I'm making filet mignon for myself and my dad and believe it or not my DH doesn't like steak so he's having kielbasa! I'll make baked potatoes and green beans to go along with it. Not sure yet about dessert.
Joann

I am not cooking tomorrow.

My cousins and I are taking our last living aunt out for lunch. I checked out the menu where we're going and there is something DH would really like so I am getting it to go for him and he'll have it when he returns from an evening auction tomorrow night.

I did make a special dinner last Friday night - crab Imperial that I posted on the Valentine Virtual Dinner. You might get some ideas from that entire thread and the Be My Valentine one that dcarch posted too.

I agree--it's too much of a hassle to go out on the actual day. DH has promised me a dinner out later (next week?).

I've already got my dinner planned. Picked up some heart-shaped ravioli from the local 'homemade' pasta place, will make some sausage gravy to go with. And I have a recipe for rolls that tastes just like Bertucci's, will start them tonight. (they're one of those 2-day artesan-type things). Not sure about dessert, but may make my carrot brownies. Told DH he was responsible for a salad--we'll see what turns up there--LOL.

The weather has been so atypically mild that instead of going out we are going to barbecue fish! With salad and homemade bread. Much better than a crowded restaurant.

Kate

havn't decided on dinner yet but I'll be baking my wife's favorite Ebinger's Blackout Cake

michaelp

Our 39th anniversary was Feb 8 so we don't do much. The kitchen will be removed the week of Mar. 4 (later if I can arrange it). My husband said we avoided Valentines day intentionally. Well, the way I remember, we got as close as we could because neither of us had vacation time. So, we don't celebrate Valentines much, but I did buy him a bag of really good dark chocolates filled with raspberry. He loved it! He wants enchiladas for tomorrow. Give him what he wants especially when it is my favorite! What a guy!

I'm making pan seared steaks, but haven't decided on my sides yet. Possibly the kale salad with dates and almonds, and maybe green beans and some good bread brushed with oil and garlic and grilled.

At least that's the plan, but work today I was hamster on the wheel and ran real fast but don't feel like much was accomplished. Tomorrow might be worse.

Hahaha, Mabel...I was thinking rat in a maze at work today. Bouncing from one thing to another because everyone had a case of the 'needies'.

DH is cooking and won't say what. He did ask me to make enough vinaigrette for tomorrow, but we have a planterful of kale and Asian greens going, so salad is a given. I'm a bit scared about the rest....

Agree with eileenlaunonen - the restaurants out here are jammed on VDay. Prix fixe menus, waitstaff rushing around trying to get you out ASAP. The last few times it's been just horrible.

As we go out on a regular basis, 3-4x/week, these last three years we have stayed home. I don't always make a special dinner, but this year my plan is something a little nicer:
- Caprese salad (Kumato tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pesto dressing and lemon pepper)
- marinated tenderloin (filet mignon) roast
- Israeli couscous (one of his favorite pastas)
- sauteed crimini mushrooms
- pineapple upside-down cake with black walnut ice cream

I want to try cooking with brick leaves so we're having prawn parcels, then a salmon pastilla with spinach, the chocolate brick cones with a light egg custard. And a red wine I found called les amours - it comes from Saint Amour in the Beaujolais. The label is gorgeous with cupids and lovers!

Very Nice! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

We are going to the Olive Garden later, but since this is a work day we will have steak, baked potato and salad. Also taking my 91 year old Mom to lunch today with my sister and daughter. Picking up good steaks from Costco while out today, the very best place I have found for meat. Have a blessed day everyone.

I'm having a veal chop, DH is having a lobster steamed and split by our local market's butcher shop. They offer specials like this on holidays and DH gets his lobster fix! Sides are sauteed swiss chard and a twice baked potato or yam. It depends upon how much time is available to cook!
Dessert is the See's Candy that DH bought on Sunday!

Here's a fun dessert I made the first time on Saturday for a dinner party. It was the perfect ending to the evening.

This is a recipe from my grandmother, who would be 110 years old, if she were still here to grace my life. She had these wonderful small tartlet molds I used, and they came in all kinds of shapes -- heart, squares, oval, fluted, etc. These molds are small enough that at most you get 2 bites out of the tartlet. This was the first time I'd ever made the recipe or used the tartlet pans (they're aluminum, I believe).

I made both chocolate (using Joy of Cooking's recipe for chocolate pie filling) and lemon filling for the tartlets. the guests raved about how pretty they looked and how wonderfully they tasted.

"Sandbakelsens" -- Makes 3 dozen tartlets

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
3 Tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 egg yolk

3 hours before serving (or up to 3 days ahead):

Measure flour, sugar, butter, water, extract and egg yolk in medium sized bow. With hands, knead to soft dough consistency. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes till easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape into 3/4 inch balls. Gently press a ball into bottom and up sides of each tart mold. Work quickly, because as the dough warms up, it becomes more sticky to work with.

Prick in several places to prevent puffing during baking. Set molds in jelly roll pan. Bake about 20 minutes till golden. Cook in molds on baking racks for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from molds. Cool completely on wire racks before filling.

Fillings:

Fill with any flavor -- Chocolate pudding, lemon, butterscotch, etc.

Lemon filling:

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs corn starch
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs

Mix cornstarch with a tiny bit of water to mix well and ensure there are no lumps. Add rest of the ingredients, and beat till well blended (whisk or beater). Cook over low heat, stirring constantly till thick -- about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Fill tartlets and garnish with a bit of whipping cream and lemon zest.

Moe requested Cioppino. So I picked up Dungeness Crab, Mussels and Halibut today and will make Cioppino for dinner.

Ann

We're having the same thing we've had for over 40 years now. Heart-shaped meatloaf. mashed potatoes, sweet and sour red cabbage and an iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing.

We are having roast chicken w/lemon, onion, garlic, fresh thyme in the cavity and a simple S/P salt/pepper seasoning. Sides will be mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans w/onion & diced bacon. Dessert is going to be chocolate pudding cake w/seedless raspberry sauce. Our first homecooked meal since October 27, 2012.

The chicken hits the oven in 15 minutes.

/tricia

Decided to do "comfort food" theme for tonight, will pul our all the stops on Saturday for VDVD.

Menu:
Potted Crab and Meyer Lemon with Toast Points

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Honeyed Almonds and Vinaigrette

Rosemary Garlic Roasted Chicken
Caramelized Shallot Mashed Potatoes
Baked Brussel Sprouts with Cheddar

Chocolate Mousse Cake (from the bakery, I ran out of time & inspiration)

Champagne

If we still want to nibble, I have a nice selection of cheeses and fresh and dried fruit and a tawny port.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Alexa

Everyone's plans sound delicious! I spent another day on the hamster wheel at work, so my sweet DH took me to dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant, which now has Kao Soi on the menu! We each enjoyed a bowl of Kao Soi and when I got home, I discovered I had a package from my exchange partner! It was a good day after all, and we'll have steak dinner tomorrow. Tonight my DH is finishing a paper for his graduate school class -- ahh the romance!

I hope everyone enjoyed a happy Valentine's Day!

Wow - cioppino, roast chicken, heart-shaped meatloaf...I'm envious. Our school music dept.'s big fundraiser is Saturday and I am totally focused on that at the moment, so when I was buying coffee, tea, cream & sugar for 500 at Costco - I bought a chicken pot pie, and that, along with a glass of Pinot Gris will be our quick dinner tonight, in between batches of mini tart shells (36 at a time - 4 batches of 36 left to go.) Then it's on to the brownies.
Tricia - does that mean your Electrolux survived or was it replaced?
Jane (eating delicious things vicariously)

Jane,

Our Electrolux gave a good fight, it gurgled a couple times but finally went down for the count. We said a few kind words as it sat waiting to be hauled to the dumpster in our yard, grieved an appropriate amount of time and replaced with it's twin. We have no shame. :)

/tricia