When nothing goes right...

go left. Take a turn. Go back to bed. Or call a friend and go out for dinner. That's exactly what my friend and I did last night. We have known each other for 20 years now (go figure!!) and we still call each other on a weekly basis (I admit she calls me before I have the chance to call her - I'm bad, I know I am, please forgive me.. just hang up and I'll call you back). I think it's the first time we went out for dinner together and I had been looking forward to it. It gave us the chance to talk in private - it was a big restaurant, a castle to be more specific - while her husband - he's the cook in Het Kasteel van Saffelaere - prepared our meal. And let me tell you: he's a great cook! It's always a pleasure to have a delicious dinner that has been prepared by a loved one. Dinner was on her. She knew she didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it.

Fyi: We started out with an apperitif and some appetizers. This is what we had for dinner: an espresso cup of creamy Belgian endive soup as a starter, followed by a cylinder of brill filet on braised kale, with a soft and creamy sweet yellow pepper sauce. A sherbet helped us refresh our tastebuds, so we could enjoy the main course of tender venison medallion with a smooth brandy sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, Belgian endives and a lovely red pear, sauteed in red wine. Don't forget dessert though: a lukewarm tarte tatin with a scoop of home made vanilla ice cream, a divine portion of succulent chocolate mousse and physalis fruit. After dinner, we could enjoy a comforting cup of good coffee with goodies in the lounge. Did I forget to mention the sparkly glass of Champaign?

Thank you my friend! I enjoyed our conversations, the food and our longterm friendship!