This is not the night to be on a diet, splurge and enjoy yourselves! Maybe you can workout together the next day.

OVEN-GRILLED STEAK

It may sound unusual to cook a steak in the oven but trust me, this is fabulous!

2 individual steaks about 1 1/4” thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to its maximum—500ºF or more—for at least 10 minutes. Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet over high heat on the stovetop. Wait 2-3 minutes, until pan begins to smoke.

Add steaks and cook about 1 minute. Immediately transfer pan to oven. Roast steaks 3-4 minutes per side. Steaks will be medium rare. Place 1 ½ teaspoons butter on top of each steak. Sprinkle with salt (coarse French salt, if you have it) and freshly ground pepper and serve.

BAKED POTATO

2 baking potatoes

Scrub the potatoes well to remove dirt, then prick with a fork so steam can escape. Place in preheated, 350-400ºF oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Write me back, I'd love to know how your 'special dinner' turned out.

With over 30 years of experience in the food industry, Luce's infectious love for cooking and teaching inspires home cooks to reach for new creative heights in their kitchen while keeping food simple and delicious. Luce studied regional cuisine in Tuscany, Italy and has been instructing for the last several years at Williams-Sonoma in Santa Barbara, CA and privately throughout California.