Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14.
Lobster Bisque
Ingredients:
- Two 2-pound lobsters, steamed - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dry sherry - 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed - 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns - Kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped onion -1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper - 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup whole milk - 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions:
1) Twist off the claws and tails from the lobsters. Remove the meat, discarding the green tomalley and reserving the shells. Coarsely chop the meat to measure about 2 1/2 cups, and transfer to a bowl; cover and chill. 2) Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a Dutch oven over medium. Add the lobster shells, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sherry, and cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard the solids. Set aside. 3) Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium. Add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, tomato paste, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the reserved lobster stock and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. 4) Puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Place over medium heat, stir in the milk and cream, and bring to a simmer. Add the lobster meat, reserving 1/4 cup for garnish. 5) To serve, ladle the bisque into bowls and top with the reserved lobster meat and chives.
Heart-Shaped Pizza for Two
Ingredients:
- 1 pound store-bought pizza dough - 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 16 slices pepperoni - All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce - 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Directions:
1) Put the pizza dough in a medium bowl and coat well with the olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. 2) Meanwhile, put a large inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. 3) Fold a pepperoni slice in half and use a pair of kitchen shears to trim the edges into the shape of half of a heart. (When you unfold the pepperoni slice, it will be a whole heart.) Repeat this process with the remaining pepperoni, then set aside. 4) Divide the pizza dough into 2 balls. On a lightly floured surface, stretch 1 ball of dough into a 10-inch round. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper, then slide the parchment and dough onto a second inverted baking sheet. Use a pair of kitchen shears or a paring knife to cut the pizza dough into the shape of a large heart, discarding the dough scraps. 5) Spread half of the sauce on the dough in a thin layer and scatter half of the mozzarella on top. Top with half of the pepperoni slices. Use a pastry brush to brush the exposed edges of the dough with olive oil. Carefully slide the parchment onto the preheated baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before slicing. Repeat to make a second pizza.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 14-ounce box refrigerated pie dough (2 sheets), thawed if frozen
- water
- For Raspberry Icing:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2) Place the raspberries, cream cheese and honey in a bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash the raspberries with the cream cheese, leaving some pieces of raspberry intact. 3) Roll the pie crust 1/4 inch thick and using a 4-inch heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts 4) Place one heart on a lightly floured work surface and place 2 tsp of the cream cheese mixture in the very center, leaving a 1/4″ border around the cut-out. 5) Lightly dip your index finger into a cup of water and "brush" the border with the water 6) Top with another heart and take the tines of a fork and gently press down along the edges to adhere (making sure the cream cheese mixture stays inside the heart pocket). With a toothpick, poke some holes in the top of the heart to remove any air pockets. 7) Place on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden 8) While the hearts are baking, take the defrosted raspberries, place in a strainer and press down with the back of a spoon to release raspberry juice into a bowl - should be about 2 tablespoons of juice depending on how juicy the raspberries are. 9) Whisk in the milk into the raspberry juice, then slowly pour in the powdered sugar to make icing. 10) When cool, take a spoon and spread the raspberry icing over the hearts. 11) Serve.