Food: Salmon with Lentils and Mustard-Herb Butter

"Oh, can you feel the love tonight?" Are you ready? Yes, I'm talking about February 14 - and it's rapidly approaching! Do you know what you're going to make to surprise that special someone? (I know, planning isn't all that romantic. But a wonderful dinner certainly qualifies as being such.)

If you happen to live in the North, then chances are Valentine's Day generally occurs on a cold, blustery, winter day (sigh). One where romance doesn't consist of enjoying a beautiful sunset on a beach but rather cozying up by a roaring fireplace (that is, if you're lucky to have one in the comfort of your own home) and avoiding going outdoors and shoveling snow at all costs. It also (hopefully) means treating your sweetie to a lovingly prepared, warm, homecooked meal that mixes comforting flavors and smells with a beautiful presentation. Accompanied, of course, by a delicious, delictable glass of wine. Maybe this one, perhaps (yes, yes - you CAN do red wine with fish).

The recipe below (which originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Gourmet) is what I suggest you make this year to woo your Valentine. I love the complimentary combination of flavors and the simplicity of its preparation. And the fact you can make the herb butter and caramelized onions the day prior, if you'd like, and cheat on the lentils by buying the pre-steamed variety in the refrigerated section at Trader Joe's, makes it a no-brainer for those in a time crunch. I think this is my favorite way to enjoy salmon lately. It's a perfectly paired combination of warm nutty lentils, sweet caramelized onions, crisp-crusted, meaty fish, and citrusy, tarragon-infused, dijon-mustard butter. Wow - that was rather long-winded statement for such a simple dish. Are you swooning yet? Or at least salivating? I must say, this recipe is also very French - oh là là - which, by default, makes it very romantic, oui?

I apologize that the photo I've posted doesn't do the recipe justice at all. Unfortunately all I had with me was my iPhone - so the colors look rather drab and dark, not like a wonderful Valentine's gift at all. But when you pair deep brown lentils with juicy pink salmon and bright green herbs, it IS a sight to be seen. So basic yet oh so lovely and wonderfully flavorful.

For dessert, you can never go wrong with this cake. Or you could make it easy and just pick up some special cupcakes or cookies from your local bakery. Either way, you're sure to impress the one you love. Bon appétit!

Salmon with Lentils and Mustard-Herb Butter

Adapted from Gourmet

INGREDIENTS

• 5 T unsalted butter, softened
• 1 T chopped chives
• 1 T chopped tarragon
• 2 t dijon mustard (this one is rather wonderful)
• 2 t fresh lemon juice

• 1 package pre-steamed lentils (found in Trader Joe's refrigerated section)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

• 4 (6-oz) pieces of skinless salmon fillet
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

• Make the mustard-herb butter (can be prepared 1 day in advance): Stir together the first 5 ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate and soften slightly prior to serving.


• Prepare the lentils: In a heavy skillet on medium-low heat, sauté onions in the 1 T of olive oil until translucent and slightly carmelized (~10 minutes). Drizzle with 1T of lemon juice, stir in lentils, and keep warm on low heat.


• Cook the salmon: Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t fresh ground pepper. Heat 1 T unsalted butter and 1 T olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Then sauté salmon, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6-to-8 minutes total.


• Plate: Serve the salmon over the lentils, topped with mustard-herb butter (and a sprinkle of left-over tarragon, if desired).

Food: Homemade S'mores

We all have the habit of buying items at the grocery store that we really actually could make for ourselves at home. I suppose we could use the excuse that it's a convenience thing, but in most cases it's probably laziness or lack of time or even ignorance. For example, until recently I had no idea I could make graham crackers at home! I hadn't ever thought about it! So...what could be better than making something from scratch that you normally find in a box or a bag at the store?

For Valentine's Day this year I decided instead of a fancy dessert, I wanted to make something nostalgic. So, remembering a s'mores dessert on the menu of a restaurant we recently visited, I chose to make homemade s'mores (OK, so they were only 2/3 homemade, since I didn't want to mess with chocolate this time around). I know some of you may not think of this as a romantic dessert. After all, s'mores are a campfire treat...something you would make with marshmallows you've skewered on an unsterilized branch and held over a smoking fire trying to lightly toast into a beautiful brown but usually torching into a black outer shell instead. All while avoiding mosquitos and trying to catch a glimpse of the stars...and in the end wiping sticky marshmallow goo and melted chocolate off your chin. But trust me, there's something very romantic about making things from scratch. Especially surprising things from scratch...like things you normally buy in a bag or a box and have never truly had "fresh from the oven."

I've been intrigued by the concept of making marshmallows for quite some time now but hadn't been brave enough to try them. But my friend Kippy reassured me they were super easy. So off I went. They are simple, but getting them out of the mixer and into the pan is quite a difficult and sticky process (Or rather, if I'm completely honest, a gigantic heap of gummy chaos). A wet or cooking spray-coated spatula definitely helps to get them out of the bowl and off of the attachment as well as smoothing them out into a rectangular slab. Also, once they're cooled, when cutting, dampen your knife with cooking spray and then coat with the corn starch/powdered sugar mixture. This should help you cut easily through the block of marshmallow rather than having them all stick to the knife.

Graham crackers are even simpler to throw together although the end process of forming the crackers takes a little patience. And if you were wondering what makes up graham cracker flavor, it's honey, dark brown sugar (molasses), and butter. Who knew! Graham dough is super, super easy in a mixer. And I'll admit, this first attempt didn't result in flat rectangles like I had hoped and some of the "stamped" detailing disappeared when I baked them. I suspect I wasn't patient enough in leaving them in the freezer prior to baking and maybe didn't roll them out flat enough. But that sure didn't affect the flavor. They sure did smell and taste like graham...and they were so much better fresh out of the oven rather than slid out of a cardboard box.

I'll have s'more please...

Graham Crackers

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 c dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 T milk
• 2 T pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

• Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, whisk together honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, a couple of hours or overnight.
• Roll out the "crackers": Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Use side of the rolling pin to even out the edges of the rectangle. Then cut the rectangle width-wise into several smaller rectangle "crackers."
• Place the crackers parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.
• Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Decorate the crackers: Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.
• Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes prior to moving to a cooling rack.

Marshmallows
Adapted from Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 3 1/4-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

• Line 13x9x2-inch glass dish with foil. Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray.
• Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.
• Combine 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over mediumlow heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240°F, about 8 minutes.
• With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.
• You will now have a big sticky mass in the mixing bowl and on the attachment. Using a spatula sprayed with cooking spray, scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared pan (this is the most difficult part of the process...since the marshmallow is very sticky). Smooth the top out with a wet spatula. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.
• Stir corn starch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sift generous dusting of starch-sugar mixture onto large cutting board. Turn marshmallow slab out onto starch-sugar mixture and peel off foil. Spread more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab.
• Coat large sharp knife (or cookie cutters) with nonstick spray and then starch-sugar mixture. Cut marshmallows into squares or other shapes. Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.
• Store in an airtight container to preserve freshness.

Food: Chai Spice Cutouts

I didn't get a chance to make cutout cookies for Christmas this year. Or rather, I didn't try to find time...I was a little lazy after hosting Thanksgiving and then being back on the road traveling to Salt Lake City for work. But several months have passed and I'm once again having cravings for something sweet. So it's about time again to start thinking about cookies.

A few weeks ago, I was inspired by an endcap in Target displaying heart shaped cookie cutters, pearl nonpareils, and pink and purple glittered sugar sprinkles. So, I decided I needed to make cutouts for Valentine's Day. Although I do enjoy my mom's traditional sugar cookie recipe, for a holiday about L-O-V-E, I thought these chai-spice cutouts seemed very appropriate. Why? They're warm, spicy, and buttery. (And for those of you who like to sample cookie-dough batter, this stuff is very, very good).

When decorating, feel free to experiment. I've discovered (until I find time to take a professional cookie decorating class) food coloring decorating pens (such as these) are a simple and easy way to decorate cutouts. Just simply ice the cookies with white icing and wait to dry...and then color away! If you have kids (or significant others) helping out, it makes the decorating process really easy and fun. Or, the cookies look pretty lovely just plain...I could see someone dipping half of a cookie in white or dark chocolate and leaving the rest untouched for a pretty presentation on a cookie plate. After all, the little spice bits of the chai shine through and make a rather pleasing picture on their own.

Chai Spice Cutout Cookies

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

INGREDIENTS

• 2, chai-spice tea bags
• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c butter, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 T molasses

DIRECTIONS

• Remove tea bag contents and discard bags. Combine with the cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and molasses.
• Combine the spice mixture with the flour and add in small parts to the wet egg-sugar-butter mix. Add a little more flour if you feel the dough is still too sticky. (Adding in small amounts prevents spraying flour all over the kitchen)
• Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or until easy to handle.
• Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and arrange on the cookie sheets.
• Bake 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Cool on the cookie sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
• Decorate with basic powdered sugar icing (1.5 c powdered sugar, 1/2 t vanilla, 4 t milk...more milk as needed to reach desired consistency).