Food Lush

Top 5 Food Gifts I'd Like From My Valentine

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Jen L.

This is my final post for Food Lush and it has been a fantastic couple of years! I have loved sharing my foodie love with all of you, participating in this wonderful group of writers (we call ourselves the Lush Family) and reading all your comments. My favorite post from another writer is this Candy Corner post by Erik because 1. it involves Bit O' Honey, and 2.  it is HYSTERICAL.  Choosing my favorite post of my own was like being asked to choose a favorite child, but I narrowed it down, and read and read, then picked this one, a post I got to write in response to a reader's question about hosting a birthday party. The best part of Food Lush has always been the interaction with our readers, so thank you! 

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I love food gifts. Some people scoff at them. Some people automatically throw them out, as though they are tainted.  Other people, like me and people I'm related to, fight over them.  My husband and I get summer sausages in our Christmas stockings every year and my mom always gets me a big bottle of cranberry mustard to go with mine.  My grandpa used to give me my own wheel of Edam cheese every year.

I've never been one for flowers on Valentine's Day--I'd rather have a box of really nice chocolate or even have a nice dinner prepared for me. (My husband sometimes surprises me with cornish game hens!)  Here are five food gifts I'd be tickled to get on Valentine's Day.

1.  Harry and David's Pears.  Have you ever had a Harry and David pear? They are hands-down the greatest pears I have ever had IN MY LIFE. I don't know what it is, but they are always perfectly ripe, tender, sweet and delicious.  And look! They even have a Valentine Gift Box all ready to ship to the one you love, complete with heart-shaped stickers and pink foil wrapping.  Score.

2.  Wisconsin Cheese Mart Cheddar Deck Gift Box.  This trio of cheddar cheeses would be mine, all mine. I would use the mild for a cheddar cheese sauce (Served over pasta with bacon, of course!), the medium for grating over tacos and chili, and the sharp for eating with really good crackers.

3.  A Cookie Bouquet from Cookies by Design.  I had a cookie bouquet for one of my teenage birthdays and I remember it being delicious. I love iced sugar cookies, so that was right up my alley. (This was before I gave in to my all-consuming love for cake.)  This cute Conversation Hearts cookie bouquet would be a very sweet treat.

4.  A Crate O' Gummi Bears.  Haribo are the best gummies in the world--we all agree on this, yes?  How'd you like to get this crate of 72 packs of MINI gummi bears from Candy Warehouse? I thought so. 

5.  A beautiful box of Godiva chocolates.  Specifically, this dark chocolate collection.  Enough said.

What food gifts would you like to receive from your Valentine?  You can paste a link this post to in an email, you know...

 

Image credit  HarryandDavid.com

Valentine's dinner tradition

by Elsha

My husband and I are not big fans of eating in resturants on Valentine's Day. Probably part of my reluctance comes from my years growing up, since I have a brother born on Valentine's Day. Do you know how long the wait is when you take a family of seven out to dinner on Valentines's Day, in a town where there are no resturants that take reservations? Yeah. 

As I was saying, we're not big fans of going out for a Valentine's dinner. Especially now that dinner out involves either two toddlers or a babysitter. However, neither of us wants to cook or wash dishes on a holiday. So a year or so into our marriage we started a tradition: Valentine's dinner is Chinese takeout. Sadly we couldn't participate this year since my favorite dishes, lo mein and fried wontons, don't so much fit into a low carb diet. (Gestational diabetes you are ruining my holiday.) We definitely intend to get back to it in future years though!

What about you, do you have a Valentine's food tradition?

The Old Flame: a whiskey-based Valentine's Day Cocktail (finally)

by Katie

My husband John is really into cocktails, but he is awfully particular about it. He does not like cream liqueurs, like Bailey's and Kahlua. He is not into very sweet things, like Chambord. He prefers classic-style cocktails shaken into small glasses over jumbo-sized smoothie-like beverages.

A few days ago, he was lamenting how all the Valentine's Day cocktails advertised at bars and restaurants are sickly-sweet, or chocolate-drizzled, or feature gross specialty liqueurs with stupid names like Hypnotiq.

"There are no Valentine's Day drinks made with whiskey," he complained.

"So make one up," I said. And he did.

This drink is super delicious, and has a lovely reddish-pink hue without being over the top. Perfect if you want to impress your whiskey-loving dude (or lady!) with a Mad Men-esque tipple, and equally perfect for a couple planning to celebrate Valentine's Day on the couch in comfy clothes with takeout (ahem).

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: The Old Flame

2 oz Makers Mark or rye whiskey (Old Overholt is a very good reasonably priced bottle)

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz (1 Tbsp) Grenadine

1/2 oz simple syrup

1/2 of an egg white (optional, but it gives it that lovely foam on top)

a few drops Peychaud's bitters

wide lemon twist for garnish

Pour whiskey, lemon juice, grenadine, simple syrup and egg white (if using) into a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake vigorously (especially if you're using the egg white). Strain into coupes or rocks glasses. Add a few drops of bitters and float the lemon garnish on top.

Editor's note: John would like me to tell you that to really "seal the deal," you can light a match and squeeze the lemon garnish across the flame near the glass (but not so close that the flame will actually touch the drink, for obvious fire-safety reasons) This will flambee the lemon oils, which adds a nice aroma and looks awfully cool. (As for whether it seals any deals? I make no promises.)

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

See's Candies: A Love Story

by Elissa

I left California to come east for college way back in the mid-1990s. Back then, See's Candies was pretty much only a California thing, and few things made me as nostalgic for home as the thought of one of those white boxes of chocolates.

See's began in Los Angeles in the 1920s and then expanded its stores all over California. The stores all feel like an old-time candy kitchen, complete with black and white tile and heavenly smells.

We take chocolate very seriously in my family, and more often than not there is a box of See's chocolates hanging out in my parents' kitchen. Around the holidays, there are usually 3-4 boxes, and Easter baskets and Valentine's Day treats almost always featured something from See's.

What makes it so special? It's high-quality chocolate that is not the slightest bit snooty.  As much as I love fancy European or artisanal chocolates, See's will always be my first choice for a box of chocolates. It's completely delicious in a down-to-earth, old-fashioned way. Thanks to the magic of the internet, you don't need to live near a See's store in order to enjoy all this deliciousness. And you can even order a custom mix, in which you pick out which of your favorites to include in a box.

The assorted nuts and chews would probably be my desert-island box of chocolates, but I have a couple of individual favorites.  First up the scotchmallow: a layer of marshmallow and a layer of butterscotch caramel covered in dark chocolate.

Yum! And I also adore the California brittle: almond-filled toffee covered with milk chocolate.

Although these are probably my two favorites, I love just about every See's candy I've tried (with the exception of the ones featuring cherries), so it's almost impossible to go wrong. Even the truffles featuring fruit flavors are really good: who knew that pineapple and chocolate went together so well? For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of trying See's Candies, you really owe it to yourself to order a box. And for those who know and love See's, what are your favorites?

{photo credits: sees.com}

Nutella Bread Pudding

by Jen L.

I feel like I have to confess:  I used to be one of those people who thought bread pudding soudned like the nastiest thing in the world.  Then I had a great homemade batch packed with raisins and rum flavoring and I was sold on it.  This version takes bread pudding to the next level by adding the warm, soothing flavors found in a little jar of Nutella.  One of my cast members brought a batch of this stuff to rehearsal the other day.  The pan was full when I left the room to grab my camera, but when I returned a minute later, here's all that was left:

I quickly claimed the rest of the pan and ate it with that big serving spoon you see in the picture.  This has to be added to my list of favorite winter desserts.  Hope you enjoy it!

NUTELLA BREAD PUDDING

• 12 slices of day-old Challah bread
• 1 1/2 cups Nutella
• 2 cups light cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
  

Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with unsalted butter.  Make 6 sandwiches with the bread and nutella. Cut each sandwich into 6 to 8 pieces. Pile the sandwich pieces into the prepared baking dish.   In a small saucepan, combine the cream, salt, and vanilla and cook over medium heat until warm.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Slowly add the cream mixture, stirring constantly to make sure the eggs do not cook.  Pour the mixture over the bread and cover the dish with aluminum foil.  Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil after about 20 minutes. The finished pudding will be golden brown on top.  Allow the pudding to rest for at least ten minutes before serving.

 

Be Mine: Reese's Hearts

By Sarah

I love sweets, but for some reason, I don't really seek out desserts. You'll probably never find me in a cupcake shop, eating just a cupcake. I can't bake to save my life. When I go out to dinner, I much prefer to drink more champagne than order dessert. And so yes, while I do love sweets, I rarely ever indulge in them. (I suppose this is a good thing, although with all the champagne I drink in dessert's place, it's probably not.)

One sweet I cannot get enough of, though, is Reese's Peanut Butter cups, specifically of the holiday-themed variety. You know the ones: pumpkins for Halloween, trees for Christmas, eggs for Easter and my personal favorite, hearts for Sarah's birthday. Uhh, I mean Valentine's Day.

That's right, I am a Valentine's baby (not born on V-Day, but close enough to have Saint Valentine himself rudely cut right into my birthday week) and every year, the appearance of the Reese's hearts gets me all excited.

I was at the grocery store the other day, though, and at the checkout, saw a HUGE display of ... Reese's eggs. Say what? I can't imagine anyone would want to just skip over the hearts and go straight to the eggs, would they? Impossible.

I did, of course, buy a few Reese's eggs -- they may have disrupted the natural order of things by having the eggs displayed before the hearts, but I'm no saint -- but I am sure to receive a few of my beloved Reese's hearts for my birthday, as well.

What's your favorite Valentine's candy? Any old-school Conversation Hearts fans out there?

{Photo credit: hersheys.com}

Homemade oreos

By Jen

Want to impress the pants off someone? Seeing as this is Valentine’s Week and all, that could very well be your end goal. (Heh.) Seriously, though, every time I make these homemade oreos, family, friends and colleagues beg me for the recipe. I wish I could take credit, but alas, kudos is due solely to Smitten Kitchen.

The food porn, er, I mean, photo, is all me, though. (You're welcome!)

Having made these oreos many, many times, the only thing I can say is -- other than: MAKE THESE, YOU WON’T BE SORRY -- if you make the cookies a little bigger, thicker and fluffier, the end result more closely resembles a whoopie pie than an oreo. Make them smaller, thinner and crisper, and you’ve got yourself an oreo -- only better. Personally, I prefer the whoopie pie method.

Whatever you do, though, enjoy one (or three) of these cookies with a tall, cool drink of … milk.

Champagne and cupcakes party!

My friend Kristi recently started selling Willow House products -- and while "in-home-parties" tend to scare the bejeezus out of me -- I offered to host one because she's quite literally one of the sweetest people that I know. 

Inspired by Jennie's champagne and cake party, I decided to host a champagne and cupcake party myself. Because we all know that there's nothing better to socialize over than a glass(es!) of champagne and a cupcake(s!) And when paired together, they rank pretty high up there in the favorite dessert category.

Here are a few pictures of all the yumminess.  

I can't take credit for all the cute housewares, those are all Willow House, but I'll totally take the credit for the menu plan! 

The cupcakes! They were the strawberry champagne cupcakes that we had also made on New Year's eve - except this time we didn't make them as parfaits. There was also chocolate covered strawberries and a spicy red wine cheese ball! 

The beverages.

The ladies that attended were so lovely that they brought champagne, which was totally unexpected. And of course since I'm such a stickler to the rules of etiquette, we HAD to open them! 

From left to right: Roederer Estate's Brute, Yellowglen's Pink and Torre Oria's Cava Brut - they were all so good and probably much better than the three bottles of the Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut that I bought for the occasion!

All and all, it was a great get together and it gave me a reason to decorate for Valentine's Day! 

And, can we please talk about how cute my gardeners are?!?

The Perfect Valentine's Day Dessert

By Laurie

I'm really kind of low maintenance when it comes to food and drinks. Especially when it comes to dessert and holidays, I like things that taste good and look pretty. Fancy isn't required.With that in mind, here is my perfect Valentine's Day dessert (or maybe just main meal, if I'm feeling sassy.)

Dark chocolate -- I submit that dark chocolate is a perfect food. While eating a pound of it is probably ill-advised, it isn't terrible for you, and some even say it's a little bit healthy. Those are the "some" I listen to, of course, the people who say it's got flavonols and anti-oxidants, like red wine and green tea. I love Lindt dark chocolate truffles, the first component of my perfect dessert.

Image courtesy of Lindt.

In a pinch, the Dove dark chocolate bars you can find in any grocery store checkout candy display aren't a bad substitute. On normal days, I like to keep one in the freezer and break off a few pieces for a snack, but on a holiday? I'd eat the whole thing, sure.

Strawberries. Yes, that is all. Just plain strawberries, not with melted chocolate on them this time. I love fondue -- when someone else makes it -- and I will make an idiot of myself at the Melting Pot, I'm just going for a simple trio this time. If you want to heat up the chocolate, go for it, but I'm telling you thoese Lindt truffles are to die for.

Image courtesy of The Second Lunch.

A beautiful Italian sparkling wine. My sparkler of choice is the heavenly Banfi Rosa Regale. I first tried it at a wine and chocolate pairing tasting and I was sold -- literally. I've given it as gifts for engagements and showers ever since, and on special occasions I buy it for myself. At less than $25 a bottle it's not a bank breaker, and it's a special occasion anyway. Live it up.

Image courtesy of Castello Banfi.

If you live in a state unlike mine where you can receive wine shipments and would like a California sparkling alternative, check out the Ruby Cuvee from South Coast Winery in Temecula.

 
Image courtesy of South Coast Winery

I actually had to go there to try it, which was no great sacrifice. It's a sparkling Syrah and is quite simply one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.

So, chocolate, fresh strawberries and sparkling wine? Beautiful and delicious, the perfect dessert for a romantic holiday, or any day.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Tiramisu

By Erica

When I first declared my intention to write about tiramisu for Dessert Week, the lovely Natalie couldn't fathom why I loved a dessert comprised of "soggy bread."

SOGGY BREAD, people. She said tiramisu was soggy bread. My heart broke into a million bajillion pieces for poor, deluded (although still completely lovely) Natalie. Tiramisu is not bread. Soggy or otherwise. To properly make this wonderful dessert, you need to use savoiardi. Savoiardi are Italian ladyfingers. They're light and sweet sponge cakes that are shaped, oddly enough, like lady's fingers. Or a rough approximation thereof.

Despite the fact that tiramisu is one of my very favorite desserts, I've never learned to make it. I think that one of the reasons I so enjoy getting it is because I haven't ever learned to make it. It appears in front of me as if by magic. I'd like to remain convinced that tiny Italian cooking elves have slaved away over my dessert; however, in researching this post, I didn't find one single reference to magical elves. Italian or otherwise. It seems this dish is not only delicious, it's also super easy to make. I suppose that means it's time for me to learn to make it for myself. My mouth is thrilled with this development. My waistline? Not so much.

Tiramisu (courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients:

• *6 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
• 2 teaspoons dark rum
• 24 packaged ladyfingers (savoiardi)
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions:

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.

Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

*RAW EGG WARNING
Please exercise caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, it is recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

{Photo credits: ricettebarbare.blogspot.com, foodnetwork.com}