Sandi's New Year Dinner

Sandi and I started the New Year by seeing the first show at the AMC theater; "Saving Mr. Banks" which be both thought was a very good movie. We had planned to go to our favorite L'Amande Bakery for lunch but discovered that they were closed today! So we parted ways and decided to just go home and do our own thing. Being New Year, we had discussed that no matter what,  we had to eat spaghetti today in hopes for  long life; aside from the fact that we also had to wear something polka dots (Filipino custom) for prosperity.  She had planned to cook some pasta anyway so she invited me and my husband for a simple dinner. Before she even finished her sentence, I told her we would be happy to come over.

We got there and started with champagne and an array of cold cuts. I took a peak at the kitchen and she was cooking up a storm. Her simple dinner turned out to be pasta with vegetables, breaded fried shrimps and lobster tail. Everything was delicious but I was impressed with the lobster tail. She had never cooked it before and was instructed by the man at the local market on how prepare it. He told her to boil the tails in water with butter and salt for 2 minutes. Then crack the back of each tail and add some butter and broil them for 5 minutes (meat facing down) back on top. All I can say is the chefs at your local Red Lobster should take note of this. They were nice and succulent unlike some places where they overcook it and therefore taste like rubber.  I can't wait to experiment and see if I get the same results.

For dessert, she just went and got a fruit tart from Von's market which was not bad at all. I just had to pick out the kiwis as I am allergic to them. I made a key lime pie from a mix Sandi brought from Florida. It was good considering all I had to do was add water and condensed milk to the mix and pour it on a graham cracker crust.

It was a good day to start 2014. Here's to more good movies, succulent lobsters and great friends!
Cheers to you Sandi!