VALENTINE’S DAY

A universal method of showing one’s devotion and appreciation is through the preparation of a special meal. Perhaps this is because food and sex stimulate our senses like nothing else. A carefully prepared meal complemented by soft lighting and good music will arouse our senses of smell, taste, touch and sight. While Valentine’s Day is not culturally a Gorean holiday, some may wish to prepare a ‘special’ dinner for their Master or Free Companion. The mood can be set with lots of tall red candles on the table, to cast flattering shadows. Fresh flowers always lend elegance to any meal. Background music turned low will soothe and tantalize. The table should sparkle with the ‘good’ dinnerware. No tablecloth in the house? A flat white sheet can be substituted. Attention to detail does not have to be costly, just imaginative. Beg to turn the answering machine on and turn the ringer off. May you find some pleasure in all or some of these offerings.

sierra`, slave of Jon`

MENU

Sensational Raspberry/Kiwi Spinach Salad

Sauteed Pork Chops with Carmelized Sliced Apples

Roasted New Potatoes with Sage and Shallots

French Cut Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing and Almonds

Strawberry and Orange Hup-the-Fool

Drinks: Crimson Royale Champagne Cocktail; Brazen Hussy

Sensational Raspberry/Kiwi Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

30 ml (2 Tablespoons) Raspberry Vinegar
30 ml (2 Tablespoons) Raspberry Jam
75 ml (1/3 Cup) Vegetable Oil
8 Cups Spinach, rinsed, stemmed and torn into pieces.
175 ml (3/4 Cup) coarsely chopped Macadamia nuts or toasted almond slices
250 ml (1 Cup) Fresh Raspberries
3 Kiwis, peeled and sliced

1. Prepare dressing by combining vinegar and jam in a blender or small bowl. Add oil in a thin stream, blending well.
2. Toss spinach with half of the almonds, half of the kiwis and half of the raspberries, along with the dressing. Top with remaining almonds, raspberries and kiwis.
3. Serve immediately.

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Ingredients:

½ pound green beans, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch lengths

2 bacon slices

15 ml (1 tablespoon) chopped shallot

10 ml (2 teaspoons) white wine vinegar

100 ml (1/2 cup) flaked almonds

1. Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to shallow bowl.
2. Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until crisp (about 8 minutes). Drain bacon on paper towel.
3. Add shallot to skillet and sauté quickly (about 30 seconds). Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. Stir vinegar into shallot mixture in skillet.
5. Season warm dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour dressing over green beans and toss until coated. Crumble bacon and sprinkle almonds over the mixture and serve.

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30 ml (2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

30 ml (2 tablespoons) cornmeal

15 ml (1 tablespoon) rosemary, crushed

5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt

1.5 ml (¼ teaspoon) pepper

30 ml (2 tablespoons) salad oil

30 ml (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine (¼ stick)

5 ml (1 teaspoon) sugar

2 medium-sized red cooking apples, cut into wedges

4 pork loin or sirloin chops, ½ inch thick

1. Onto waxed paper, measure flour, cornmeal, rosemary, salt and pepper. Dip the pork chops into the mixture to coat thoroughly.
2. Over medium-heat, in a twelve-inch skillet, cook the coated pork chops for 10 to 15 minutes in hot salad oil and butter or margarine. Turning the pork chops once, cook until tender and lightly browned on both sides. Remove pork chops to a warm platter and keep warm.
3. In the drippings which remain in the skillet, using medium-heat, cook apple wedges and sugar about 3 minutes or until tender, turning apple wedges once.
4. To serve, arrange apple wedges on the platter with pork chops.

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Ingredients:

45 ml (3 tablespoons) butter
25 ml (5 teaspoons) chopped fresh sage

2 pounds medium-size red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed, quartered
2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) dried rubbed sage

8 shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise (wash well to remove all the grit between layers)

1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5. Cook butter and fresh sage in a small saucepan about 4 minutes, using medium-heat, until the butter simmers and is well-flavoured with sage.
2. Toss potatoes with dried sage and 1 tablespoons of the sage butter in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes.
4. Toss shallots in same bowl with ½ tablespoon of the sage butter. Season with salt and pepper. Place the shallots with the potatoes on the baking sheet.
5. Turning occasionally, roast until potatoes and shallots are tender and golden, about 35 minutes longer.
6. Transfer potatoes and shallots to a large serving bowl. Add remaining sage butter and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

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Ingredients:

1 350 gm (12-ounce) basket fresh strawberries, hulled, coarsely chopped (Keep a few out to cut into halves)

175 ml (¾ cup) chilled whipping cream

75 ml (1/3 cup) plain yoghurt (do not use low-fat or non-fat)

75 ml (5 tablespoons) sugar

45 ml (3 tablespoons) fresh orange juice

5 ml (1 teaspoon) grated orange peel

10 ml (2 teaspoons) Cointreau or other orange liqueur (optional)

1. Place chopped strawberries in a medium bowl. Mash coarsely with fork (do not puree). Place in colander and let drain 15 minutes.
2. Beat cream in a large bowl until it stiffly peaks.
3. Gently fold in yoghurt, sugar, orange juice and peel.
4. Fold in Cointreau, if desired.
5. Gently fold in strawberries.
6. Divide between four wineglasses or decorative individual serving bowls.
7. Cover and chill. (Can be made four hours ahead of time.)
8. Garnish with halved strawberries, sprigs of mint (optional) and serve with dinner cookies. (Italian orange biscotti which are available in many groceries or from an Italian bakery/specialty shop are excellent.)

Note: The term fool comes from the French word fouler, meaning ‘to crush’. They are traditionally pureed or mashed fruit that are mixed with whipped cream, egg custard or a combination of both. This recipe is also excellent with frozen raspberries substituted for the strawberries.

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175 ml (¾ cup) frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed

30 ml (2 tablespoons) cranberry liqueur

30 ml (2 tablespoons) Cointreau or other orange liqueur

1 bottle champagne or other sparkling wine

12 whole fresh cranberries

6 orange slices, folded in half

6 bamboo skewers

1. Measure 2 tablespoons cranberry concentrate, 1 teaspoon cranberry liqueur and 1 teaspoon orange liqueur into each of 6 champagne flutes.
2. Top with champagne.
3. Thread 1 cranberry, 1 orange slice and then another cranberry onto each skewer and place skewers atop glasses.
4. Makes 6 servings.

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50 ml (2 ounces) vodka

50 ml (2 ounces) Cointreau or triple sec

25 ml (1 ounce) lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker half-filled with ice cubes.
2. Shake well and strain into two cocktail glasses.
3. Serves two.