With the fast pace life’s that most of us lead, it’s hard to slow down and show that special person how much we really care. Valentine’s Day is the prefect time to express your feelings of love, respect and or adoration. Since Valentine’s Day falls on a workday this year and most of us will be up and out the door before we even know what day it is, we’re suggesting a romantic bedtime dinner or a champagne and dessert rendezvous.
One of the many powerful lessons that I’ve learned from Kathy is you don’t have to do it all. Thinking you won’t have enough time for romance after you’ve picked up the kids, do homework, feed them, wash them and get them into bed. Even if you don’t have children, by the time you get through traffic and get home, you may not be in the mood to fix a big meal especially when what you’re really looking forward to is just spending some quite time with one another.
Here’s the solution, call your local restaurant and order your favorite meal to go, bring it home and set the mood. You can do a Romantic Picnic in front of the fire place, or a cozy candle light dinner in the dining room and finish it off with a romantic rendezvous in the bedroom with champagne and chocolates.
Remember a romantic mood is a frame of mind but a little candle light never hurt. Candles may be a sure way to help enhance the setting with a little ambient lighting. Always keeping candle safety in mind.
When our team thinks of chocolate, See’s is the flavor that suites our fancy. From taste to price See’s is just right! Please check out what’s up at See’s Candies.
Pears avec Chocolait
¾ cup sugar
4 cups water
Juice of 1 large orange
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
2 tbsp. bandy
2 firm Anjou or Comice pears, stems left intact
4oz. unsweetened chocolate, broken into small piece.
2oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
or
1 (12oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and cook, stirring for, about 3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the orange juice, cinnamon, cloves and brandy, simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Peel the pears and trim the bottoms so that they stand upright. Place the pears in the syrup and poach until tender, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the pears (test with a toothpick). Allow the pears to cool in the syrup, then chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.
Place both chocolates in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Add the butter and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
Remove the pears from the syrup and gently pat dry. Dip the pears into the melted chocolate and coat evenly, using a spoon if necessary. Lift the pears to drain off the excess chocolate. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with mint. (The pears will keep in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. Allow to come to room temperature before serving).
Serves 2
Now, if you do have the time and want to treat that certain someone to something extra special. From our friend Charles Thomas Curtis MW
Director of Wine and Spirit Education, Moët Hennessy USA we have an amazing Valentine's Day menu.
Valentine’s Day Menu
Charles Curtis
Miso-glazed terrine of foie gras
This is a great combination of flavors! Don’t feel that you need to make your own foie gras – I include the recipe just in case you’re interested.
2 Foie gras
Salt & Pepper
Cognac
Sauternes
For the glaze :
½ cup dark miso paste
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin
2 scallions, minced
Grated ginger to taste
Bring foie gras to room temperature and remove veins. Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle lightly with sauternes and foie gras. Allow to marinate overnight. Place foie gras in terrine and cook in a bain-marie at 100˚ C for 1 hour. Weight top, plunge into ice bath and refrigerate. Collect fat, melt, cool, and cover terrine. Allow to cure at least overnight.
Make the glaze: combine miso, sake, mirin, add scallions and ginger and refrigerate overnight.
Place a slice of foie gras in the center of a plate decorated with a swath of miso-glaze, and a small amount of micro-greens dressed in hazelnut oil and sherry vinegar at the top.
Napoleon of smoked salmon with grapefruit vinaigrette
1/4 lb sliced smoked salmon
1 Idaho baking potato
1 Grapefruit
1 tblsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Peel grapefruit with a knife and remove segments. Reserve juice and reduce by 2/3. Peel potatoes and trim with round cutter. Thinly slice on mandoline and cook. Chill and marinate with grapefruit juice and olive oil. Trim sliced smoked salmon with the same cutter and alternate layers of potato and salmon. Place a slice of grapefruit segment on top of each individual terrine and sprinkle with reduced grapefruit juice, olive oil, and grapefruit zest
Roast loin of lamb, with pan fried radicchio and wild mushrooms
1 rack of lamb
Olive oil for cooking
4 oz wild mushrooms
7 heads of radicchio
1 head of garlic
Bone rack of lamb, and remove completely from the bones. Roast the bones in the oven and deglaze with red wine. Reduce the wine and add demi-glace purchased from a specialty grocery. Simmer until a consistency is reached that will lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Season the lamb, sear it in a pan, cook to rare (careful, it goes fast) and let it rest.
Clean the mushrooms carefully, cut into medium small pieces and cook in butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Core radicchio, separate leaves, and cook in olive oil with garlic (peeled and crushed) and salt. Place a mound of mushrooms in the center of the plate, slice the lamb and lay it on top of the mushrooms. Add a tablespoonful of sauce. The fried radicchio has a strong flavor – it might be wise to serve it in a small dish apart from the lamb.
All recipes © Charles Curtis 2007 Please do not reproduce without prior written permission
Director of Wine and Spirits Education Charles Thomas Curtis is one of 22 Masters of Wine working in the United States. He is a featured speaker at wine and food festivals throughout the country, and has worked over the past decade in a variety of capacities in the wine trade. Mr. Curtis trained originally as a chef, receiving the "Grand Diplôme" from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and worked in the kitchen professionally for over ten years.