the fight for happily every after, one that I’m taking as a blueprint for the moment. It’s a marriage guide in disguise as a cookbook--as well as being a very good cookbook.

Basically, before kids, Rodriguez and her husband had adventures and ate great meals out in fascinating restaurants, and generally had a blast. They they had three kids… and that aspect of their lives died a quick death. But Rodriguez found a way to save a small part of it, the most essential part--the pleasure of good food and conversation with her husband, the part where they enjoyed each other’s company--she just brought it into the house. Now, once a week, they cook and enjoy a fabulous meal at home, after the kids are in bed: Date Night In.

This sounded like genius to me. When I heard about this book, I did not order it online. I got up and walked to a bookstore, then sat and read it for an hour before buying it--and having it gift wrapped for Nick. A present, from me to him, and a hope that we could bring this into our lives: through food, and the time it takes to savor it--connection, laughter, the sort of plain fun that reminds us why we’ve stayed together for 16 years, and counting.

For starters, at least, I’ve vowed to actually follow Rodriguez’s recipes. Mostly. This is hard for me, as I tend to think that I know better, that I can take various shortcuts and still get the same good results. I’m bolstered in this belief by the fact that my cooking so often turns out well despite my many cheats, but kind of the point of this exercise is to not take shortcuts, to take the long way around and see what I can see. Not to wolf our food, but to savor it. Not to rush the cooking, but to do it deliberately, letting the process be its own reward as much as the resulting food.

I’ve cooked, and Nick and I have eaten, two meals from the book so far, and they’ve been outstanding. They have not been particularly quick or easy: these are the kind of meals that involve steps taken days as well as hours in advance. What makes this possible is that Rodriguez does so much of the work up front, with seasonal three-course menus, a grocery list for the entire meal, and a timeline that lets me pace out the meal prep into manageable dollops of activity, so I don’t arrive at the table too exhausted from cooking to enjoy the meal.

The food is a little more complex than I would generally cook, with those couple of extra ingredients and steps that would usually stop me from bothering with it. Rodriguez is earning my trust, though, with results. The food has a sophistication that makes the entire meal feel like more than just another weeknight dinner.

Sure, Nick and I can sit and talk and have a ball over any meal, or even none at all. But there’s something about a nicely set table, a cocktail or a glass of wine, and a coursed meal of truly delicious food, that sets the scene. It’s a good time in itself, and it creates the expectation that we’re going to linger… lingering is where the good stuff lies.

Menu #1:

Rhubarb Sour, Spring Green Salad with Creamy Shallot Vinaigrette, Herb-Butter Roasted Chicken with Tarragon Aioli, Maple Coriander Roasted Carrots, Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Three days in advance, I washed and dried the chicken, rubbed salt and pepper over the skin and cavity, and put it on a rack in the refrigerator, uncovered. The salt and pepper season the meat, and the skin dries out, which make for an extra-crisp skin.

I also made rhubarb syrup, boiling chopped rhubarb with sugar, water, and a vanilla bean,

then straining through a fine-mesh sieve to make this gorgeous pink syrup.

Two days in advance, I made shortcake dough, wrapped it in plastic, and put it in the fridge. I didn't know I could do that! It baked up great, so now that's another cheat I'll use in the future.

I also made creme fraiche, but stirring a tablespoon of live-culture yogurt into a cup of heavy cream, and then letting it sit out overnight. This is outstanding, and I kind of want to have creme fraiche around all the time now. So fatty and delicious!

Oh yeah, and I made tarragon aioli, from scratch, using an immersion blender. I forgot to take pictures, because it was late and I was tired.

The day of our first Date Night In, Nick played with Zoe while I did prep work, like making this mustard and herb mixture

and rubbing it under and over the skin of the chicken.

I made the salad dressing and prepped the salad ingredients, as well as the carrots. I have to say, this dressing is my new favorite. Creme fraiche may become a new pantry staple around here just so that I can make this salad dressing all the time.

I also baked the shortcakes,

and macerated the strawberries.

Finally, while Nick took Little Z up to bed, I roasted the chicken, breast side down in melted butter in a cast iron pan at first, then in the oven, basting periodically with the herb-butter drippings. Yeah, that smelled good.