First, when possible I used seasonal ingredients. Although in much of the country nothing is really growing in February, most of these ingredients are growing in the southwest and southeast. Here in sunny San Diego, we are lucky enough to have wonderful fresh local produce all year round! But for those of you shivering under several feet of snow in the Northeast, these are some things you are still likely to find in the stores during the winter.

Second, while I want the menu to be exciting and delicious, I don’t want it to be overwhelming or too challenging for the average home chef. You won’t spend all day in the kitchen–you can spend most of it with your special valentine! Some things can even be made the day before.

Third, I wanted the food to inspire romance! We kept it light, choosing a mild white fish, without too much garlic, pepper or cream so after dinner you and your valentine will be ready for whatever comes next instead of feeling stuffed and bloated. I even included some ingredients that are reported to enhance excitement and stimulation–a.k.a. aphrodisiacs. These include almonds, basil, carrots, garlic, vanilla, raspberries, and of course chocolate!

The menu begins with an apertif created by Michelle, the French Kiss (read more about it and get the recipe at VinPrestige). After enjoying your delicious cocktail, warm up with an appetizer of creamy vegetable soup with a cheddar biscuit on the side. The light and fluffy biscuit is made with yogurt and is a perfect compliment to the herbs and vegetables in the soup. The soup can be made the day before and reheated before serving. Michelle suggests pairing this course with a Sancerre like the 2007 Chateau de Sancerre. Another option would be a white Bordeaux.

The main course is a roasted cod fillet with haricots verts and toasted almonds. Michelle paired this course with a white burgundy with some creaminess and an oak backbone such as 2007 Gilles Bouton & Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “La Garenne”. While this dish looks fancy, it’s incredibly easy to make! The green beans can be made ahead of time and kept warm, and the fish can be prepared in the roasting pan before you sit down to enjoy your appetizers. The quick break between courses while the fish roasts will give you time to digest and enjoy the rest of your wine.

Finish the meal with a raspberry cheesecake brownie for two and a tawny port like the Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny (other options include Quinta do Noval 10 Year Tawny or Graham’s 10 Year Tawny). Sharing a dessert is lovely way to end the meal. After indulging in raspberries and chocolate you may want to leave the dishes for later and immediately move your dinner party to the couch for some quality embracing. I won’t judge. The cheesecake brownies can (and should) be made at least six hours ahead of time, preferably the night before.

These recipes (with the exception of the brownies) are for two servings, but feel free to double them if you decide to make them again for more people!

Click here to download a pdf of the entire menu with recipes.

Or view the recipes for the individual courses online:

Vegetable Cream Soup
Cheddar Biscuits
Roasted Cod with Haricots Verts and Almonds
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

Continue reading about the wine and cocktail pairings for this meal at VinPrestige.

Hey if you’re tired of pulling out your collection of shopping bags with bank and real estate agent logos on them that you’ve gotten as gifts from every business in town, or if you need something more portable (these fit in your purse!), get in touch and I’ll happily print up some bags for you.

One thing I knew I wanted to do as soon as I returned from Cameroon was to join the Daring Kitchen. Last Monday I completed my first Daring Cooks challenge: Soufflé! I decided to wait until I flew home to Georgia to surprise my sister for her 30th birthday to make the soufflé for two reasons: first, I thought it would be fun to make my first soufflé with my mom and my sister; and second, I don’t have a mixer and making soufflé requires beating egg whites until they are stiff.

So having never made soufflé before, we decided to make two different kinds at once, and to make up our own recipes, modified from the delicious recipes provided by the challenge hosts. We started with a savory Spinach Garlic Parmesan Souffle. Although it could have used a scotch more salt, it was so creamy and delicious! The biggest issue was that there wasn’t enough of it. We barely got a chance to photograph it before it was devoured like a freshly killed antelope set upon by a pride of hungry lions. That poor soufflé didn’t stand a chance.

While the savory souffle was in the oven rising, we set to work making a raspberry chocolate souffle. That creamy blend of raspberries and chocolate smelled so good baking in the oven, and my stomach was still growling from not enough savory soufflé, it was all I could do to wait for it to be done. For this souffle, we used an 85% cocoa dark chocolate, which was a tad too bitter for some of our taste testers, so in making it again I’d probably use a slightly sweeter chocolate. We also threw in a dash of cayenne pepper, which my sister and I really liked, but my mom didn’t (her sensitive tongue protested the hint of heat).

I enjoyed this challenge so much and I can’t wait to make soufflé again. I think I’ll wait until I have a mixer of my own though. I’ve whipped up some heavy cream by hand in my time, but after seeing how much power went into beating those egg whites stiff, I’m saving up for this machine.

Recipe for Spinach Garlic Parmesan Souffle

Recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Souffle

There is nothing like the satisfaction of making something with my own two hands. From choosing the perfect paper for someone’s wedding guestbook and stitching it all together to designing a custom pattern for a set of invitations and screen printing them, I love the process and the tools and of course the beautifully hand-crafted finished product.

Don’t get me wrong, I love making websites too. Each design medium is like a child of mine–I love each one for different reasons (and each have their own special frustrations) and I can’t possibly choose a favorite. Or if I do, I just can’t tell the others. (I’m your favorite, right mom?)

I added a new page to my website right up there between Portfolio and Blog: Handmade. This photo gallery shares some of my favorite things I’ve made by hand. It’s been two long years since I put my screen printer, my bookmaking tools and my other art supplies in storage before leaving for Cameroon. Now they are all unpacked and ready to be used again. If you have an upcoming special event and want some kick-ass invitations, send me an email at thryn@zzilch.com.