Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. It is a day when creative juices can flow without restriction, except for the obvious dietary restrictions that may be present with your guest. In my case, I love putting together a beautiful, delicious and robust romantic dinner at home for my wife. And you could not find two more polar opposite folks on the food spectrum than Kylie and I. So this year, I decided for this column that I would write what I am doing for the celebration of that fat little cherub known as Cupid.
My wife is a vegetarian while I am the carnivore from hell. So deciding on a menu is never a simple task. Granted, Kylie is not a strict vegetarian, nor is she vegan. As she likes to put it, “I don’t eat anything with a Mother.” So, I have to be a little creative with menu planning and selection on the daily when I cook for both of us. But I wanted this year’s menu for our epicurean dalliance on love’s biggest night to be special.
This year’s menu features a beautiful spring salad with homemade raspberry balsamic dressing, a small appetizer of caprese, homemade spaghetti and meatless meatballs for Kylie with an aged Tuscan steak for me flanked by my infamous creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed carrots and cauliflower in a reduced fig glaze. Dessert is centered on an oldie, but goodie, from one of my greatest culinary inspirations, and the man who is largely considered the “Godfather of American Cuisine,” Chef Larry Forgione; his Old-Fashioned Double Chocolate Pudding.
Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
• 1 cup frozen raspberries (though fresh berries are preferred)
• ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Add fresh raspberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to and mix well with a blender (if using frozen raspberries, microwave on high for a couple of minutes to thaw and put in blender). Set aside for 10 minutes.
Personally, I feel that the seeds and pulp from raspberries can add a nice texture to a dressing, so if you want the core of the dressing to be more in the form of a puree, you need to use a metal sieve to strain them with.
Add raspberry mix (or puree if you use the sieve) and all other ingredients to a small blender or food processor. Blend ingredients at medium speed until well incorporated.
Taste the dressing and adjust with a little more honey or pepper if needed.
Chef Larry Forgione’s Old-Fashioned
Double Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
• 2 ¼ cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 ½ teaspoons dark rum
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
Combine 2 cups of the milk and ¼ cup of the sugar in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until scalded. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Place the egg and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add the remaining ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt, and whisk until well blended. Whisk the cocoa mixture into the scalded milk.
Set over low heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture thickens and comes to a low boil, causing large bubbles to form. Immediately remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate, butter, rum, and vanilla, and stir until the butter and chocolate are completely melted (the pudding will continue to thicken as it cools). Pour the pudding into two large red wine glasses and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Pour the remaining pudding into a container to enjoy later. Once cooled, top with a dollup of fresh whipped cream.
(Reprinted with permission from An American Place cookbook by author)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
A homemade meal may not be your jam. And that’s okay. However, I have found in those situations, a little culinary romance and appropriate stage setting will help set the mood for your post-dinner evening. As an example, if you really want to blow someone away, give my friends at M. Cacao (mcacao.com) a spin.
Their handcrafted chocolate, and presentation, is some of the very best I have ever seen, let alone enjoyed. The mad genius chocolatiers at
M. Cacao are just that – genius!
They use the best quality ingredients and their creative approach to their craft is the stuff epicurean legend is made of. As to setting the stage, check out these Heart Plates from Mikasa (mikasa.com) which has M. Cacao’s Hearts & Roses collection on them in the photo.
I also highly suggest grabbing a rose and removing the petals, spreading them around the plate for a more romantic look and feel. Of course handing your beloved a single, long-stem red rose (no plastic wrapping or tube) right before presenting this dish can also get you a lot further in the aforementioned post-dinner evening.
Happy Valentine’s Day and Bon Appetit!