valentine's day

Does the prospect of dining out for Valentine’s Day sound unappealing? Do you prefer to make dinner or a special dessert at home? I have some ideas for you.​

Starting with breakfast, I recommend red velvet pancakes; I’m craving these right now. This recipe appeared in Southern Living Magazine’s issue of December 2012. The pancakes are delectable, right down to the cream cheese butter that accompanies them. If you want to make them this weekend, I suggest you purchase your cream cheese as soon as possible. My local Wegmans did not have any this past Sunday. Also in lieu of red food coloring, I use Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion made by LorAnn Oils. This item is available at Michael Stores or Shore Cake Supply. I suggest calling before going to make sure it’s in stock. You can also purchase the oil from Amazon. You’ll also need all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, eggs, granulated sugar and the red liquid food coloring or the LorAnn oil.

I have two additional red velvet variations for Valentine’s Day. Red Velvet Scones, is a recipe I found in the King Arthur Baking catalogue. The scones are made with heavy cream instead of buttermilk. You’ll also need either red velvet bakery emulsion or red food coloring, unsalted butter and basic pantry staples.

For dessert, Red Velvet Madeleines, also from Southern Living. You’ll need granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, butter, red food coloring or LorAnn oil, cake flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder and salt. To make a true madeleine, you’ll need a madeleine pan in which to make these petite shell-like cakes.

If chocolate is your more your style, Margaux Laskey’s Chocolate Mug Cake is for you. The recipe easily doubles so that you can both enjoy this rich, decadent dessert. It cooks in 5 minutes in the microwave. For this recipe you’ll need unsalted butter, an egg, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, kosher salt and optional ingredients include mini chocolate chips, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla ice cream.  A dusting of confectioner’s sugar will do; you won’t believe how easy it is to make.

My local ShopRite has lobsters on sale this week. I love lobster rolls as made by Luke’s Lobster. These lobster rolls are made with cooked lobster that has a drizzle of seasoned butter; a light smear of mayonnaise spread on the inside of a split top, toasted hot dog bun. Fortunately, I was able to find the recipe for Luke’s Lobster rolls on line; they’re the best. Ina Garten’s Lobster Mac’N Cheese is a rich dish containing both cheddar and gruyere cheese, but isn’t heavy tasting.  Besides the two types of cheeses you’ll also need kosher salt, vegetable oil, pasta (elbow or cavatappi), milk, unsalted butter, fresh ground black pepper, nutmeg, cooked lobster meat and fresh white bread crumbs). Prep time is 15 minutes and a total active time is 1 hour 25 minutes; so, a little planning is needed.

If beef is more your taste, consider Italian Braised Short Ribs. This recipe feeds 6 to 8 and cooks in one pan. The recipe calls for flour, salt, fresh ground pepper, bone-in beef short ribs, olive oil, chopped pancetta, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cartons, tomato paste, sugar, red wine, diced tomatoes, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs, fresh thyme sprigs and dried oregano. Serve the ribs atop creamy polenta.

A lovely retro meal is Salisbury Steak. For the Salisbury steak that feeds six you’ll need, ground beef, onion soup mix, an onion, Italian seasonings, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, an egg, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, fresh mushrooms, butter, beef broth, all-purpose flour and water.
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If you want to eat a little healthier, try Michael Chiarello’s Turkeys Polpettone. These ground turkey burgers are made with fresh bread crumbs, sliced green onion, an egg, fresh sage, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, sea salat, fresh ground pepper and stuffed with a piece of fresh mozzarella. The patties are coated in a mixture of Wondra Flour (you can also use Wegmans Basting flour), fresh bread crumbs and an egg.  My family loves the taste of these turkey patties, especially when filled with a mozzarella cheese when melts when cooked.

I hope I’ve given you enough ideas so that you can start planning ahead for Valentine’s Day.