As the great chef Gusteau once quipped - "Food always come to those who cook..."

And that's exactly what we did as we went on another cooking escapade.

Dinner will start with a lovely Pasta Insalate and Mushrooms infused with Miso. Mains will be a hearty Porterhouse Steak with Pan-seared Cherry Tomatoes.

Our Pasta Insalate was a simple toss-up of Penne, bell peppers and fresh herbs in an italian vinegrette dressing. A light appetizer to whet everyone's appetites. Fresh herbs must be one of the most amazing ingredients in cooking, able to turn the simplistic into the heavenly. Our little garden now counts Rosemary, Oregano, Basil and Mint, and we really hope to have more soon.

Next up is the Mushrooms infused with Miso. We are beginning to understand the wonders of miso, especially after coming across the Grilled Prawns with Miso at Akashi. Personally, miso is like a Japanese version of cheese, especially when it's grilled. For those who think that miso is destined as soup base, try it as a sauce for grilling or like with our mushrooms - simmered to perfection.

The dish is simple enough, saute the mushrooms (we used button mushrooms and portobello this time) with olive oil and simmer away the liquid that develops. Add in the miso mixed with water, simmer for another 15 minutes and you'll be treated to succulent mushrooms in a creamy miso sauce. The rich miso aftertaste goes really well with the taste of mushrooms, so be prepared to change your impression of miso.

Finally it was time for the Porterhouse Steak to make it's appearance. The beauty of this dish lies in the use of cherry tomatoes which adds a dash of mild acidity that balances off the intense flavours of the steak. This was the first time our very expensive cast-iron griddle pan made its debut and it gave our steak the very professional looking griddle lines. Caution not to use olive oil for searing the steaks like yours truly as the low smoking point of olive oil means that the pan might not be hot enough to properly sear the steaks. After searing the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side, send them into the oven in medium heat.

The beautiful sauce is best described as cherry tomatoes in a red-wine reduction. First wilt some cherry tomatoes in olive oil along with a generous portion of basil leaves. Next, pour in the red wine (this came from our marinate which consisted of pepper, salt, thyme and red wine) and simmer till its a nice reduction. Serve the steak with the sauce over it and the cherry tomatoes will please both the palate and the eyes.

So there you have it, another wonderful dinner whipped up by S & J. We've definitely gotten better since the days when we spend 4 hours in the kitchen and ended up losing our own appetites. It's just great fun to whip up good dishes that pleases the whole family and of course satisfy the cooking craving in us.