Fabulous Dinner by Colin

Only make bets you don't mind losing.

It's great advice, no?

When I lived with Alicia, she made many things into a competition. It's been awhile since we've done this. But, a month or two ago, Marney, Alicia, and I met on a snowy winter's night for some bowling and beers. A few lanes into the first game, we decided that the game would be a bet - and the lowest scoring person after 3 games would have to either make or buy dinner for the other 2.

Long story short....Marney lost. By a lot. A LOT. And, like any self-respecting wife with a husband who can cook, she had Colin cook for us tonight. It was such a treat because it was the first grilled food I'd had this year, and I hadn't enjoyed a Colin meal in awhile!

This guy is magic. Culinary magic, that is. Seriously, I don't know how he does it. I have never seen him use a recipe. I have never been served overcooked food. I have never been served un-delicious food. He is MAGIC!

Tonight, the wizard created a feast that started with a green salad topped with a balsamic vinaigrette that I dream about. It's really that good.

Then, baked bread and mixed summer veggies in a foil packet on the grill: green pepper, red onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and a mystery combo of spices.

Also, sauteed shrimp in a boatload of garlic and butter or oil. These shrimp are amazing - cooked to perfection, plump and juicy, and exploding with garlic flavor.

And the masterpiece: salmon with lemon and a spice rub on the grill. The salmon was to die for. Honestly - I may change my death sentence meal. Look at how gorgeous this salmon was coming off the grill on a pretty spring evening.

Sidenote: best topic for food lovers to discuss at a cocktail or dinner party? What would you eat for your last supper if you were going to die tomorrow? Usually I would answer with a field green salad, margarita pizza, red wine, and extra dark chocolate. However, this salmon may have changed my answer. Plus, prosecco is quickly replacing red wine as my wine of choice, so I may need to re-think my whole answer!

Back to tonight's meal. It rocked. Colin amazes me. I am so jealous of his ability to cook all these different dishes (on different things like grill/stove/etc) and they all are done at the same time. Also, how in the hell does he season things so well? It's a delicious mystery that I'll be happy to try to figure out for a long time. Thanks to Marney's crummy bowling, maybe I'll get to do this again soon!

Sorry, no recipes today...just pretty pictures of this awesome dinner!