So many ways to say,
”
I love you.
”
So little time. If that’s you this evening, wondering just what
you should get your beloved, I’ve got a few suggestions. You’ve
heard the saying
”
It’s the thought that counts,
”
but when it comes to Valentine’s Day, I wouldn’t bet on it.
So many ways to say, “I love you.” So little time. If that’s you this evening, wondering just what you should get your beloved, I’ve got a few suggestions. You’ve heard the saying “It’s the thought that counts,” but when it comes to Valentine’s Day, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Instead of “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I’d try to live out the maxim, “Not words, but deeds.” You don’t have to break the bank in order to charm your sweetie. You do need to be thoughtful, think about what they like, and deliver your gift with tenderness and the true spirit of Valentine’s Day.
Forget Hallmark, make it your kind of day. Write your own note; even a simple one in your own words can cause a lump in the throat.
To get you started, I’ve included easy recipes that even a beginning cook can handle. Good luck and have a very special Valentine’s Day.
• “There’s nothing as sweet as you:” Make some oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies – or her favorite kind of cookie – and tie them up in cellophane or a pretty Valentine’s Day gift bag with some bright ribbons. Take her to the park to eat them … Is she watching her weight, living up to a New Year’s resolution? Go to Longs or Rite-Aid and pick up a nifty heart-shaped box; fill with a crunchy trail mix and accompany with a bouquet of red and pink roses and an encouraging note telling her how proud you are of her efforts.
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies
8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 to 1 package chocolate chips (your choice)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
3 tsp. white sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars; then add eggs one at a time and beat until well blended.
Combine flour, oats, chocolate chips, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the batter by hand, a little at a time, stirring to blend. Stir in the vanilla or almond extract.
Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets and bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and cinnamon.
Remove cookies from oven and cool on sheets for about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to a rack to finish cooling. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Allow to cool completely. Store in a covered container at room temperature . (These are best eaten the day baked or the day after.)
• “You are my sweetie pie:” Plan a fun dessert, based around his favorite pie. You don’t have to get complicated. Use your own dough or buy Pillsbury from the store. Get a mini-heart cookie cutter and make your crust interesting.
Is it a one-crust pie? Rim the edge with cut-out hearts (brush with a little egg underneath to make them stick and on top to make them shiny). If it’s a two-crust pie, cut some hearts out of the top crust and paste them with egg in interesting designs. This recipe is an easy and delicious one.
Apple or Dutch Apple Pie
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar (or more if you like a very sweet pie)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch salt
5 or 6 McIntosh, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples (a mixture is best)
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 T. cornstarch (optional)
Two-crust pie shell
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits
Milk as needed
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional, for Dutch Apple Pie only)
Toss together sugars, spices and salt. Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Toss apples and lemon juice with dry ingredients, adding cornstarch if you want a less runny pie (I usually do not add cornstarch).
Pile the apples into bottom crust, making the pie a little higher at the center. Dot with butter. Cover with the top crust. Pinch together top and bottom crust with fingers or a fork. Decorate top crust, if desired, making sure to cut at least two vent holes in top. Now refrigerate the pie while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet and brush the top lightly with milk; sprinkle lightly with sugar. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 40 to 50 minutes until pie is golden brown. Cool on a rack before serving warm or at room temperature.
For Dutch Apple Pie: Add 2 T. cornstarch to the apple mixture. Proceed as above, cutting a large vent hole in middle of top crust. About 30 minutes into baking time, pour heavy cream through the center vent hole and finish baking.
• “Only have rib-eyes for you:” This is all about pampering your favorite person (or people). The recipe sounds a little gourmet, but it’s not difficult at all. If you don’t have time, don’t worry about shaping the butter into little logs. Just chill in a bowl until firm and then scoop out nice mounds of butter when you get to that step. Add a salad and potatoes or French bread, open a nice bottle of wine, put on a jazz CD and you’re set. Candles wouldn’t hurt.
Grilled Peppery Rib-Eye Steaks with Roquefort Butter
For the Roquefort butter:
2 oz. Roquefort, Gorgonzola or other blue-veined cheese
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 T. cognac (optional)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
For the steaks:
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
4 well-marbled rib-eye, porterhouse or New York strip steaks, each 8 to 10 oz. and 1 inch thick
To make the Roquefort butter, in a small food processor, combine the cheese, butter, cognac and ground pepper. Process to combine thoroughly.
(You can also do this by hand in a bowl.) Remove the butter mixture from the processor, shape into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.
To cook the steaks, in a small bowl, stir together the garlic, coarsely ground pepper and enough olive oil to form a thick paste. Place the steaks in a non-aluminum container and rub the paste evenly into both sides of the steaks. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 6 hours. If refrigerated, bring steaks to room temperature before grilling.
Preheat your broiler, or prepare a fire in your outdoor grill. Place the steaks on the grill and cook, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking. Transfer the steaks to plates. Cut the Roquefort butter into 4 equal pieces and place a piece on each steak. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Tip of the Week:
How long does it take to preheat an oven? Most gas and electric ovens preheat in 15 to 20 minutes, though a little longer never hurts. Not preheating can do damage, especially to baked goods. The leavening agents
(like baking powder, for instance) work in conjunction with heat. If you don‚t preheat, the texture of the finished baked good won’t be as good.
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• Did you know … Buffalo chicken wings (fried, doused with a tomato-cayenne based sauce and served with blue cheese dressing) were created in Buffalo, New York, in 1964, at Frank and Teresa’s Anchor Bar & Restaurant. The restaurant still serves more than a thousand pounds of wings a day.
• A reader asked, “Is there any difference between brown eggs and white eggs?” Just the color of the shell. Brown eggs and white eggs are laid by different breeds of hen. Any nutritional and taste differences are determined by what the hens eat and the conditions in which they are raised, not by shell color. (Based on info from the National Poultry Breeders‚ Association and the National Grocers‚ Association.)
• Leftover onions keep much better in the refrigerator if you use the top first and leave the root uncut.
• Easy shrimp peeling tips: Peel shell off with a fork inserted under the shell. Pull out dark vein by gripping it at tail end with a paper towel.
Happy cooking!
