I would begin with an appetizer....the tomato tart sounds lovely....but I would put the puff paste on top....tomato baked ontop of puff paste makes the pastry soggy...or you could bake the pastry and add the cooked tomatoes just before serving.
I think any elegant meal has to include a salad...and with osso buco I think it ought to be a leafy green salad.
amuse bhouche? maybe a muchroom stuffed with an herbed goat cheese?
I wouldn't try out polenta when you want to be fancy....and I think garlic mahed potatoes are great with ozzo buco.
Dessert?....don't think youw ant more pastry crust....how about that summer torte everyonew as making....served with a dollop of whipped cream and topped with a little shaved chocolate.
Sounds lovely! And you can make it even fancier by serving different wines.....perhaps a Lilet aperatif with the apetizer and a nice cab with the main course and champagne with the dessert.
Sounds like fun to me!
Linda c

Oh, Linda, let me introduce myself... I have this thing for complicated desserts so that is a must for me. Although I did make the summer torte and liked it a lot! Thanks for the tips - I will pre-cook the pastry before adding the tomatoes and stick with the mashed potatoes. I think I will do a simple green salad and try to plate it pretty. BTW, I didn't even think of the wines. Um, what exactly is an apertif? I like the idea of a champagne to end. You know we usually go out to eat for our anniversary dinner and with all this it will still be cheaper than an average priced (anniversary) dinner. Now, my challenge will be to present smaller portions with so many courses. Oh yeah, we indulged in buying a new camera for our gift so maybe I will have pics.

I think it sounds great, and I agree with Linda on the Garlic Mashed Potatoes - they are sublime with Osso Bucco. I might do a Ceaser Salad, just because I like it, but I would not turn down a green salad either.

For the Amuse Bouche, I have been toying with the idea of making the Frico Cups that Stacy made for her Valentines Murder Mystery Dinner, but making them tiny in siingle bite form, then filling them with a tiny dollop of red pepper or asparagus mousse, or some other tasty savory one bite wonder that would not leak out of the lacy little cup... but I have not gotten to the hands on experimenting stage - it is still a vision.

And absolutely pull out all the stops for dessert if that is your thing. I have a wonderful recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake, and yes it is time consuming and delish, but it also feeds a small army and I would not begin to know how to cut it down.... if you want I will post it, and maybe you can give the leftovers to officemates, neighbors, etc.

Sounds like a fantastic time and your DH is a lucky man!

Alexa

I agree on the potatoes. Polenta isn't hard at all, but I think the texture of the potatoes is better with the rest of the menu.

Personally, after a meal like that, I prefer a dessert with lighter flavors (like citrus or vanilla). But if you prefer chocolate and want something elegant and knock-out, the Trellis' Chocolate Damnation comes to mind. Evil cake, just evil. It's TOO chocolate-y for me, but I made it for a chocoholic friend and thought her eyes would roll back in her head. Another one that comes to mind is a flourless chocolate cake with a port chocolate sauce. Let me know if you want the recipe for Damnation. I have it in eletronic form already, so it's an easy cut/paste.

How about this for dessert? I really want to try something different and I really want some 3" pastry molds so this would be a perfect excuse to buy them.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/dessert_first/2009/05/birthday-and-cake.html

Osso bucco sounds great. Wasn't there a thread about it recently? Didn't one of the presentations (AnnT's, Sharon Canarybird's?) include polenta? It seemed like a perfect match to me. If you have a couple of days make a practice run of polenta.

Remember though that, to your man, a fine dinner is only preliminary to the important part of a romantic anniversary celebration. Don't wear yourself out mentally, physically and creatively with the meal so that the rest is less than memorable. Did I put that delicately enough?

Jim

Oooo...those look goood!

Jim, you are such a gentleman.:) (Now if someone would just send my hasband that meno?)

Yes Jim, always on a man's mind over anything else.

LOL, Jim, that was relatively "delicate".

I agree, mashed potatoes goes perfectly with osso bucco, but I don't care for polenta so that may skew my perspective! Asparagus would be delicious, roasted is my current favorite but I also like it steamed and tossed with a bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds or just plain.

A salad of spinach or mixed baby greens would be nice, perhaps even with mandarin oranges or strawberries for a nice bit of color and freshness.

The jasmine cake looks delicious, but if you think you'd like something more "citrus", we made Lori's Limoncello Sorbet over the weekend and it was delicious.

Happy Anniversary!

Annie

It's been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.....and might I add other places too.
I have had several "relationships" with men that began with me cooking....one lasted 35 years.
Cook your heart out! What Jim doesn't understand is the pleasure we get from cooking a beautiful meal for someone we love.
Linda C

Ack Annie now I have to make that. I am going to use it as a palate cleanser but will make only a half recipe. Jim part of the gift for me is to be able to buy so much at will and spend a better part of the day just making a mess and doing prep work - I love it. And since I am going through so much trouble I am only assuming I won't have to lift a finger in the clean up process ;). Sorry to go on and on but I think this is the first time I am going all out. I am even considering buying some nice white dishes! cheap ones of course.
Oh and I just attempted a trial run of polenta with corn flour and it turned out, lumpy, gelatenous and overall disgusting.

Oh, I understand the pleasure you get from fine cooking for a loved one. I just have to warn against that pleasure overshadowing the other pleasures on such an occasion. It could end disappointingly.

It seems I am outnumbered on the polenta vs. potatoes issue. No problem.

I forgot to comment on wine. You can never go wrong with champagne and I would recommend it for this meal because it is festive and somehow makes for pleasant feelings more so than other wines, even though the alcohol content is the same. Champagne goes with any and all courses. I don;t think it would be overdoing it on this occasion to drink it all the way through, from aperitif to dessert. If that seems boring (which I can't imagine it would be) the aperitif could be my own creation, Cranberry Mimosa. Make that by adding 3 parts of champagne to 1 part cranberry juice.

Jim

Oh, Cookie, corn flour is much too finely ground to use for polenta. You want a very coarse grind, like grits. (Or maybe I should assume Canadians are familiar with grits?) And you whisk them into the boiling water so it won't go lumpy. In interest of full disclosure, I grew up in the south were we had grits several times a week for breakfast, so I shouldn't assume it's easy for everyone. I've been making them since I could reach the stove. :)

Heh...If I were going to all that trouble, I'd hire a teenager to serve and clean up. :)

Sorry, Cookie, to add to your menu, but it really WAS good and pretty easy too.

As for polenta, you said it was "lumpy, gelatinous and disgusting". Sounds just like polenta to me, LOL.

Annie

I am not sure I totally agree with everyone

For an anniversary dinner, yes food is important, but I think itÂs mostly about total atmosphere.

Have a few elegant dishes, nothing too elaborate or heavy. It should be clear that you are the main dish, not whatÂs on the dinner table.

Go get a full spa treatment, head to toe. Put on your most alluring evening gown, not your apron.

A few rose scented candles to bath the fresh bouquet in glorious aroma, and put on the music the two of you first listened to when you first set eye on each other.

Clear out an area in your living room, for he will for sure desire to embrace you and invite you to dance to the rhythm that once syncopated the throbbing of your hearts.

dcarch

Your menu sounds fantastic. Osso Bucco is one of those over-the-top great meals - lucky husband, and lucky you. Happy Anniversary.

For the amuse bouche, depending on your tastes, you could do a mini goat cheese (or blue cheese, or cheddar) souffle in a mini muffin pan? The twice baked ones can be done ahead - I can post a recipe if you'd like it.

Or, maybe bloody mary shrimp? The soup spoons to serve them in are very inexpensive if you can find a local ethnic store. Very light and fresh. I've only served it to mixed ages, so haven't included the Vodka, and it's usually a big hit anyway.

Hope that the dinner is a great one - and just remember that a sure sign of a great dinner and night is that the dirty dishes should be waiting in the morning!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bloody Mary Shrimp - Epicurious

One salad that I love for special occasions is composed of fresh mesclun mix greens dressed with a homemade vinaigrette of extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. The greens are served on a salad plate topped with two small croutons (slices) of baguettte that have been toasted then topped with goat cheese and lightly broiled.

I am another one that hates polenta. But I also hate mashed potatoes. It is a texture thing for me. I love risotto with osso bucco.

I love polenta in all it's variations but one favorite is to cook it stiff, spread in a pan then do fancy cut outs.
These can be quickly sauteed or oven browned.
I also like it cooked creamy with lots of cheese and butter.
I have only made it with stone ground cornmeals and usually don't follow a recipe but there are plenty out there.
Cooking longer will increase the creaminess of the soft variation.

That's funny about the texture, joanm, I like mashed potatoes to be kind of chunky, I don't like that gummy totally smooth texture either. So, I really like "smashed" potatoes and I don't care for risotto either, too mushy!

Annie

While both are delicious, neither Osso Bucco nor Polenta are "elegant", they are comfort foods, peasant cooking. The shank was a leftover cut, and most European countries considered corn as being suitable only for animal food.

That being said, both have recently been elevated to fine dining status in the '80's during that recesion, and revived most recently in this current recession. Also, consider the mess factor, both are sloppy / drippy and if you are nicely dressed, you don't want to have to jump up from the table to scrub off a blob of gravy.

Why not do something classically elegant, Chateaubriand or Beef Wellington, Pommes Duchesse or Anna, and then do your over the top Dessert. Everything presented here sounds more conducive to Sunday dinner and a long nap than a romantic dinner and, ahem.

Steve

I join joanm with a vote for risotto with osso bucco.

I'm with Steve.
Lighter fare sounds more romantic to me.

DH Loves pork so I would probably do Pork Medallions, twice baked potatoes and broccoli with a light cheese sauce (or roasted broc).

Dessert might be fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce........fun!!

And, it's ALL appetizer! :-)

Deanna (very tactful, BTW, gentlemen!!)

Regarding the Tomato and Puff Pastry App. If you dock the pastry and then give the center a good schmear(sp?) of herbed Goat Cheese before layering on the Tomatoes, the outer edge of the pastry will puff and crisp, the middle will not get soggy, and the tomatoes will cook beautifully. The Goat Cheese helps to seal the pastry from the tomato juices until they evaporate. I love this app idea.

Steve

I like your attitude, Deanna. :-)

BTW, another very good dip for fresh strawberries is a two stage dip, first sour cream, then brown sugar. It's simple and can be romantic if you know how to flirt while eating. I'm recalling the dining scene from that 1960's movie, Tom Jones.

Jim

"Everything presented here sounds more conducive to Sunday dinner and a long nap than a romantic dinner and, ahem."
Yeah, um, Steve, that is kind of my plan.
"Sounds like a fantastic time and your DH is a lucky man!" Alexa - would you like to take that back now - ha ha.
Thanks for your input everyone.

P.S. If you have a Trader Joe's I can vouch for the RSVP label of champagne, after years of buying Freixenet Cordon Negro. I discovered RSVP this past holiday season & served it three or four times. EVERYONE thought it was great. Here's the kicker - it's $5.99 a bottle.

Cheesecake is the favored dessert of the men in my life and a homeade one sure warrants a lot of fussing. I like a glazed fruit tart with a shortbread crust for a fancy dessert.

I love polenta and have never had trouble making it. As Rene points out, its' just grits, congealed and then fried, grilled or broiled. Is fun to cut out into fancy shapes.

What constitutes a romantic meal probably depends on the person you're making it for, and what they like. Tradition in my family is for duck and fancy fish to be the high end fancy meals, but that's us, just about the only thing we all like is fish. But for some people, romantic is beef. Not for veggie me, lol! My dad would love pork medallions in some kind of fru fru sauce (if it didn't have too much garlic, lol)

I would schedule the romance part of the dinner right after drinks and appetizers ; a prelude for the rest of the meal.

Polenta is polenta is polenta.....nothing lovely or romantic or elegant about it. We ate it with zillions of additions while I was growing up, because it is so cheap, and it was always polenta. I thought that maybe because I was a grownup now I'd make a fine polenta one night, and guess what.....it's still polenta.

Sherry

I think polenta or mashed potatoes would be equally good with the osso bucco.

I've never liked grits and didn't have them growing up. I never heard of polenta until a very few years ago. I love the stuff when it's made and seasoned well. I have had some polenta that was so bad I couldn't eat it.

You can call it polenta if you wish, and serve it with gravy or tomato sauce....but I prefer to serve it with syrup and call it fried mush.
Linda C