Happy Valentine's Day

Will is the romantic in our household, and while I'm well-known for trotting out a sheet of heart stickers to pass around the office on Valentine's Day, I don't get into the holiday much more than to see it as yet another opportunity to buy half-price candy at the drug store the day after. Even still, you'd think a day with such a focus on sweets and chocolates would give me inspiration to bake, and I have to admit I am a bit of a let-down this year. Nevertheless, I did make a delicious and special dinner that was redolent of intensity, warmth, and richness, and isn't that what a good Valentine's Day should be?

Will started us off with an aperitif of Oola Distillery vodka muddled with fresh bartlett pear and topped off with (thematically-appropriate!) Hot Lips pear soda. YUM!

The day before, I had started my duck ragu, which really gave the flavors time to develop, and also meant I had time to just sip my cocktail and eat my pear while it reheated on the stove, instead of running around madly chopping onions. I made a half recipe using two hind quarters in a 12-inch skillet (and we had plenty of leftovers, so it easily serves 4.)

As you will see if you look at the photo in the ragu recipe compared to mine below, I forgot an important step (I blame Oola...) I neglected to shred the meat into the sauce and instead served it on top. This might have been more of a mis-step if the dish hadn't been prepared the day before, but as it was, the sauce was thoroughly imbued with the rich duck flavor.

Not sure that brussels sprouts get much of a top-billing for Valentine's, but they were just the right thing with this dish. Thinly sliced, and sauteed on the stove next to the reheating ragu with a generous pour of olive oil and some of the smoky, salty bacon jam that is a trademark of Skillet Diner (conveniently for all you Seattleites, Skillet and Oola are right across the street from each other), these brussels had the right amount of flavor, texture, and color.

Quite certain that fresh pappardelle is a must, I used Cucina Fresca, and we really thought we could have been eating in Italy. Don't forget a good red wine of course - pick something good to go in the ragu (it only needs 1/4 cup!) and drink the rest. I used a dry Sangiovese from Tuscany.

Finally, for dessert, I did something that I am snobby enough to admit shames me: I made a cake-mix cake. This does not reflect the depth of my love for my husband, rather it speaks to how safe and secure I feel with him that I don't need to continually prove myself. Nevertheless, I did modify the mix with some creative inspiration and some homemmade frosting. I used a yellow cake mix which called for 1 1/2 cups water, 3 eggs, and 1/3 cup oil. I replaced 1/2 cup of the water with 1/2 cup of apricot brandy, and also stirred in a teaspoon of finely chopped sushi ginger (I liked how the pink ginger brought out the apricot theme). Then I frosted the baked and cooled cake with Apricot Buttercream. It has a fabulous sweet-tart flavor, but the consistency is a bit lumpy from the pureed apricots, so it doesn't make a perfectly smooth surface. I was amazed at how fragrant the apricot brandy turned the standard cake mix cake. The snap of ginger gave just an extra layer of depth to the flavor, without adding a noticeable zing, and with a delicious frosting, this cake was very satisfying.

Braised Brussels

I don't have a photo of these, because I had no idea how good they would be. I thought I was just making two servings, but I ended up with some leftovers which I ate cold straight from the fridge and they were also delicious! Even Will said he really liked the preparation, and he's not usually a huge fan of sprouts. But not only was this good, it was quick and very forgiving on the timing in that it can stay pretty good over low heat while you finish up the rest of your meal, or make it ahead and reheat it before serving.

I literally tossed things together and it worked just fine, but I've tried to estimate quantities below. It might just be better if you eyeball things as you go, and you can scale it up without any math.

for two servings
10 Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon light oil (olive or grapeseed) maybe more
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 clove garlic, minced (I used my Garlic Zoom tool because I wanted it nice and fine)
1/2 cup chicken stock
freshly grated pepper

Trim off the ends of the sprouts if needed, then slice vertically as thinly as you can. It's okay if some leaves fall off whole, you can either leave them as individual leaves, or slice them a bit too. You will end up with mostly shreds, but some whole cross-sections. It's all fine, you just want evenly thick pieces so they cook evenly.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat with the coriander seeds until it is shimmering. Add the brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Add more oil if they are not evenly coated. I added oil twice more during cooking mine. Stir periodically until leaves start to turn golden, about 3 minutes, then stir in garlic. Toss continuously so garlic doesn't burn, about another 2 minutes. Pour stock in and raise heat to high until liquid starts to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until liquid is mostly evaporated. Season with pepper and serve.

Stalk of Sprouts

I'm sure many of you saw this yourselves, and it's not especially amazing, but I just like it.  For those of you that didn't see it or don't recognize it, this was at the Ballard Trader Joes, and it is a stalk of Brussels sprouts still on the stem.

February Update

This ended up being something really yummy and quick to do with Brussels: cut them cross-wise into shavings so they fall apart into threads. Make them as thin as possible, or as thin as you like. Toss them with a bit of olive oil, whole grain mustard, salt, and pepper, and bake at 450 for about 20 minutes, stirring once half-way through. I used four large brussels in shaved into a 9"x5" loaf pan for two servings. They were sweet, crispy around the edges, and wholesome warming for a winter's evening.