Valentine’s Day is upon us so we all know that this week will be filled with candies, chocolate, romance, nausea for some of us, and everything pink. I would like to be the first to wish everyone either a “Happy Valentine’s Day” or a “Happy commercialized and shallow manipulation of a day set to celebrate love”.
I have had both kinds of V-days: In love, stars, and romantic dinners out—to cynical groups of men-hating women celebrating the fact that love is dead. I think one needs both experiences to come around and just enjoy the day. No matter whom you spend it with or what it means to you—celebrate the one thing or person that you love the most. And for me that means food (believe me, my bulldog Monty is getting a peanut butter and dog food heart-shaped cookie!).
This Saturday get your reservations early and check out the menus around the Valley as this is going to be one of the busiest weekends this year. You could even go boogie at the Rosie with DJ Lenny at 10. But if going out isn’t your thing or you want a more personal touch then bring it home and get out all the recipes. I have set up a V-day party (with a music list because I am that good) to either wow your cutie (and mine is so cute!) or to keep the cynics thinking the glass is half empty.
Starters
Mozzarella and Roasted Red Onion Crostini
This is a yummy starter I found in the book, Antipasti Made Easy. It is really beautiful on a plate because of the purple color of the onions and green basil. The onions can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Special Equipment: lemon zester
Ingredients
4 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
Olive oil for drizzling
2 tablespoon sugar
6 slices country bread
Salt and pepper
8 ounces mozzarella, cut into bit-sized pieces
1 small bunch of basil
Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Place the onions on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with the sugar. Cook until the become golden and soft—usually 30 minutes. Heat the pan until hot, drizzle the bread with oil and grill on both sides. Slice the bread in half, drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the cheese and onions on the toast, season, top with basil leaves and drizzle with oil.
Creamy Two Hearts Salad
This serves two so adjust for the right amount of guests. Recipe from a great cookbook, Small Parties.
Ingredients for the Salad
½ head radicchio, torn into bite-sized pieces
½ head Bibb or Boston lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
4 hearts of palm, cut into 1-inch pieces on diagonal (from a can of hearts of palm)
4 artichoke hearts, cut into quarters (from a can of artichoke hearts)
2 ounces of chevre or goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
2 large slices red bell pepper cut into hears with a cookie cutter for garnish
Ingredients for the Dressing
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
In medium bowl, gently toss the ingredients for salad. In separate bowl, whisk ingredients for dressing in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve over salad. Drizzle over salad, garnish, and serve.
Main Course
Tuscan Pork Chops
This recipe is sooo good—one of my deal closers. I like to serve it with potatoes and green beans. It serves four.
Ingredients
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon seasoned pepper
4 (1” thick) boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, pressed
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons capers
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish, dredge pork in mix. Heat oil. Cook pork cops in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes on each side and they are golden brown. Remove chops from skillet. Add garlic to skillet and sauté one minute. Add vinegar and broth, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet, stir in tomatoes and capers. Return chops to skillet and bring sauce to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 4-5 minutes or until pork is done. Serve chops with tomato mixture and garnish.
Dessert
Poached pear with Hot Chocolate and Cardamom sauce.
Serves 6. This all can be made the day before and kept in the fridge.
Ingredients
6 pears, peeled, leaving stem intact.
Juice of one lemon
1 vanilla pod, split (these are $$ so sub for a bit of extract if it can’t be done)
1 tablespoon sugar
Sauce
12 ounces dark chocolate (use one with a cocoa content of at least 45%)
8 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of golden syrup (I use corn syrup)
½ ounce butter
1 cardamom pod, crushed
(I like to add about a ½ inch root of peeled and chopped ginger or some ginger powder to this—yum!)
In a large saucepan, sit pears in neatly, then cover with water and lemon juice. Add the whole vanilla pod and sugar and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes, till pears are soft. Pierce the underside of a pear to check, then carefully life the pears out of the water with a slotted spoon and pop to one side to cool. Keep in the fridge if making a day ahead. In a saucepan, add the chocolate, water, syrup, butter, cardamom pod and ginger. Melt over a low heat, stirring all the time. When it is all melted, remove from heat and pop to one side. You can reheat this when required—it will be lovely and glossy. Remove the cardamom pod and ginger root before serving. Place a cold pear on a dish and drizzle with the hot sauce. Serve.
The Drinks
Butter up your honey butter. Ok. That is a bit too much mush for me. Drink and be lovey.
The Big Easy Gin Fizz
Fizzes are served late morning in Louisiana. I am adding it here in case you need to prepare to handle the love of V-day.
9 ice cubes
2 ounces gin
½ ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¼ ounce Cointreau
½ ounce simple syrup (see below)
2 to 3 ounces chilled club soda
Fill shaker with 6 ice cubes, gin, lime and lemon juice, Cointreau, and simple syrup and shake it up. Fill a highball glass with remaining ice cubes and strain mixed drink into glass. Add club soda to reach the top and garnish with lime, cherry, or lemon peel.
Drowning Love Bellini
Oh yeah. A little fresh fruit and bubbly.
¼ fresh peach, skinned
½ ounce crème de peche
champagne
cherry
Blend the peach and add to a champagne flute. Pour in the crème de peche and gently top with champagne, stirring carefully and continuously. Garnish with your cherry and serve.
Affair to Remember
Or at the very least, a drink to help you forget yours.
½ ounce Amaretto
½ ounce Triple sec
½ ounce vodka
½ ounce white Crème de Cacao
1 ounce cream
Shake all together with ice and strain and serve over ice in an Old Fashioned glass.
The Last Dance
It is always the bittersweet moment in the night. Before the lights come on. Here is a cocktail to match the mood.
1 ½ ounces of tequila
1 ounce Créme de Cacao
1 ½ ounces heavy cream
dash of grenadine
pinch of ground cinnamon
In a shaker half-filled with ice, combine the tequila, crème de cacao, cream and grenadine. Shake, strain, and serve in an old-fashioned glass. Serve.
The Music
What is music if not food for the soul? And in that thread, what were the 80’s and broken hearts without Bon Jovi and ‘Bad Medicine’???!!??
Love it
Anything by Johnny Cash or Al Green for me—can’t help it with the voices there. An easy and free way to get a playlist is Pandora.com. Love songs are standard though—go on your tastes. Here are some suggestions:
"Lay Lady Lay," Bob Dylan
"Love Me Tender," Elvis Presley
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," The Police
"How Deep Is Your Love," The Bee Gees
"Let's Stay Together," by Al Green
"Love Song," The Cure
"Something," The Beatles
"Crazy in Love," Beyoncé
"I Want You To Want Me," Cheap Trick
"My Girl," The Tempations"
"Pour Some Sugar on Me," Def Leppard
"I Walk The Line,” Johnny Cash
"Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash (fun fact – his wife, June Carter Cash – wrote this song)
"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," The Ramones
"Crash into Me," Dave Matthews
"Forever," Ben Harper
"At Last," Etta James
Hate it
As some celebrate Valentine's Day, let's all remember those poor, tortured souls who've been screwed over, dumped, or otherwise had their hearts broken. I've created this playlist especially for them. These are some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful tracks ever recorded and they will help you take your self pity to places not previously known to mankind (or womankind). Check out these:
"Walk Away," Ben Harper
"Love will Tear us Apart," Joy Division
"Untouchable Face," Ani Difranco
"Burn," Ray Lamontagne
"He Stopped Loving Her Today," George Jones
"Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers
"Disintegration," The Cure
"Wicked Game," Chris Isaak
"Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)," Cowboy Junkies
"Tears Are In Your Eyes," Yo La Tengo
"Killing Me Softly With His Song," Roberta Flack
"Goodbye To Love," The Carpenters
"Paper Wings," Gillian Welch
"Delicate (Live In Dublin)," Damien Rice
"Still I Long For Your Kiss," Lucinda Williams
"Last Goodbye," Jeff Buckley
"Heartache Tonight," Eagles
"Hungry Heart," Bruce Springsteen
"Don't You Want Me," Human League
"Always on My Mind," Willie Nelson
"Everybody Hurts," REM
"Wonderful," Everclear
"Song Sung Blue,": Neil Diamond
"With or Without You," U2
"You Give Love a Bad Name," Bon Jovi
"I Can't Make You Love Me," Bonnie Raitt
"19th Nervous Breakdown," The Rolling Stones
"Leaving on a Jet Plane," John Denver
"Love Bites," Def Leppard
"I Guess That's Why They Call it The Blues," Elton John
"This is Not a Love Song," Nouveau Vague
"Bad Medicine" Bon Jovi
"Chains of Love," Erasure
"I will Survive," Gloria Gaynor
The Valentine
Because my new, shiny boyfriend is hella cute.
