Extended Birthday Shenanigans: Dinner and a Movie

So, on Tuesday, we realised that Rebekah had never seen any of the Hannibal Lecter films. We were talking and something she said made me think about the openning sequence of Red Dragon, with the Flautist. Something about someone coughing during the symphony, and her wanting to kill them. Anyway, we ended up watching all of Red Dragon, that day, and she needed more Hannibal. We had already planned on doing something for my birthday, this Friday, because she wasn't in town for my birthday, so we just kind of added the watching of Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal into the whole mix.

So, when unknownbinaries and I went to the stores, yesterday, Rebekah provided for the obtaining of steak, spring greens, and various other things, for the sake of dinner (I got a red bell pepper, some asparagus, and some French Batard and unknownbinaries got a cucumber). We also picked up a bottle of red wine. So, for dinner I cooked an approximately 30oz top sirloin steak; rubbed in cracked black pepper, salt, minced garlic, and oregano, then pan-seared in olive oil for five minutes to a side, then oven roasted at 375F, for 15 minutes, then broiled for five minutes. Medium rare. During the stove top phase, Rebekah prepared the asparagus, with whole garlic cloves, the rest of the minced garlic, cracked pepper, and olive oil. While the steak and asparagus were in the oven, I sautéed the red pepper in the leftover oil and fat mixture from the steak.

Just a quick aside, here, and it's something you already know. I mean, I already knew it, but DO NOT DROP COLD, FRESH, JUICY RED PEPPERS INTO HOT FAT UNLESS YOU ARE LOOKING TO GET A BURN.

I now have a burn.

Pretty nasty.

Anyway.

After I drained the excess oil (too late), I used the red wine to deglaze the crunchy remains of the steak, and reduced it all down into a light sauce for the peppers.

While this was happening, unknownbinaries prepared the spring greens in a bowl, with slices of the batard arranged around.

We had the salad course, then the cooked veggies, then the steak. unknownbinaries and Rebekah had more of the red wine with their dinner, and I had Jägermeister. I don't drink... wine.

And then we watched movies about Cannibalism, all night, and talked about the themes of paternalism, sexuality, and gender dynamcis as presented in the Hannibal Cycle.

It was pretty much perfect.

The only thing we didn't get to do was chess, but there's always another time for chess.

Off for some TV, before work.