The Barefoot Contessa Wannabe

All thanks to my recent awesome discovery that our cable subscription actually carries Food Network channel, my crazy dream to become a Giada De Laurentiis or Ina Garten when I grow up intensified even more. I swear I can watch this channel all day!

In an episode last weekend, Ina prepared Filet Mignon with Roquefort cheese chive sauce. It looked incredibly yummy and easy to make, so I was like "Why not try it out myself?" So in high hopes of unleashing the Barefoot Contessa in me, I headed to the supermarket for the ingredients all set to prepare a nice dinner at home for my loved one.

Of course real life is so not like what we see on tv. It's never easy. First, I couldn't find a skillet anywhere. Second, there's no filet mignon available either. So I settled for beef tenderloin, decided to use my small non-stick pan and a separate baking tin I already have at home, and just hoped for the best.

Fortunately, after almost two hours of prepping and cooking, my first ever steak came out real good. Of course I had to improvise with a lot of things instead of following the recipe as is. I decided to make creamy mushroom soup, mashed potato and buttered vegetables (broccoli and shitake mushrooms) as well to complete the meal. They're all from scratch so I was beyond proud of what I've accomplished. The man (and his tummy) was all smiles after dinner. But I think I need to invest in a couple of wine glasses to complete the fine dining experience next time. Will definitely do this again!

Have you cooked up something extra special at home lately for your family? Surprise them with a nice home-cooked meal. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up surprising yourself even. There's always a Barefoot Contessa in all of us when we do it with love, y'know.

Anyhoo, the recipe can be found in the Food Network website in case you wanna give it a shot too. :)