Dinner at Home: Scallops and Chive Risotto

Last night Ian made another terrific dinner for Azurde and me. She had seen pictures of my Valentine's dinner and thought the scallops looked like something she would enjoy for the late birthday meal Ian offered to cook for her. The scallops were served over chive and bay shrimp risotto (adding the bay shrimp was my idea), topped with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and Parmesan crisp. I took a picture of just the scallops and risotto (below) to show what the sauce covered up. Our main dish was accompanied by a shaved asparagus and Persian cucumber salad tossed with red onions, fuji apples, and cilantro in a pomegranate vinaigrette. The use of raw shaved asparagus was interesting and successful and we all agreed the dish should be added to our archive of salad recipes.

We devoured everything, so the meal was obviously well-received. Ian, however, had some personal criticisms regarding the color of the sauce, which was somewhat muddled and not as bright as it could have been (maybe I shouldn't have urged him to use the basil). Additionally (and he'll be mad that I'm adding this), the Parmesan crisp could have used some work as well. He admitted that he left it on the stove too long, causing it burn somewhat and develop a bitter taste in the process. Not everything always goes as planned in the kitchen, even for a trained professional!

Tonight's Food Rating: 7.5
Would he make it again? YES, WITH A LITTLE TWEAKING