The menu for dinner tonight is an artichoke, shrimp, a glass of wine, and the two of us. Simple but elegant in its own way. Cheers!!

Prep is simple too.

Artichokes: Buy the freshest (tightest) globes available. Trim away leaf points, tops and stems. Place stem end down in your pressure cooker or instant pot. Add a cup of water, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, two cloves fresh garlic, and 4 tablespoons olive oil. Set cooker for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the artichokes.

Garlic Dip: Mash a large clove of garlic with 1/2 teaspoon of table salt. Stir in 4 Tablespoons of room temperature butter. When thoroughly mixed, blend in 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar. We enjoy it rather acidic, but adjust to your taste.

Shrimp: Buy large (15-21 lb.) shrimp; frozen, deveined, with shell on. Thaw in cold water, seasoned with sea salt. Remove shells, retaining them for the sauce. Drain on an impeccably clean kitchen towel. Salt lightly on both sides. Heat 2 Tablespoons of butter and 1 Tablespoon of corn oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) red pepper flakes. Sauté for a few seconds then add the shrimp shells and cook until the butter barely begins to brown and the shells are dark pink. Remove the shells and discard. Place the dry, salted, shrimp in a single layer and sauté until nicely browned and opaque half way through. Turn over and repeat. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on a bed of romaine.

All in all this comes together in the time it takes to finish the artichokes–about 20 minutes–and creates a nice romantic dinner for two.

Hope you’ll give it a try.