Okay, whether you're married, single, sleeping on the couch, or all of the above...

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Tonight you're reuniting w/ the very first person you ever felt a twinge of "puppy-love" for. This person really melted your butter! You admired them from afar! You may or may not have ever talked to them. They may or may not know you had a crush on them... But the point is, you recently ran into them- you haven't seen them in YEARS! You're both available and VERY interested in one another... You invited the person over for dinner- WHAT ARE YOU COOKING THEM?

Me? Hmmm... this is a hard one! My first crush was actually a girl named Jackie when I was about 10. I'd want to impress her but not make something that was tons of work... And having no clue what foods she likes or dislikes, I'd proll'y make us something rather "generic"... maybe peach-glazed chicken breasts, a colorful confetti rice-pilaf, green beans w/ buttery toasted hazelnuts, and soft cloverleaf rolls and butter. For dessert we'd have a wedge of pound cake w/ sugared berries and whipped cream.

But, if I knew she liked seafood and spicy food- I might make a cajun salmon fillet w/ sassy chicken/sausage jambalaya-rice, steamed broccoli, corn muffins and for dessert something rich and decadent like bread pudding w/ Jack Daniels Sauce!

But knowing who I am TODAY... and if I had been that same guy way back then- then my first CRUSH woulda been Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and I'd make him something sweet & sassy today- something saucy and sticky so we'd have to lick our fingers a lot! Like maple-glazed red peppery barbecue chicken, sour cream & dill potatoes potatoes, creamed spinach gratin, and we'd share a fudgy brownie sundae w/ LOTS o'whipped cream!

Photos of Dwayne Johnson

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Well I would have Robert DeNiro over and fix him the finest manacotti dinner he could ever imagine!!! Dessert would be a Chocolate Mint Torte' and a few glasses of fine wine.....Then I would wake up to discover I was only dreaming!!! a-a-hhh DeNiro & Dinner now that'd be way over the top!!! I loved him in the movie Mad Dog and Glory and he would play the song "Just A Giggalo" by:Louis Prima on the Juke Box! Why heck he's just plain good in any role he plays!

[ChefToddMohr]

Before I went to culinary school, I had 5 basic dishes I could make without a recipe. I was dating then, and my go-to meal was Crabmeat Stuffed Shrimp with Fettuccini Alfredo.

A basic crabmeat stuffing with mayonnaise, mustard, butter sauteed onions, and panko bread crumbs is spooned onto butterflied and inverted shrimp. The shrimp are cleaned to cut through from top vein to bottom vein without cutting entirely through the head-end of the shrimp. With the tail on, you get a "doughnut" looking shrimp. Place it flat on a sheet pan, spoon crabmeat and invert the tail over the stuffing. They look like little soldiers. Bake until pink and bubbly.

Very tasty and a great plate presentation.

It's how I found the love of my life, then she sent me to culinary school for more!

[Mama Mangia]

Well Kev - let's put it this way - eat what I cook or go to a restaurant! LOL - but they always eat what I cook and come back for more! I'm doomed! LOL

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Before I went to culinary school, I had 5 basic dishes I could make without a recipe. I was dating then, and my go-to meal was Crabmeat Stuffed Shrimp with Fettuccini Alfredo.
It's how I found the love of my life, then she sent me to culinary school for more!

How neat!!!

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Funny, mama!

I dig crab-stuffed shrimp too, Todd- and yours sounds great! One of those yummy morsels that there are so many versions of... which is what I love about cooking! I tend to just improvise a crab stuffing out of my crabcake preparation- then wrap the stuffed shrimp in bacon before broiling.