Early Birthday Dinner

Oh, the advantages of living with a gourmet cook...did I mention Kurt did a weeklong course at the Cordon Bleu a few years back?  

Thank heavens his birthday was before mine so I could get away with a simple supper. He went all out...on a weeknight, no less!

And, to make it extra special...he moved our cafe table into the living room to make it more of an occasion. So sweet!

First course -- watermelon ceviche. This was to. die. for.

Next up -- bacon and gruyere crepes with a pickled vegetable salad. Loved every bite!
And the main course: coq au vin. It was hard to get a photo that did it justice, but I spent a few seconds just inhaling the fragrance of the chicken, which he'd marinated overnight to infuse it with delicious flavor. Perfection!

Dessert was waffles topped with mint chocolate chip ice cream and a homemade chocolate syrup.

What a fabulous, fabulous start to my birthday. Could I be any luckier to have found such a sweet, creative roommate? To do: return the favor!