Mother's Day Meal

For this year's Mother's Day, I did not give mom jewelry or flowers or picture frames. I gave her the gift of food. My parents and I watch Food Network over our lunch breaks and, from time to time, my mom proclaims, "You can make that for me." I usually make a mental note of the recipe, and then forget it by the time I return to a place where I can download and/or print the recipe. But not this time, this time I was determined to remember. And remember I did.

In the past, I have prepared dinners for my parents, and with mixed results. Salmon last year was too herby, mom does not like risotto, and other culinary missteps. It is always something of a risk to make food when you are not sure if the eaters will appreciate it. Well, the eaters definitely appreciated this one.

For Mother's Day, I prepared Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil. Nothing about it was difficult - boil pasta, saute garlic and shallots, cook shrimp, toss it all together - but the outcome is magnificent. White pasta with lemon oil (olive oil + lemon peel) clinging to it, pink shrimp, and slightly wilted green arugula. A good tell of the success of the meal is if there is any left over, which there was not. The slightly tart lemon plays well with the peppery arugula, which in turn highlights the lighter flavors of the shrimp and pasta. And, what is even better about this dish, is many components can be easily switched out; spinach for arugula, salmon filet for shrimp, etc. This adventure in cooking for others was an overwhelming success.