If music be the food of love, then chill the Champagne, dip the
artichoke hearts in Parmesan, and slowly unwrap the chocolate truffles.
Dinner for two is served.
Menu One
Steamed Artichokes with Toasted Shallots and Parmesan Sauce
Rosemary-Dijon Crusted Rack of Lamb
Chocolate Box Filled with Truffles
Menu Two
Shrimp Cocktail with Spicy Bloody Mary Sauce
Asparagus and Pesto Lasagna
Three Tier Lemon-Ginger Cake with Citrus Frosting
STEAMED ARTICHOKE WITH TOASTED SHALLOT AND PARMESAN SAUCE
You can't be prissy and eat an artichoke at the same time. Artichokes
breed familiarity and a lusty, somewhat messy abandon. This version is
served with a dipping sauce of olive oil, shallots and Parmesan.
Artichoke:
1 large artichoke, tips trimmed with scissors
1 lemon, halved
Pinch of salt
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon each cumin and fennel seeds
Sauce:
1/4 cup finely minced shallots
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Carefully remove top 1/3 of artichoke with a serrated knife. Rub with lemon. Using a small spoon, scoop out center to expose heart underneath. Squeeze lemon juice onto heart.
Mix 3 inches water, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns and cumin and fennel seeds in a large pot. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer. Place artichoke and remaining lemon half in a steamer basket in pot and cook until tender, about 45 minutes, making sure water doesn't go below 2 inches. Remove artichoke; strain liquid and set aside. (Steps 1 and 2 can be done in advance; then reheat artichoke in a microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.)
To make sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, cook shallots in olive oil until golden brown. Remove from heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup reserved liquid and remaining ingredients. Season with salt. Serve artichoke warm with sauce.
Serves 2.
ROSEMARY-DIJON CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB WITH ROASTED POTATOES AND HONEY-CIDER
CARROTS
This rack of lamb is itself cooked on a makeshift rack of carrots
and potatoes, and encrusted in Dijon mustard and rosemary.
1 rack of lamb, trimmed (French-style)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
6 or 7 baby potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 to 8 baby carrots or 4 large carrots (peeled, scrubbed, and
quartered)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider
Preheat oven to 400°. Rub lamb generously with salt and pepper and brush with mustard. Pat with rosemary.
Place potatoes in a small baking pan and toss with olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Bake 10 minutes. Set lamb upright in the same pan and add carrots. Roast 25 to 30 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature should read 145°). Remove lamb from pan and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Slice between each rib to make 8 or 9 small chops.
Remove potatoes. Combine honey and apple cider and toss with carrots in pan. Serve vegetables with lamb.
Serves 2.
CHOCOLATE BOX FILLED WITH TRUFFLES
Simple but riotously good chocolate truffles spill out of a chocolate box, made by soldering the sides with a heated spatula. Best when eaten with Champagne, in bed.
If you're pressed for time, serving the truffles in a store-bought decorative
box will be plenty impressive!
Box:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
Truffles:
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Cocoa, for dusting
Ground toasted nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans), for dusting
To make box: Cover a cookie sheet with a Silpat* or parchment paper. Reserve 1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate. In a double boiler (or a metal bowl over simmering water), melt remaining semisweet chocolate without stirring. Remove from heat and mix in the reserved tablespoon of chocolate. In a separate metal bowl, melt white chocolate using the same method. Spread semisweet chocolate on cookie sheet, creating a 6" x 9" rectangle. Drizzle white chocolate on top and, using a toothpick, swirl a decorative pattern.
Place cookie sheet in refrigerator and chill 1 hour. When chocolate is hard, trim edges with a knife and cut into six 3" squares. Place 1 square on a piece of parchment paper and create a box by standing 4 pieces around it (reserve remaining piece for lid). Dip a small metal spatula in very hot water, wipe off excess water, and using the hot spatula, heat outside seams of box so chocolate melts slightly and edges adhere to each other. (If at any time chocolate gets too soft, put it back in refrigerator until firm again.) Keep chilled until ready to use.
To make truffles: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring gently until smooth. Add butter and pour into a small plastic bowl. Chill 3 hours.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate into 12 to 20 balls. Roll half the balls in cocoa and the other half in nuts. Place on cookie sheet and chill an additional hour (or put in the freezer 20 minutes).
To assemble: Place truffles in box and cover with remaining piece of chocolate.
* A Silpat is a nonstick, reusable baking-pan liner, available at www.surlatable.com
and Williams-Sonoma stores nationwide.
SHRIMP COCKTAIL WITH SPICY BLOODY MARY SAUCE
This vodka-heavy Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail bites back. You can
nibble on the shrimp, then sip the spicy sauce.
Sauce:
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1 1/2 cups cocktail sauce
1/2 cup vodka
Shrimp:
2 cups white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
4 to 6 jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined (tail left on)
To make sauce: Combine horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, celery seeds, red pepper flakes, cocktail sauce and vodka. Mix well and chill.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat wine, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Poach shrimp just until pink and curled, about 3 to 4 minutes. Place on ice and refrigerate. When completely chilled, season lightly with salt and serve with sauce.
Serves 2.
ASPARAGUS AND PESTO LASAGNA
The traditional version is molto buono, but why not think of lasagna
as an opportunity to layer everything you love? A few of our favorite things:
pesto, asparagus, mascarpone cheese.
Pesto:
1 cup whole basil leaves
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
Lasagna:
1/2 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese
1 sheet fresh pasta or 4 lasagna noodles, cooked, rinsed, and
coated with olive oil
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
To make pesto: Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend. (If too thick, add water or more olive oil.) Season with salt and set aside.
To make lasagna: Sauté asparagus in olive oil over high heat for 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a small loaf pan (about 4" x 8") with butter. Combine mascarpone and pesto. Cut pasta to fit dish and place enough noodles in pan to cover bottom; top with 1/3 cup fontina cheese, 1/3 of the asparagus, and 1/3 of the pesto mixture; then sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat layering two more times with remaining ingredients. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Discard foil and continue baking 10 additional minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Serves 2.
THREE TIER LEMON-GINGER CAKE WITH CITRUS FROSTING
A wedding cake without the wedding, this is one dessert a couple
will actually remember eating.
Cake:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 pound (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Red food coloring, optional
Garnish:
Edible flowers, optional
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour one 5" pie pan, 1 cupcake pan, and 1 mini-muffin pan.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and ginger. Using a mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, followed by lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Continue mixing until smooth. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Pour into prepared pans. Bake largest cake 25 to 27 minutes, cupcakes 20 to 22 minutes, and mini muffins 15 to 18 minutes (until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean). Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen edges with a knife and remove from pans; continue cooling.
To make frosting: With a mixer, whip butter; slowly blend in sugar. Add just enough lemon juice (about 3 teaspoon) to give frosting a thick, creamy consistency. Whip until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. For pink frosting, add food coloring.
To assemble: Frost layers and stack. Garnish with flowers.
Serves 2.