St. Valentine's Day Feb - 14 - 2007

It started with a Kiss ......Coupe de Champagne with Wild Berries

"Shrimp Di Amore" ..... Tantalising plump Jumbo Shrimp Salsa & Tortilla Chips

Cupid's Arrow .......Fried Kefalotiri Cheese - Saganaki with a Bouquet of Vegetables

Aphrodite's Love ......Strawberry, Spinach & Almond Salad

That's Amore...... Breast of Chicken Flambé with Brandied Cherry Sauce

"Honeymoon Junket"....... Seductive "Sir Loin" Stuffed w/ Spinach, Fresh Mushrooms & Gorgonzola Cheese .. then finished w/ Cognac Cream

Fruits of Love AND the Dark Stranger......Fantasy of rich and sumptuous Dark Toblerone Chocolate Fondue with Tropical Fruits marinated in Cointreau Liqueur

RECIPES:

It started with a Kiss...... Marinate 1/4 cup frozen Wild Berries ( can be purchased frozen in any grocery store) in a Champagne Flute with 3 Tablespoon of Cointreau. Fill the champagne flute with Champagne or Sparkling Wine. Garnish with Strawberry covered in Chocolate

"Shrimp Di Amore" ..... 6 large raw Shrimp, shelled and poached in 1/4 lb Butter until it is almost cooked. Remove Shrimps from the Butter and cool completely. Chop the Shrimps into large pieces then add, 2 small Tomatoes chopped, 1/3 small Red Onion minced, 1/3 red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon chopped Garlic, 1 green Chili Pepper (or Jalapeno Pepper), deveined, seeded and chopped fine, 1 tablespoon Lime juice, 1 tablespoon chopped Cilantro, Salt and Pepper and 1/4 cup Fruit Chutney.Serve with Tortilla Chips.

                 OR add the cooked Shrimps to your favoured purchased Salsa Mix. Serve with Tortilla Chips and Kisses.

Cupid's Arrow....... Heat 4 Tbs Butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat. Combine 1 Egg, well beaten and 1 tsp Flour together. Now dip 1 slices (1/2 lb (250 g) Kasseri or Kefalotiri Cheese, sliced 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick) in the Egg mixture. Fry until well browned on both sides. Remove from the heat and add 2 Tbs Brandy. Carefully ignite the brandy with a match, and shake the skillet until the flame is extinguished. Squeeze the Juice of 1/2 Lemon and sprinkle 1 pinch Oregano over the Cheese. Serve from the skillet along with crusty Bread, Black Kalamata Olives, wedges of Tomatoes and Cucumber.

Aphrodite's Love...... Combine 3 cups washed Spinach, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces, 1 pint Strawberries, halved or quartered (depending on the size), 1/4 red Onion, sliced thin, 1/2 cup drained Mandarin Orange slices.

                For dressing: Melt 1/4 cup red Current Jelly in small saucepan on low heat or in microwave When cool, stir in 1/4 cup your favoured purchased Caesar Dressing. Right before serving, mix all salad ingredients. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle 1/4 cup toasted Almonds or Pine (or your favoured) nuts and serve.

That's Amore...... Dust 2 breast of Chickens (cross-sliced thin) with 2 ounces Flour. Sauté the 2 Breasts of Chicken in a hot pan with 1 ounce of clarified Butter or oil until almost cooked through. Remove Chicken, add 1 ounce Brandy and light it. Add 1/2 cup sun-dried Sour Cherries, 1/2 teaspoon minced Jalapeno, and 2 ounces Heavy Cream. Reduced Cream, and 1 ounce of Cherry Brandy. Add the cooked Chicken Breast and simmer one minute or so and serve.

"Honeymoon Junket"....... Sauté, 1/2 lb Mushrooms and 1 lb Baby Spinach in 3 tablespoons melted Butter until Mushrooms are tender; Add 3 oz of chopped Prosciutto ham, 1/4 cup dry White Wine, 3 tablespoon Brandy and 1/2 cup Heavy Cream. Stir in 2 tb Mango Chutney and 2 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Press the sauce thru a fine sifter saving both the Spinach mixture and the Sauce.

            Pound 2 x 6 oz sliced New York Steak, Rib Eye, Prime Rib or Filet Steaks until they are flatted and about 1/4" thick. Fill each Steak with the Spinach mixture, fold over and seal the wedges. Dredge each Steak in Flour and Sauté, in 3 tablespoons of Oil until reaches your preferred donees. Place in a worm plate and let it rest for 3 minutes. Meanwhile reheat the Sauce and pour it over the Steak. Garnish, decorate and serve hot.

Fruits of Love AND the Dark Stranger...... Place 1 1/4 cups Water, 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar, and 1/4 cup Corn Syrup into a pot and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until Sugar solution has reduced by about 30%. Pour 1 cup premium Cocoa Powder into the Sugar solution and blend with a whisk until smooth. Return the Coco Powder mixture to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat for 2 min. Add 2/3 cup Heavy Cream, and bring to boil and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 5 ounces of Toblerone Chocolate or any other premium semi-sweet chopped Chocolate. Pour into fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with skewers of Tropical Fruits, Marshmallows, Cookies and/or plain Cakes.