Valentine's Day Dinner?????

[cjs]

Are any of us going to do anything special for Valentine's Day??? Surely we are...so what are we doing?

Just started thinking about it this a.m. and found a couple of things that look interesting (or just plain yummy!). This first one would have to be shared with the neighborhood, that's for sure!!

Chocolate Espresso Tres Leches Cake

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 c sugar
5 eggs -- room temperature
1 t baking powder
1/3 c espresso
2 t vanilla extract
1 t salt
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Tres Leches Ingredients:
12 oz evaporated milk
14 oz condensed milk
2 c heavy cream
1 c espresso beans

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for about two minutes.

Add the espresso and vanilla all at once and continue beating until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and has doubled in volume, about ten minutes.

Turn mixer off and quickly fold in dry ingredients. Please note: if you take too long, the eggs will drop in volume.

Pour the cake batter into a greased cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, whisk all the tres leches ingredients together until well blended.

Steep the milk with the espresso until there is a strong espresso taste, about a half hour. Strain the milk.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake pan and poke holes in the entire surface of the cake with a toothpick.

Pour the milk mixture over the cake, one cup at a time, until the cake can’t absorb any more liquid.

Cover and refrigerate over night. Serve with whipped cream topping, chocolate sauce and crème anglaise.

This recipe came from Chef Jason Cline at the hip Hollywood Cuban restaurant, Paladar.

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This was on the Food Network newsletter this a.m. and sounds good.

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM RAVIOLI - Giada De Laurentiis

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada...1_Feature1Text2

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Or maybe we'll be good and have the Creamy Orzo w/feta and sun-dried tomatoes (Cuisine Lite) and a steak....

But, stil have no idea what we'll do -

[BarbaraS]

We've got reservations at that restaurant they did the Kitchen: Impossible makeover. I'm sure they'll have a limited menu, but I hope Veal Marsala will be on it.

Barbara

[HomeCulinarian]

For the 13th, Hubby will be making dinner for me! I don't know yet what that will be, but I think he's going to use the tenderloin in the freezer. Looking forward to it!

[Trixxee]

I picked up bone-in rib-eye steaks 50% off at Albertson's for $4.99/lb yesterday. I threw those in the freezer for Sunday. I also have some shrimp so we'll do something with those - probably also grilled.

Mostly likely we won't do a dessert as neither of us will eat it.

[Gourmet_Mom]

I have NO idea! But those Ravioli sound promising!

[foodfiend]

My Mom's 75th birthday is that day. We will be visiting my parents from Sunday through Tuesday or Wednesday. So far I've made cherry-almond scones which are unbaked, in the freezer, and just need to be baked that morning for breakfast. I'll make omelets to go with, too. And a fruit salad.

We will hake her out to lunch, then for dinner I'm planning to make chicken breasts stuffed with artichokes, lemon, and Boursin cheese served with lemon orzo and whatever veggies look good. And a salad. And for dessert, I inherited my Gram's heart-shaped cake pans and will make Mom a cherry chip cake. I also made some cherry-coconut flavored marshmallows this afternoon and will dip them in bittersweet chocolate at some point before we leave. And while I was doing "kitchen stuff" I made butter cookie dough that I'll roll out and cut into heart shapes then decorate. I know that there's something else, but I can't remember and am too lazy to walk the whole way into the kitchen for my binder...

[Gourmet_Mom]

WOW, Vicci...you're going ALL OUT!

I mentioned a new restaurant in town that sounds really promising...a first! I think we'll try that out if they are open! Although, they just started opening for dinner, so they may not be open. We'll see.

I was told they have been serving great salads and sandwiches for lunch for several weeks along with specialty aromatic coffees, locally roasted. The person recommending them for dinner had an ahi tuna plate and guest had Mahi Mahi...unheard of around here. She said BOTH were very good.

[esgunn]

Sunday I am making [Email]C@H[/Email] schnitzle. One of Steve's favorite meals. It will be valentines day and his birthday. He is supposed to leave on a trip on the 15th, and his B-day is the 17th.

I will also make personal cherrie pies in my pie maker I got for Christmas!!

[cjs]

Erin, what's a pie maker??? (did you hire her/him? )

[esgunn]

It is just a fun toy.