On June 9th 2015 it had been 1095 days since Mike and I sealed the deal as husband and wife.  In a failed attempt to convince Mike that the 3 year wedding anniversary was the diamond and or Chanel anniversary, I received an even sweeter gift.

Mike and I decided on our 1st anniversary that we would celebrate this yearly fare by going on a trip. He tried to loop in our 3 year trip with our most recent vacation to the UK.  Though I went along with it at first, I always knew that I’d be planning another excursion as June neared.

Wanting to check out the Drake Devonshire, a small boutique hotel set up outside the hustle of Toronto in Prince Edward County, I attempted to book a weekend stay for sometime in June.  However, seeing as all Toronto hipsters [us included] love a good eclectic boutique hotel vibe set to the tune of non metropolitan surroundings, the first available weekend wasn’t until the end of August.  Alas, our anniversary getaway will have to wait a couple months.

 In the mean time, Mike surprised me with box of 33 oysters + flowers + a necklace and an amazing home cooked meal.  He planned and prepped the dinner and I swooned over the thought he put into the details.  With the pop of a cork, our 3 year anniversary celebration had begun.

 [ all shucked by yours truly]

T H E  D I N N E R  D E T A I L S

For dinner, Mike prepared a menu made up of dishes that he cooked for me when we first started dating.  We were both university students and he had yet to make his way into the culinary world.  And so, at that time, anything outside the realm of caesar salad, pb+j, spaghetti, and goulash was a huge deal.  When Mike purchased his first cookbook, Jamie’s Italy, our dinners changed forever.  He tried his hand at fresh pizza doughs, non spaghetti pastas, and other delicious Italian dishes.

I now share with you 1 recipe and a whole roll of pics from our dinner.  | All dishes are inspired by or are directly from Jamie’s Italy.  

 A N T I P A S T I : a trio of crostinis

1. mozzarella + tomato + basil + olive oil + salt + pepper

2. prosciutto + blue cheese + balsamic vinegar

 3. mushroom duxelle

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Thai red chilli
1/8 c diced pancetta
2 c mixed mushrooms
3 tbsp sherry vinegar

in a pan over med heat cook shallot + garlic + chilli + pancetta in olive oil
add butter + mushrooms | slowly cook
once caramelized, add the vinegar to deglaze

C O U R S E  1 : linguine alla carbonara di salsiccia | sausage carbonara

C O U R S E  2 : risotto bianco with pesto + lobster

D O L C I :  tiramisu veloce

It’s been somewhere around 10 years since Mike first attempted these recipes.  Though 10 years ago, the dishes were likely under seasoned and clumsily plated, I thought they were delicious.  Now, with extra years of practice, though the flavours are likely better developed and the plating more refined, the dishes are just as delicious as I remember.

Here’s to 3 years of gluttony as husband + wife.

wedding pictures by Kamp Photography