VALENTINE'S DAY MENU
Prepare at least 1 or 2 days in advance of serving.
| 3 cups | water |
| 6 sprigs | flat-leaf parsley |
| 1 stalk | celery, with leaves |
| 8 | peppercorns |
| ½ teaspoon | dried tarragon |
| ½ lb. | chicken livers |
| 1 teaspoon | applejack |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon | cayenne |
| 1 teaspoon | dry mustard (Coleman's) |
| ½ teaspoon | nutmeg |
| 1 clove | garlic, crushed |
| 3 Tablespoons | onion, finely chopped |
| ¼ lb. | unsalted butter, softened |
| 2 | hard cooked eggs, coarsely chopped |
| 2 Tablespoons | unsalted butter, melted |
In a saucepan, bring water to boiling; add parsley, celery, peppercorns and tarragon. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken livers; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove livers and cut into small pieces. Purée livers in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Gradually add all remaining ingredients except melted butter. Process until well combined. Transfer mixture into a porcelain or glass terrine or crock and pour melted butter on top. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or for a day or so if preparing ahead.. Serve with melba rounds or French Bread as an hors d'oeuvre or first course. Yield: 4 servings
| 1 | rack of lamb, 7 or 8 ribs, well trimmed |
| 2 tablespoons | mustard (Dijon or stone ground) |
| 1 cup | fresh breadcrumbs (made from good Italian or French bread) |
| ½ cup | flat leaf parsley, minced |
| 1 Tablespoon | fresh rosemary leaves, minced |
| Freshly ground black pepper |
Preheat oven to 450 ° F.
Heat a large heavy duty frying pan (or use two smaller ones) that are also oven-proof, over high heat. Add a small amount of olive oil and immediately being browning both racks of lamb with the fat side down. Let lamb racks brown without burning for at least 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let lamb sit for about 20 minutes. When slightly cooled, spread mustard evenly on both racks meat side up. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, rosemary and black pepper. Pat this mixture over the mustard coated lamb.
Return frying pan with prepared racks of lamb into the preheat oven. Roast at 450 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Lower heat and continue roasting until internal temperature of lamb is 140 degrees for rare, 150 degrees for medium. Remove from oven and let racks of lamb stand for at least 10 minutes before carving. Yield: 4 servings
| 2 - 10 oz,. bags | fresh spinach, washed and dried |
| 1 Tablespoon | grated onion |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| ½ teaspoon | freshly ground pepper |
| 2 teaspoons | Dijon mustard |
| 2 Tablespoons | red wine vinegar |
| ½ cup | extra virgin olive oil |
| ½ teaspoon | fresh lemon juice |
| 5 | radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced |
| 2 packages | Enoki mushrooms, trimmed |
Discard tough stems from spinach and tear larger leaves into bite size pieces. Place in a large salad bowl and chill. In another bowl, combine onion, salt, pepper and mustard. Add the vinegar to moisten the mixture and with a small whisk, beat in the olive oil until mixture has emulsified and is the consistency of thin mayonnaise. Stir in the lemon juice. When ready to serve, add a small amount of the dressing and toss the spinach leaves until well coated. Add more dressing if desired. Add radish slices and enoki mushrooms and toss again. Serve a portion of salad on chilled salad plates. Yield: 4 servings
| 2 lbs. | baking potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick |
| 1 cup | light cream |
| 1 large | garlic clove, minced |
| 5 tablespoons | butter |
| ½ cup | grated Parmigiano-Reggiano |
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 475 ° F.
In a heatproof and oven proof baking dish, bring cream and garlic to a boil. Add potato slices to boiling mixture. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until cream is absorbed and top has browned. Check potato slices for doneness. Sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until cheese has slightly browned. Yield: 4 servings
| 5 small | zucchini, about 5" long |
| 1 | red bell pepper, cut into thin julienne strips |
| salt and pepper to taste | |
| 3 Tablespoons | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 cloves | garlic, halved |
| 1 teaspoon | dried oregano |
| 2 Tablespoons | flat leaf parsley, minced |
Trim ends of zucchini and cut into julienne strips. In a large heavy fry pan, heat the olive oil and garlic halves until garlic releases its aroma and becomes browned. Remove garlic and add the zucchini and red pepper strips. Stir fry the vegetables for about 3 to 4 minutes over medium high heat. Add oregano and salt and pepper to taste. The vegetables should be cooked but still have a crunch to them. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve. Yield: 4 servings
For Dessert
Save yourself some time and effort and buy a sinfully rich dessert from your favorite bakery. There are so many delectable desserts available for Valentine's Day that it's only fair that since you've made dinner, you let someone else make the dessert! Being in New York, I have so many delightful pastry shops and bakeries to choose from, I feel guilty if I don't buy from them! But wherever you live, I'm sure there's a favorite bakery nearby. If there isn't a bakery near you, try a frozen dessert from a reliable company such as Pepperidge Farm.
Copyright © 2005 Ann Hall Every
