These comments are great! We've been trying to eat more healthily, ratcheting back our consumption of meat to no more than once or twice a week. And I think we've been somewhat successful. But for Valentine's Day, I made shepherd's pie with ground lamb, onion, garlic, carrot, broccoli in a red wine sauce, topped with full-on unhealthy mashed potatoes. Dessert was the lovely gingerbread, the recipe from the original Silver Palate.
My wife loves prime rib. Homemade horseradish sauce, her favorite side of scalloped potatoes and grilled asparagus. Desserts are her specialty. Tunnel of fudge bundt cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. For her it is her perfect celebratory meal.
We usually go out and start with a platter of oysters. This year I took advantage of the discount from E-Fish ($15.00) off and bought 50 Love-Point oysters. Embarrassingly, I ate 33 oysters and my honey had 11, my son had 6. I couldn't help myself! They were late to dinner! FYI amazing, I highly recommend them. But open them with your company, not alone..well who cares really.
It's gotta be a stinky cheese, something along the lines of Époisse. Gently baked until just gooey enough to slather onto boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and pickled asparagus. Served with something dark and decadent like a rye Manhattan! The whole situation is very intimate and lovely.
This year I made Beef Wellington sans foie gras for the two of us, served with roasted Brussels Sprouts drizzled with aged Balsamic Vinegar, roasted potatoes and a lovely bottle of Concerto wine from Opolo Vineyards. My husband has been asking me to make it for years now but it never interested me much. Now that I realize how much prep can be done ahead of time I may make it more often. Poor guy, I forgot to remove the string from around the filet before wrapping the pastry. I’ve made plenty of mistakes over my 40+ years of cooking but that was a new one.
When I was younger, my go-to for romance was filet mignon schmeared with some generic smooth pate and accompanied by a brandied cream sauce. The Wall Street boys swooned, since no other single woman in the city cooked; they just used their ovens to store shoes. Years later, I came up with what I thought at the time was far more "gourmet": Cubes of pinkish foie gras au torchon served with blood orange gelee and a glass of Ch. d'Y. It was disgusting (the wine was fab). This year, I sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of bubbles and quietly/subtly supervised/encouraged my husband as he created a pan saute of chix thighs, fennel, black olives, piquillo peppers, a splash of Pernod -- all finished with a few cubes of cultured Vermont butter.
I like to make a special lamb shank meal since my wife of 50+ years luvs it. A bundle of herbs —parsley, bay leaves, and thyme— plus red Burgundy, chicken-bone stock, then celery, onions, and carrots. The shanks pair especially well with pureed (not mashed!) potatoes. These are not ordinary mashed potatoes, even though my Dad made a terrific, quite ordinary version of his own, which today are my son's absolute favorite. They are Joël Robuchon’s silky, buttery, luscious pommes puree. I first had them at Robuchon’s Jamin restaurant in Paris in the late 1980's. Few dishes such as potatoes are as closely associated with a chef as these are with that late French luminary, who passed away in August 2018. “I owe everything to these mashed potatoes,” he once famously said. “Maybe it’s a little bit of nostalgia, like Proust’s madeleines. Everyone has in his memory the mashed potatoes of his mother, the mashed potatoes of his grandmother.” As for the balance of the meal, I do luv asparagus —roasted, blanched, grilled, or sauteed. And some version of an Italian tiramisu, which my wife adores. I've never made one. But there's always an adequate store-bought version in the frig . . . .
The menu changes but one thing remains the same…. Splitting a bottle of wine we’re both excited about! This year it was a barbera d’asti, enjoyed with pizza with crispy prosciutto, ricotta, and a balsamic glaze.
My husband recently had to go dairy free and so I made him a vegan chocolate pudding, courtesy of the NYT, which he loved! And for our little Valentine's I made heart shaped pancakes. :)
We both love Melissa Clark's wine braised chicken with mushroom and leeks served over orzo. For V day I used an extravagant amount of wild mushrooms. Made a chocolate olive oil cake for dessert.
Since the mid-90's I've been making heart pizzas and kissing calzones for VDay. I always do a dessert pizza too with mascarpone , thinly sliced citrus, a dash of Grand Marnier and sprinkling of chopped chocolate (once it's out of the oven).
I almost always cook filet mignon for Valentine's Day and try to incorporate beets (for more red) into a salad or side dish. This year I made Fondant Potatoes for the first time -- they were yummy!
Oysters on the half shell, mini latkes with lox and cream fraîche, salad of chicories, little gems, and linguine and clams. All seafood procured from our wonderful local east bay market, Monterey Fish Market in Berkeley. Chocolate dipped Harry’s Berries for dessert!
I overlooked my lovely Wife’s contribution to Valentine’s Day Brunch. She made me a wonderful Dungeness Crab Souffle, and we drank a very nice Chablis. It was a great way to warm up for the Ossobuco.
Pulled out the fondue pot we got as a wedding gift 52 years ago. Cheese fondue for two.
These comments are great! We've been trying to eat more healthily, ratcheting back our consumption of meat to no more than once or twice a week. And I think we've been somewhat successful. But for Valentine's Day, I made shepherd's pie with ground lamb, onion, garlic, carrot, broccoli in a red wine sauce, topped with full-on unhealthy mashed potatoes. Dessert was the lovely gingerbread, the recipe from the original Silver Palate.
My wife and daughter require lobster. A lot of it.
With drawn butter. A lot of it.
Cherry Jell-O in a heart-shaped mold, just like my mother made, with whipped cream on top 🍒
My wife loves prime rib. Homemade horseradish sauce, her favorite side of scalloped potatoes and grilled asparagus. Desserts are her specialty. Tunnel of fudge bundt cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. For her it is her perfect celebratory meal.
We usually go out and start with a platter of oysters. This year I took advantage of the discount from E-Fish ($15.00) off and bought 50 Love-Point oysters. Embarrassingly, I ate 33 oysters and my honey had 11, my son had 6. I couldn't help myself! They were late to dinner! FYI amazing, I highly recommend them. But open them with your company, not alone..well who cares really.
Reservations….. 😍
The average American eats less than a. pound of lamb a year. So I am astonished at how much Valentine's lamb we are all serving!
It's gotta be a stinky cheese, something along the lines of Époisse. Gently baked until just gooey enough to slather onto boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and pickled asparagus. Served with something dark and decadent like a rye Manhattan! The whole situation is very intimate and lovely.
Creme Brulee, my husband gave me a set of heart shaped ramekins twenty years ago, I've made it once a year since!
For us, dim sum and champagne. My wife is Thai and I'm from NYC; it seems like a perfect pairing for this pair.....
When we first met (1980) I made my future husband a heart shaped meatloaf. I have a question about this adorable menu. What is "milk fed" chicken?
This year I made Beef Wellington sans foie gras for the two of us, served with roasted Brussels Sprouts drizzled with aged Balsamic Vinegar, roasted potatoes and a lovely bottle of Concerto wine from Opolo Vineyards. My husband has been asking me to make it for years now but it never interested me much. Now that I realize how much prep can be done ahead of time I may make it more often. Poor guy, I forgot to remove the string from around the filet before wrapping the pastry. I’ve made plenty of mistakes over my 40+ years of cooking but that was a new one.
When I was younger, my go-to for romance was filet mignon schmeared with some generic smooth pate and accompanied by a brandied cream sauce. The Wall Street boys swooned, since no other single woman in the city cooked; they just used their ovens to store shoes. Years later, I came up with what I thought at the time was far more "gourmet": Cubes of pinkish foie gras au torchon served with blood orange gelee and a glass of Ch. d'Y. It was disgusting (the wine was fab). This year, I sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of bubbles and quietly/subtly supervised/encouraged my husband as he created a pan saute of chix thighs, fennel, black olives, piquillo peppers, a splash of Pernod -- all finished with a few cubes of cultured Vermont butter.
Seared Scallops and Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas
I like to make a special lamb shank meal since my wife of 50+ years luvs it. A bundle of herbs —parsley, bay leaves, and thyme— plus red Burgundy, chicken-bone stock, then celery, onions, and carrots. The shanks pair especially well with pureed (not mashed!) potatoes. These are not ordinary mashed potatoes, even though my Dad made a terrific, quite ordinary version of his own, which today are my son's absolute favorite. They are Joël Robuchon’s silky, buttery, luscious pommes puree. I first had them at Robuchon’s Jamin restaurant in Paris in the late 1980's. Few dishes such as potatoes are as closely associated with a chef as these are with that late French luminary, who passed away in August 2018. “I owe everything to these mashed potatoes,” he once famously said. “Maybe it’s a little bit of nostalgia, like Proust’s madeleines. Everyone has in his memory the mashed potatoes of his mother, the mashed potatoes of his grandmother.” As for the balance of the meal, I do luv asparagus —roasted, blanched, grilled, or sauteed. And some version of an Italian tiramisu, which my wife adores. I've never made one. But there's always an adequate store-bought version in the frig . . . .
We always go out for Indian food on Valentine's Day!
Lamb and chocolate mousse, even though I’m not supposed to eat either!
I'd have Any of you come and cook Any time!
The menu changes but one thing remains the same…. Splitting a bottle of wine we’re both excited about! This year it was a barbera d’asti, enjoyed with pizza with crispy prosciutto, ricotta, and a balsamic glaze.
Seared scallops! I'm just trying to make Jacques proud.
Lamb chops were my husband's favorite!
What ever their favorite food is!
Krug champagne of course!
I make the rack of lamb. My husband opens a great bottle of wine. What could be better 🌸♥️
My husband recently had to go dairy free and so I made him a vegan chocolate pudding, courtesy of the NYT, which he loved! And for our little Valentine's I made heart shaped pancakes. :)
We both love Melissa Clark's wine braised chicken with mushroom and leeks served over orzo. For V day I used an extravagant amount of wild mushrooms. Made a chocolate olive oil cake for dessert.
Anything they want.
I made individual beef wellington for my wife and I
Chocolate mousse, even though I can’t eat any!
Since the mid-90's I've been making heart pizzas and kissing calzones for VDay. I always do a dessert pizza too with mascarpone , thinly sliced citrus, a dash of Grand Marnier and sprinkling of chopped chocolate (once it's out of the oven).
Chocolate pots de crepe
Chocolate fondue!
Rack of lamb. Chocolate whiskey cake or pavlova.
I almost always cook filet mignon for Valentine's Day and try to incorporate beets (for more red) into a salad or side dish. This year I made Fondant Potatoes for the first time -- they were yummy!
We had shrimp and vegetables stir fry over rice this year. Each year is different to keep that spark lit!
coeur a la creme with raspberry sauce
Maida Heatter's Palm Beach Brownies. Exquisite.
Venture a guess on the age of that menu?
Oysters on the half shell, mini latkes with lox and cream fraîche, salad of chicories, little gems, and linguine and clams. All seafood procured from our wonderful local east bay market, Monterey Fish Market in Berkeley. Chocolate dipped Harry’s Berries for dessert!
Couer ala crème in a heart shaped mold
Always requested: Chocolate Puddle Cakes with a good vanilla ice cream, often homemade.
I overlooked my lovely Wife’s contribution to Valentine’s Day Brunch. She made me a wonderful Dungeness Crab Souffle, and we drank a very nice Chablis. It was a great way to warm up for the Ossobuco.
Green pepper corn filet mignon flamed with Calvados and cream served with wild rice and Caesar salad.
Eggplant parm. Hadn’t made it in years. Flourless chocolate cake.
Our tradition Every. Single. Year. is mac and cheese.
Because mac loves cheese, and cheese loves mac.
It's like a hug in a bowl.
I made rack of lamb. My husband opened an excellent bottle of wine. It was a lovely evening in the middle of the Rocky Mountains.
This year it was lobster rolls and champagne.
The traditional request is Coeur a la Creme with Strawberry Sauce
I love making enchiladas with Rubén (the first bite o--oo--ohhh!) but my daughter (other love) doesn't like chilis and ajo so she gets "sinchiladas"!