VALENTINE’S DAY:
HEART TO HEART
BY KAREN D. PERRY
“They Say That Falling in Love is Wonderful,”
“Love is a Many Splendored Thing” and “All You
Need is Love.” From Irving Berlin to The Beatles and
hundreds in between, the universal theme of “Love”
has been put to beautiful melodies. What better way
to brighten a gray, dismal winter but to welcome the
upbeat, heart-warming Valentine’s Day?
ORIGINS AND MILESTONES OF THE HOLIDAY
Three legends claim to tell the origins of Valentine,
the namesake of this holiday. They all take place in
Ancient Rome under Emperor Claudius II. We can
dispense with one immediately. This Valentine was
martyred for helping Christian inmates escape from
prison. Hardly romantic. However, the other two
stories present the character of Valentine as sym-pathetic,
heroic and most of all, romantic. In one
of these, Valentine was punished for performing
marriages outlawed by Claudius II. In the other
legend, an imprisoned Valentine sends the first
“Valentine” to a young girl who visits him. He signs
this note, of course, “From Your Valentine.”
Valentine’s Day became a romantic celebration
in 1375 with the publication of a famous poem by
Chaucer. The oldest valentine still in existence dates
from 1415. Imprisoned in the Tower of London, the
Duke of Orleans sent a romantic poem to his wife.
Finally, Cupid has his roots in Greek mythology
where he was the god of love.
In the mid-18th century, friends and loved ones
exchanged small tokens of affection or hand-written
notes on February 14th. By 1900, printing technology
and improved postal delivery made mailing printed
cards the norm. Trade sources estimate that 145
million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year.
Does it surprise you that approximately eighty-five
percent of these are sent by women?
SPECIAL VALENTINE’S DAY MENU
A memorable Valentine’s Day dinner could
start with ”Romantic Rib-Eye Steak & Potatoes.”
“The Great Bouquet
Giveaway”
Win Magnificent Valentine’s Day Flowers
Every Valentine’s Day, there are beautiful flowers
on the concierge desk. Do you wish they were for
you? This year, two of you will enjoy magnificent
Valentine’s Day flowers. Just enter the “Great
Bouquet Giveaway.”
Call food columnist Karen Perry at (718) 225-
0107. You will register and receive your entry
number. Two lucky winners will be drawn. The
winning bouquets, courtesy of the Towers Fruit and
Flowers Store, will be delivered to you first thing
on Valentine’s Day.
Follow this sumptuous main course with a win-ning
dessert, “Chocolate Lava Cake for Two.”
End the memorable meal with a holiday toast of
“Flirtini Cocktails.”
After you’ve had a lovely dinner and cocktail,
it’s time to bring out your funny bone. Enjoy these
laughable comments on love and marriage:
• “Marry a man your own age; as your beauty fades,
so will his eyesight.” - Phyllis Diller
• “Love thy neighbor – and if he is tall, dark and
debonair, it will be that much easier.” - Mae West
• “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now
and then doesn’t hurt.” - Charles M. Shulz
I hope we have cured you of the winter doldrums
with food, flowers and fun. Next month we are having
“March Mayhem.” Instead of giving you a specific
food category, just dig out your favorite recipe. To
share your recipe and your memories, call Karen
Perry (718) 225-0107.
ROMANTIC RIB-EYE STEAK &
POTATOES FOR TWO
Prep Time: 1 Hour
• 1 large boneless rib-eye steak, cut 2 inches thick
(at least 1 ½ pounds)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced, plus 1 teaspoon
minced garlic
• 1 rosemary sprig, roughly chopped
• 1 pound very small potatoes, rinsed
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
• Arugula or watercress, for serving (optional)
Season steak generously with salt & pepper.
Sprinkle with sliced garlic & rosemary and mar-inate
20-30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of well-salted water to a
boil. Add potatoes and cook at a brisk simmer until
just done, 10-15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over high
heat. Remove and discard sliced garlic from steak.
When pan is hot, put in the steak and let brown well
on one side, 4-5 minutes. Wait until steak forms a
crust and comes away cleanly from the bottom. Flip
steak and transfer pan to oven, uncovered. Roast
until juices begin to rise on the surface of the steak
(you will see the droplets) and internal temperature
is 120 degrees, 8-10 minutes. Remove steak from
pan and let rest, tented with foil, for 5-10 minutes.
Warm a serving bowl for the potatoes and plates
for the steak. Melt butter in a wide skillet over
medium-high heat. Add potatoes and toss to coat
and heat through.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add minced garlic
and cook, stirring until softened but not browned,
1 minute or less. Gently stir in parsley and lemon
zest and transfer to serving bowl. Cutting on a slight
diagonal, slice steak into ½-inch slices, then transfer
to plates. Serve immediately.
CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE FOR TWO
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
• 3 ounces/85 grams bittersweet chocolate, 70
to 74% cacao (not chips), chopped (about ½ cup)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes,
plus more for the ramekin
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for
the ramekin
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Confectioners’ sugar, to serve (optional)
Heat oven to 425 degrees and butter a 10-ounce
ramekin. Dust buttered ramekin with granulated
sugar. Combine the chocolate and 3 tablespoons
butter in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmer-ing
water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted
and smooth (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and
microwave in 30 second blasts, stirring in between,
until melted and smooth, about 1 minute). Remove
from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons
sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Whisk vigor-ously
until the mixture is thick, foamy and pale,
about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
Using a spatula, add the chocolate to the egg mix-ture
and stir gently until combined.
Pour the mixture into the ramekin. Bake for 12-14
minutes or until the edges are set and puffed, but the
center is still soft when lightly pressed. (You can cover
and refrigerate the batter up to a day in advance. Add
an additional minute or 2 to baking time if you are
baking the cake directly from the refrigerator).
Use a spatula or small knife to loosen the edges
of the cake from the ramekin. Place the plate over
the ramekin and carefully invert the warm cake. Use
an oven mitt or clean kitchen towel to remove the
ramekin, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar
and serve with ice cream or whipped cream
FLIRTINI COCKTAIL
Prep Time: 3 Minutes
• 2 pieces of fresh pineapple
• ½ ounce premium triple sec
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• 1 ounce Champagne
• Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Muddle the pineapple pieces and triple sec in the
bottom of a mixing glass. Add the vodka and pineap-ple
juice. Stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Top with Champagne. Garnish with the maraschino
cherry. TIP: Cointreau is commonly used in the flirti-ni,
but feel free to use your favorite premium triple sec
instead. A top shelf orange Curacao works well too.
February 2022 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 29