Our Anniversary

I love duck breast. I have never even thought to attempt making it myself, and that is the one thing I will always order when I go out for a nice dinner. Mark and I took a visit to Eckerlin's meats at Findley Market for our usual stop. They have wonderful meat and items like Kobe beef steaks (they are pricey but worth it if you want a treat) and have great beef options. We were looking at a few steaks when I spotted the duck breast. I was ready to give it our first try at home. Now I say, I gave it a try, but I actually sat on the couch while Mark made this dish.

It was our anniversary (end of three years, beginning four) so we decided to make a great dinner at home. As Mark prepared the duck, I was a little nervous. When you crisp the outside skin of the duck, it seems a little gamey. The smell was overwhelming. It was way too strong for me. As he put it into the oven to roast I thought of a few different ways to bail out on dinner. As I waited patiently a new aroma entered the house. Wild Mushroom risotto.

I love risotto. Even though its not on the diet plan, I can splurge for the good event. The smell was wonderful. We purchased a wild mushroom mix from Madison's at Findley Market and Mark rehydrated them in a small bowl with water. Mark made his risotto (as you would normally prepare risotto) then he added just the juice from the mushrooms to the stock. This smelled like heaven.

As time went on i couldn't wait. The duck was perfect. Crispy skin and beautiful juicy finished breast. The Risotto was perfect. I could eat it everyday. Here are the photos. I cant even describe how great this was. If it was good for me, I would be skinny.