"What do you want to eat with the steak? We have some potatoes."
"Potatoes au Gratin."
"Are you kidding?"
We had New York strip and
potato gratin. I think Mark Bittman taught me to leave the cast iron skillet heating on the bottom floor of the oven - and that's what I do. The oven was at 450 degrees for the potato gratin before I took out the skillet, put it on medium high and seared both sides of the steak for a few minutes. I finished it off in the oven at 350 degrees and just kept checking the internal temperature with a thermometer. Still have not mastered cooking great meat without a thermometer...
Since I make ten times too many portions for just myself and Adam, I attempted to cut the recipe in half. I used less potatoes, a lot less heavy cream and cheese, and more garlic. I couldn't find gruyere and used a Whole Foods shredded three cheese blend (fontina, asiago and parmesan) instead.
And then I baked the Funfetti cake, from the mix I purchased on clearance after Christmas hence the red and green, in a non-fluted bundt pan, covered it in Pillsbury white frosting and called it a day.
Here is to celebrating one, of many days, with someone you love more than small, appropriate portions of meat, potatoes without cream, and cake from scratch.
p.s. listen to the sizzle! look at cream and cheese bubble from residual heat!
