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A Valentine's Menu That Won't Break the Scale

partysugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:00:53 -0800

Recently I received a personal message from a reader asking for advice on what to cook her boyfriend for Valentine's Day. They've been working out together and eating healthy, so she was looking for a menu that wouldn't ruin their diet. Here, I've come up with a decadent dinner menu that won't pack on pounds. To start, serve an appetizer of the freshest raw oysters (if you dislike oysters, opt for shrimp cocktail) with a glass of sparkling wine. For the main course, pair a huge green salad alongside classic cheese fondue. Select dippers that are diet-friendly like crudités, wheat bread croutons, and lean proteins. Instead of indulging in a calorie-packed dessert, splurge on a high-quality bar of dark chocolate and enjoy with a bottle of port.

What menu would you advise for a health-conscious couple? To check out these recipes, read more.

Raw Oysters
From Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
1 tablespoon fennel seed, lightly toasted
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 dozen fresh oysters

In a small bowl, combine peppercorns, fennel seed, vinegars, and salt.
Shuck oysters just before serving; arrange on bed of crushed ice.
Drizzle with mignonette, or serve on the side. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

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Cheese Fondue
From Gourmet magazine

1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (preferably Swiss, such as Fendant)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons kirsch
1/2 lb Emmental cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/2 lb Gruyère , coarsely grated (2 cups)
cubes of French bread on fondue forks or long wooden skewers
Special equipment: a fondue pot

Rub inside of a 4-quart heavy pot with cut sides of garlic, then discard garlic. Add wine to pot and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat.
Stir together cornstarch and kirsch in a cup.
Gradually add cheese to pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag pattern (not a circular motion) to prevent cheese from balling up, until cheese is just melted and creamy (do not let boil).
Stir cornstarch mixture again and stir into fondue. Bring fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Transfer to fondue pot set over a flame and serve with bread for dipping.

Serves 6.

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Mixed Green Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette
From Gourmet

Ingredients

4 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 lb frisée (French curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces
1 head Boston lettuce (1 lb), torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch arugula (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded
1 bunch watercress (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in tarragon.
Toss greens with dressing in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Feb. 10-16, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:00:33 -0800

With romance in the air, why not spend time with your first two loves in life, food, and wine? Thankfully, there's no shortage of celebration for that this week, with numerous wine and food festivities around the country. Right now, I'm pondering a date-night cooking class - a fun date and an ideal way to get him cooking.

If we've left anything off our list, feel free to chime in below!

Miami, FL: Miami Spice - Feb. 10-12
San Francisco, CA: SF Beer Week - Feb. 10-15
New York, NY: NYC Restaurant Week - Feb. 10-27
Delray Beach, FL: Delray Beach Garlic Fest - Feb. 13-15
Lansing, MI: Michigan Deer & Turkey Spectacular - Feb. 13-15

To see the rest, read more.

Mt. Vernon, IL: Midwestern Herb and Garden Show - Feb. 13-15
Winter Haven, FL: Greek Festival of Polk County - Feb. 13-15
Indio, CA: Riverside County Fair - Feb. 13-22
San Francisco, CA: Date Night and Cooking Crush Classes - Feb. 12-13
Gardiner, OR: Confluence Wine, Beer, Seafood and Music Festival - Feb. 14-15
Washington, DC: Washington, DC, International Wine and Food Festival - Feb. 14-15
Columbia, SC: Festival of Wines and Food - Feb. 16

Source

Yummy Links: From Cherry Cupcakes to Sushi Etiquette

partysugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:00:41 -0800

Cherry baby cupcakes are adorably scrumptious. - Hostess With the Mostess
Since Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, skip the expensive dinner and opt for a romantic breakfast in bed. - Chow
Eight cooking techniques that build flavor. - The Kitchn
Due to the salmonella scare, peanut butter sales are down almost 25 percent. - Serious Eats
Would you drink with a Kellogg's Froot Loop cereal straw? - Eat Me Daily
Take a crash course in sushi etiquette with Japanese guru Hiroko Shimbo. - Bon Appétit

Source

So You Forgot Today Is Valentine's Day...

partysugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:01:51 -0800

If you forgot that today was Valentine's Day, or simply put off buying a gift until the last minute, don't panic. The Yum Market on TeamSugar is filled with wonderful gift ideas! Is your loved one a baker? Give them a book with 500 cupcake recipes. Or perhaps you simply want to whip up something sweet for your sweetie. In that case, use Barefoot Contessa's chocolate ganache cake mix. I personally wish someone would give me this pretty in pink champagne set that ces016 bookmarked. It comes complete with two bottles of bubbly, ice, and a fashionable bucket. For more, browse below.

Read geeksugar's guide to bookmarking on TeamSugar to better understand how to use this fun feature.

Bring the Chocolate to the Bedroom

YumSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:50:31 -0800

For some folks, Valentine's Day is all about chocolate, for others it's all about the bedroom. For those of you who are into both, I've rounded up a few fun - and a few tacky - sensual chocolate gifts. While these may be a little risque, they are all definitely safe for work, but if you blush, don't say I didn't warn you! To check out my finds, click the "Start Slideshow" below.

View Slideshow ›

Valentine's Day Fun Facts

partysugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:28:12 -0800

You know I couldn't let a holiday pass without giving you some fun facts to spice up the conversation during your day. After the roaring success of my Super Bowl fun facts, I dug deep for lots of fabulous nonsense. Did you know that approximately 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are sent each year? (I believe it - I made and sent out 30!) Or that the Italian city of Verona, where Romeo and Juliet lived, receives over 1000 Valentine's addressed to Juliet each Valentine's day? To know who invented the first box of Valentine's Day chocolate, read more

Richard Cadbury, of Cadbury cream egg fame, invented the first box of Valentine's Day themed chocolates in the 1880s.
3% of pet owners give Valentine's Day gifts to their beloved furry friends.
Over 50 million roses are given on Valentine's Day.

73% of people who buy flowers are men.
In Medieval times people who couldn't write their names signed with an 'X' in front of a witness. The 'X' was then kissed to show sincerity. Many believe this is how the 'X' symbol became synonymous with the kiss.
On average men spend $130 for their dates on Valentine's Day.
Children received 39% of all Valentine's related gifts and candies.
Mothers and wives are the biggest givers on Valentine's Day, providing 33% of all gifts.

More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
Even if they don’t make the final purchases until the last few days, 75% of men testify that they plan ahead for Valentine’s Day.
On Valentine's Day, women prefer to open their gifts after a nice dinner while men prefer to receive presents first thing in the morning.
The most romantic place to share candy is in front of the fireplace.
In the 1800s physicians commonly advised broken hearted patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining.

Throughout history, chocolate has always been seen as an aphrodisiac: Madame DuBarry served chocolates to all of her suiters, Cassanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance, and the ancient Aztec king, Montezuma believed chocolate would make him virile.
8 billion conversation hears will be produced this year, enough candies to stretch from Rome, Italy to Valentine, Arizona 20 times and back again.

Source: Candy USA

Come Party With Me: Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner - Invitations

partysugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 06:58:12 -0800

Valentine's Day is a perfect excuse to plan a romantic dinner for two: you and your (insert boyfriend / girlfriend /lover /husband /crush) here. I love planning romantic dinners. When I was living with my Spanish ex-boyfriend I surprised him once a week with a romantic dinner. Unfortunately I won't be having a romantic dinner any time soon, but with my plan you can prepare one for your honey. If you have never created a romantic dinner then you must make one next Wednesday. Even if your squeeze is one of those unromantic types, I guarantee that he/she/it will be impressed, touched, and satisfied with your efforts. To see how I suggest you invite your sweet significant other, read more

You have two options when it comes to romantic dinners:

1. Surprise him (this is what I would do). Tell him you want to have a low-key Valentine's Day (it is on a Wednesday) and dine with him at your side at your favorite pizza place. He will be relieved that there is no pressure to do something extravagant. He must of course pick you up at your house. When he does (or if you live together, when he comes home from work) have the dinner cooking, the house transformed into a romantic haven (don't worry I'll tell you how to do this on Thursday's Come Party With Me), and be wearing a sexy outfit (ex. his nice white collared shirt only the three middle buttons buttoned, your new sexy Dolce & Gabbana undies, long pink knee socks, tousled heavenly hair) . He will be floored and incredibly surprised.

2. Send him the following seductive little love note.

To make the love note invitation you will need:

computer (if you are reading this you have one)
printer
scissors
cardstock (in a valentine hue: red, black, hot/light pink)
pen (in a valentine hue)
the image below (I told you I was doing everything for you!)
gluestick
pink envelope
red lipstick

To assemble the invitation:

Open Microsoft word on your computer. Drag the hot pink/light pink tiger print image into the document.
Insert a textbox onto of the image. Change the preferences of the textbox so the there is no line and no fill.
In the font of your choice (I used Footlight MT Light) write Happy Valentine's Day Tiger. You can make the text how ever big you like but I decided to leave mine smaller to have it sort of camouflaged in the tiger print.

Cut the image out.

With the gluestick, glue to the cardstock (I used black).

Cut the cardstock down to the size of the image on the front.

On the blank side in your sexiest handwriting write a mysterious message along these lines (I used a silver gel pen):

Baby, I’m making you dinner!
Valentine’s Day
8 o clock
My place

Dot the i's with hearts. Let the ink dry.

Slide invitation into the envelope. Address in the same sexy handwriting. Do not put a return address and stamp with a Valentine themed stamp. Seal closed.

Line your lips with the red lipstick. On the back of the envelope leave a kiss mark. (totally cheesy I know, but it will set the romantic tone of the evening).

Got a great romantic invitation idea? Please tell me about it below. And stay tuned, there is lots more to come! Next up on the party plan to-do-list, the menu.

View 25 Photos ›

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: Treat Them with Treats

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:30:19 -0800

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and we've all got sweeties, best pals or family members who deserve that little something special. To help you figure out what to get everyone, we've put together a bunch of Valentine's Day gift guides. Today I thought we'd start things off with a little non-traditional, non-chocolate food idea! I mean everyone gives chocolate, why not give something else?

For starters I found these adorable marzipan frogs. They're hand-sculpted by renowned New York pastry artist Rebecca Russell. A set of three cute edible frogs is available for $32.00.

Three more edible gift ideas, so read more

My gal DearSugar found these cute hand-decorated heart-shaped cookies. Available individually or in packs of 6 or 12, these cute creations almost seem too delectable to eat. The standard greeting is "I'm all hearts for you," but you can also purchase a customized single cookie. Costs range from $5.50-$60.

Staying away from chocolate on Valentine's Day is harder than it seems. I tried, but couldn't resist these beautiful chocolate covered oreos. Each one is hand painted with its own pink heart or "Happy Valentine's Day" design. I know many a lady (and gentlemen) who would swoon over these tempting bites. A box of six chocolate covered valentine oreos will set you back $18.50.

Finally a gift that most couldn't refuse: a heart-shaped strawberry cheesecake. Made in Wisconsin this scrumptious creation contains no preservatives, salt, emulsifiers or commercial additives. That means it's practically healthy, right?!? Order one now for $19.95.

Test Your V-Day Candy Knowledge!

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:30:32 -0800

News flash - tomorrow is Valentine's Day! I thought it'd be appropriate to throw together a quiz of fun facts about Valentine's Day treats in honor of the candy-coated holiday. Are you in the loop on all the figures surrounding this sweet day? Find out when you take my quiz!

Source

Take the quiz

YumSugar Valentine's Day Gift Guide

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:00:08 -0800

If you don't know what to get your admirer/sweetheart/best friend/beloved family this Valentine's Day, here are some ideas that'll score you brownie points (pardon the pun). You can't go wrong with a gift box of port-drenched, chocolate-dipped figs (also known to have amorous properties). Dine in love all year round with a cookbook of romantic dinners for two - or win affection with this sweet quartet of bon-bon teaspoons.

For more suggestions, browse the selection below.