Valentine's Day

This is the perfect new cocktail to accompany your Valentine's Day dinner. 

Six dainty cups of deeply rich chocolate are gently baked and served cooled to a small grateful crowd. 

I use cod roe for my version of deviled eggs. Cod roe adds them a pinkish appetizing color! 

In a simple crust made of confectioners' sugar, flour and butter is piled a hearty mound of whole strawberries that glistens from a sweet syrup spooned over the top. Then dollop with whipped cream, and that's all there is to this wonderfully simple sweet pie. 

Mushrooms stuffed with blue cheese, bacon, caramelized onions and garlic make a delicious appetizer! 

This is my own special recipe. The most requested dinner when friends and family come to visit from all over the country. It's so easy and trust me...I hate capers, but they add just the right flavor. If you really don't like capers, put them in a empty tea bag, fasten with a twist tie and throw it away before serving, but trust me I've had no complaints! This is a perfect dinner to entertain with or just for a romantic night for two. Suggestion: Have a nice but simple spinach salad and a good gourmet Italian bread with it. 

Coffee soaked ladyfingers layered with a custard of sweetened mascarpone cheese with a hint of brandy. 

Serve this simple cream sauce, made with shrimp and mushrooms, over any grilled, blackened, steamed, pan fried fish. Great idea for a romantic candlelight dinner for two. 

Fresh cilantro and parsley make this stew beautiful and delicious. Fish and bowtie pasta are added to a brightly seasoned stock of tomatoes, cinnamon, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Ready in minutes. 

Bite-size balls of fresh mozzarella, known as bocconcini, make up this great salad made with cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, arugula, and fresh basil. It's a version of the popular 'insalata caprese.' 

A delicious omelet made with Dungeness crab, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. 

Warmed pita pockets are stuffed with fried plantains, sliced mushrooms, avocado, and arugula. 

Asian inspired flavors with a French technique give this dish it's own uniqueness. It's easy to make as well! 

This recipe has been handed down through my mother's family for years. My grandmother brought it with her from Italy in the early 1900's. My mom taught me the recipe this year. Now I am the designated person in our family to make the Fig Cookies. This is a very high honor. So they must be as good as my Grandmothers' cookies. Some call them Homemade Fig Newtons. They are a tradition at Christmas and are wonderful with a hot cup of coffee. They are lot of work. I make them in stages. First the dough, then a few days later the figs, and finally I will make the cookies. The dough and the figs keep well in the refrigerator and the cookies freeze very well. 

A Valentine's Day treat! 

A traditional recipe for oysters Rockefeller. 

Smoked chicken adds interest to this basic vegetable stir fry, served atop delicate angel hair pasta. 

Melt in your mouth cookies and beautiful for Valentine's Day! 

A perfect hot toddy for a snowy winter night! Easy to make, delightful to drink, warms you inside-out.