“I know that,” she says and rolls her eyes. “Trust me, I do. I feel your love every single day. I don’t question it. I just overthink and it gets me in trouble.”

“Next time, just say, hey babe, what was that about?”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It is.” I brush my knuckles down her cheek. “It’s truly that simple, amore. There’s no need to make it complicated.”

“You bought me a house in Hawaii.”

“I did.”

“When can we go?”

“Whenever you want.”

She cups my cheek in her hand and pulls me down for a long kiss.

“As long as we can take little Cabernet here, I’m ready to go tomorrow.”

“I like your choice of names.”

“I thought you might.”

Dinner Party Menu

Chicken Marsala with Homemade Pasta

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups flour

1/4 cup oil

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

Place the chicken breasts 2 at a time in a large resealable bag. Pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 chicken breasts that have been dredged in flour to the skillet and fry for 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining 2 chicken breasts. Place chicken breasts on a plate and keep warm.

Using the same skillet, reduce heat to low and add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes while lifting the drippings from the bottom of the skillet. Pour in the Marsala wine and let boil for about 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 1 minute. Add the butter and simmer for 1-2 more minutes to allow the sauce to reduce. Place chicken on a bed of Homemade Pasta and pour sauce over the top.

Homemade Pasta

6 cups all-purpose flour

6 whole eggs

1 teaspoon salt (for boiling pasta)

Place the flour on a clean flat surface and make a well in the middle. In a bowl, beat the eggs, then pour into the well of flour. Slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs to begin forming the dough. Continue to knead until the dough comes together and is smooth. Divide dough into 2 portions and wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 1 hour. Roll out dough on a floured surface until very thin. You should almost be able to see through it. If you have a pasta machine, follow the directions for your desired pasta. If you don’t, simply use a pizza cutter and cut strips to the thickness you prefer. Allow to dry on a floured surface for about 5-10 minutes. In a pot of boiling salt water, add the pasta and boil for 2-3 minutes.

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Seafood Paella

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 box yellow rice

1 dozen uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bag fresh mussels in shells, cleaned

1 bag fresh clams in shells, cleaned

1 box frozen sweet peas

1 bunch parsley

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sliced roasted red bell peppers

In a large paella pan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic and rice with seasoning for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add shrimp, mussels, clams, peas, parsley, chicken broth and salt. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, clams and mussels are open, shrimp is pink and rice is cooked. Garnish with roasted peppers.

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Beef Wellington with Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

4 (4-5 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1-inch thick

1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 (17.5-ounce) package frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, garlic, and thyme 6 to 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and set aside. Unfold puff pastry sheets and cut each in half crosswise. Spoon mushroom mixture onto center of each of the 4 pieces of puff pastry, distributing evenly. Season both sides of tenderloin steaks with salt and pepper and rub evenly with Dijon mustard. Place steaks over mushroom mixture. Bring corners of pastry up over steaks; using your fingers, pinch corners and edges together to seal completely. Place seam- side down on baking sheet.

Whisk together egg and 2 tablespoons of water to make egg wash. Brush evenly over each puff pastry and bake 20 to 25 minutes. Steaks will be medium rare.

Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

15-20 red potatoes, rinsed and patted dry

1 cup (plus 1/2 cup) sharp cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup bacon bits

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes in a large bowl and coat with olive oil and kosher salt. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Cut off the tips of both ends of the potatoes. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the center of each potato. Place the filling in a large bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Add butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1 cup cheddar cheese, bacon bits, green onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir until combined. Using a small spoon, stuff each of the potatoes with the filling and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet in a 375-degree oven. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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Fish Tacos with Citrus Slaw

2 mangos, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 lemons

3 tablespoons oil

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

4 grouper fillets

8 taco-size flour tortillas

For the Salsa:

Combine the mango, jalapeno, garlic, onion, crushed pineapple and cilantro in a medium bowl and toss with the juice of one lemon and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Allow to marinate for at least an hour. This can be made a day ahead.

For the Sauce:

Mix together the sour cream, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and the juice of one lemon. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Cooking and preparing the Fish Tacos:

Rub fillets with the remaining 3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning to cover. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Place fillets in oil and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Continue cooking in a preheated 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove from oven and slice each fillet into 4 pieces. To serve, place 2 pieces of fish in a flour tortilla and top with about 3 tablespoons of salsa and 2 tablespoons of sauce.

Citrus Slaw

1 lemon

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1 bag tri-color slaw

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Add juice of one lemon, orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on low and slowly add in olive oil until dressing is blended well. In a large bowl, mix together slaw, cilantro and green onion. Pour dressing over slaw and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes and serve.

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Smothered Chicken with Mushroom Risotto

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup Honey Mustard Dressing (Click here for recipe)

2 tablespoons soy sauce