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Katy Lesser & Chef Mike on making Valentine’s Perfect
Can you believe it’s already February?! I guess it’s true what they say: time flies when you’re doing what you love. Speaking of love, Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m excited to tell you what our amazing chefs have cooked up. It’s a fantastic 3-course dinner to take home for a truly special Valentine’s day. I am constantly in awe of the talent and dedication of our staff, so on this Valentine’s Day, I want to show my LOVE to them.
Surrounded By Love
Our wonderful and generous staff make all the difference. The best piece of advice I give out is: make sure you’re surrounded by people more knowledgeable than yourself. It can take a lifetime to gain expertise in just one thing, so I let my brilliant, passionate coworkers do what they do best.
One of those people is Chef Mike Daley, who helped craft our delectable Valentine’s Day menu. I’ll let him walk you through it because, well, he’s the Michelin Star Chef!
A Heart-y Menu with Chef Mike
Cooking for someone is just so romantic. No matter how extravagant the meal is, your love will always come through in the food. And this year’s Valentine’s Day dinner is all about showing that affection. There are too many highlights to mention everything, so I’ll focus on the main course options because they’re both extra special.
Our meat option is a Red Wine Braised Short Rib. Braising makes the beef incredibly tender, and I love using red wine because it also adds a depth of flavor that makes every bite a “wow” moment. With luscious mashed potatoes, fresh, honey-glazed root vegetables and spicy watercress, this is a course that feels like a warm hug from the person you love most. I’d recommend pairing this course with a Côtes du Rhône or Cabernet.
Vegetarians: your main course is just as exciting! A slow-roasted, hearty acorn squash, drizzled with olive oil, topped with pecans and pumpkin seeds for the perfect salty crunch. A side of grilled broccolini and healthy, fluffy quinoa add that freshness and texture to tie it all together. This delicious course would pair well with an Oaked Chardonnay.
My wife and I rarely celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th. I was always in the kitchen, so I would come home and make sure to carve out a night that week to cook dinner for us. It was almost always simple: charcuterie, cheese, wine, something easy for entrees. It never mattered where we were or what day it was, all that mattered was it was us.
Treat Yourself to Wellness
One last person we should show some love to on Valentine’s Day: ourselves! I truly believe the best present you can give yourself is eating high-quality, clean ingredients. It makes you wake up feeling so much better. I’ve been starting my day with this Winter Wellness Smoothie and I’ve included the amazing recipe below. It’s unique and full of so much good stuff.
And after enjoying this smoothie, stop into your local store and let our wonderful staff make your day even better.
With so much love,
Katy
RECIPE
Winter Wellness Smoothie
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- ¾ cup orange juice (fresh squeezed is delightful!)
- zest of 1 orange
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 small raw beet, chopped fine
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- honey to taste
Directions
- Blend the mango, lemon juice, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, and orange juice.
- Pour into a tall glass.
- Blend beets, raspberries, orange zest, and pomegranate juice until creamy. Add more pom juice if necessary.
- Pour over the mango mix and swirl for a gorgeous, colorful, tasty winter wellness treat!
*Not a certified gluten-free facility, may contain traces of gluten
Posted in: Blog
