It's once again the time of year when the legend of St. Valentine takes precedence in our thoughts. The love, the romance, the flowers, jewelry, and of course chocolates for that special someone. Ahhhhhh, the joy of sharing that special day with the one who makes your heart skip, your pulse race, your pocketbook bare.

In keeping with the spirit of the day, this month's menu is a special selection for that romantic dinner. To be lovingly prepared by a handy little slave, (you know, who you don't have to bother getting any of that other stuff for). We tried getting recipes for "leg of Master", but lyritana got distracted by the shape and feel of the leg. Then we tried for stuffed kajira, but figured that recipe is already well known, so we settled for the more mundane menu of a simple, yet elegant dinner. Enjoy the selections, revel in the wondrous spirit of romance, and eat hearty.

P.S. For those wishing to skip the commercialism of Valentine's Day, this menu works great for Ground Hogs day as well.

mara_JDT’s Hearty Cracker Dip

1- 16 ounce package of cream cheese
16 olives - diced tiny
1 medium onion (optional)
4 hard boiled eggs minced
4 tablespoons melted butter (add last)
Box of your favorite sturdy crackers
mix and enjoy!!

mara_JDT’s Simple (but Elegant) Salad:

Dressing:

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper (each)
1 teaspoon sugar
-combine, and heat until warm

add 1/2 cup olive oil

Salad:

1/2 - 1 head of lettuce
5 ounces dry stick (Chinese) noodles
3 scallions chopped fine
1/2 cup almonds
2 grilled chicken breasts (cooked and cut into pieces)
add dressing to salad, toss.

lyritana’s Cottage Herb Rolls

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2-1/2 cup unsifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
melted margarine or butter

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, oregano and salt; mix well. Cut in cold margarine until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Blend in cheese, egg and yeast. Turn onto well-floured surface- knead. Shape into ball; place in well greased bowl. Brush top with melted margarine. Cover; let rise until doubled. Punch down; shape as desired. (crescents are great)... Brush with melted margarine; cover. Let rise again until nearly doubled. Bake in preheated 375°oven for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 1-1/2 to 2 dozen

zaIif’s Shrimp and Pasta Piri Piri

1 lb large raw de-veined shrimp
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1(9 oz) package fresh linguine
2 tsp Chinese chili paste with garlic
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

In medium bowl, toss shrimp with 2 tbsp olive oil,1 tsp chili paste and ½ teaspoon salt

Place large no-stick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp with its marinade and sauté' until pink, about 3 minutes. Squeeze lemon over shrimp. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and set aside.

Cook pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling lightly salted water until just barely tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well.

Add pasta, remaining oil, butter, chili paste, and Parmesan cheese to skillet. Top with shrimp and toss together over medium heat until heated through, about 1 minute.

shining_pearly_KL’s OREOÒ Cheesecake

1 (20 oz.) package OREOÒchocolate sandwich cookies

Finely roll 30 cookies and then coarsely chop and additional 20 cookies.

In bowl, combine finely rolled cookie crumbs and margarine. Press onto bottom and 2 inches up the side of 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

With mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy; blend in eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract; fold in chopped cookies. Spread mixture into prepared crust. Bake at350 degrees F for 60 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack and chill at least 4 hours.

Halve remaining cookies and remove side from the springform pan. Garnish with whipped cream and cookie halves.

Gunther’s Flavored Coffee

Start with2/3 cup Strong coffee and add:

Mocha: 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup and 1 tablespoon of coffee liqueur

Irish:1 tablespoon of Irish Whisky and 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Chocolate Mint: 1 tablespoon of Chocolate Mint Liqueur, top with whipped cream and cinnamon and/or nutmeg