Friday, February 15, 2013

Martha vs. Rachael: A Valentine's Showdown

This Valentine's Day my husband and I decided to put forth a team effort in the kitchen. He made dinner and I made dessert. Isn't being a team what marriage is about anyway? I suggested this idea for Valentine's day last week and my husband, a novice in the kitchen, went off and found a recipe by Rachael Ray humorously named "You Won't Be Single for Long Vodka Cream Pasta." While an odd choice for someone who isn't single, it was reminiscent for our first Valentine's Day together in which my husband, then boyfriend, cooked me Penne in a Vodka Cream Sauce, albeit with a different recipe.

For dessert, I selected a recipe for a chocolate raspberry tart from Martha Stewart. I am all about the simple, yet elegant when it comes to food, and this recipe fit the bill. Plus, we both adore chocolate and raspberries, so it utilized ingredients that are dear to both our palates.

While this was not a competition, it turned out to be a showdown between recipes and their celebrity creators. Who had the better recipe, Martha or Rachael? Well, Martha was the clear winner hands down. My husband's dish, although it had a lot of love and effort in it, was not good at all. As my husband said, it sort of turned out to be pasta soup. Do we need spoons? I want to say that my husband's lack of experience with cooking was partly (mostly) to blame for this recipe's demise, but honestly the recipe seemed flawed as well. My husband actually can't stand Rachael Ray and I guess now he has another reason to hate her! On the flip side, Martha's recipes have never failed me. Is she anal retentive and obsessive to detail? Yes. But her recipes always turn out great. Plus she has the audacious tenacity to rock a Birkin fresh out of prison for committing white collar crimes such as insider trading. She's sort of my hero, even though we are nothing alike.

While it's a cliche, it's the thought that counts. My husband fretted over this recipe and even went grocery shopping to select the right ingredients. I showed him how to chiffonade basil, and he did it, although after a couple leaves he stopped using the technique. In fairness, my husband and I had the pasta left overs tonight and it did seem to have a better taste the second time around. I think like love and many things in life, it gets better with time!





The recipe for the Martha Stewart tart can be found here. Both my husband and I highly recommend it, especially for the chocolate lovers out there. My husband's recipe can be found here. Try at your own risk!


4 comments:

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    1. Thank you Denise! It tastes amazing too! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  2. This is adorable and makes me miss my bf who moved across the pond recently. It's always a team effort in the kitchen for us when we cook, which I find more enjoyable! The tart is making me hungry, btw! ;)

    fauxionista.com

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    1. How sad! I know long distance relationships can be tough. I did that with my now husband for a couple of years. It's cool that you cook together. Normally I do the cooking and my husband does the dishes and place setting!

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