Any tea lover would adore these love-ly Tay
Teas. Photo courtesy Tay Tea.

If you want to give your Valentine some Love Potion No. 9, mix up this Love Potion Martini.

If he or she would prefer some fine tea, one of our favorite tea purveyors, Tay Tea, offers these options in bright red canisters containing the finest loose leaf teas;

 
Although many people can give tea alluring names, few can blend such fine teas as Tay Tea’s Nini Ordoubadi.

Whether for Valentine’s Day or just because you deserve some great tea, check out her wares at TayTea.com.

Read our review of Tay Tea.
 
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TEA?

For starters, visit our Gourmet Tea Section and check out our Tea Glossary.

Another healthy Valentine idea: Medjool dates.

Whenever we encounter the Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers at a trade show, it’s our favorite booth. The melt-in-your-mouth, better-than-sugar dates have been called mankind’s first candy—and maybe the best. The Medjool variety has been called “the fruit of kings,” and unlike other “favorites of kings”—horse racing, for example—everyone can enjoy dates, as often as they like.

Dates grow on a specific type of palm tree, Phoenix dactylifera. The date palm was one of the first cultivated trees, domesticated in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago. Because the trees are so productive (an average date palm produces 100 pounds of fruit a year, some varieties twice that, for 60 years or longer), dates were the cheapest of staple foods. They were dried and eaten as sweets, added to meat and grain dishes and were easily portable, carried by travelers as an energy food.

The best dates we’ve had are from the growers of the Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association of Southern California, the members of which are family-owned date gardens (it’s gardens, not orchards).

From top: Date Pistachio Rolls, Date Coconut Rolls, medjool Dates and Date Almond Rolls. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

The date trees in Bard Valley are descendants of tree shoots brought back to the U.S. from Morocco by an agriculturalist in 1927. Descendant trees grown from those original shoots are still thriving 65 years later, each producing an annual yield of over 200 pounds of dates!

The unique microclimate in the Bard Valley (situated between San Diego and Phoenix) is perfect for date growing, with an ever-present sun, intense heat and a high water table. The result is large, moist and delightfully sweet fruit. No pesticides are used in their growing process.

Our favorites are the plain dates, worth every dollar. Date rolls with almonds, coconut or pistachios are also available—also delicious, but the plain dates are pure joy. You can buy them online, finer products than any we’ve been able to purchase in local stores.

Dates are very nutritious and their sugars, fructose and dextrose, are quickly metabolized for energy. Enjoy them:

 
Check out these delicious date recipes

First, the truth about currants: Most products called currants are raisins, in a botanical family unrelated in any way to the current, except at the highest, Kingdom, level (*detail addicts, see the footnote at the bottom of this article).

As for why real currants were banned from America for 82 years, read the story, a tale of government lobbyists and legislators. They were brought back, legally, in 2003. Given the limited crops and distributions, most living Americans have never had real currents—at least, not in the U.S. Zante currants are raisins.

So, how about a healthy Valentine’s Day gift of currants?

A high-antioxidant Valentine gift. Photo
courtesy CurrantC.com.

Real black currants are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium and omega-3s. They have been shown to prevent liver cancer and are currently being studied as prophylactics against Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, kidney stones, urinary track infections and vision disorders (more information). When promising tests conclude, the run on black currants and currant juice may be bigger than that on green tea.

CurrantC, a pioneer in growing currants following the lifting of the ban in 2003, has several gift items in addition to conventionally packaged juice and dried and frozen currants. Gifts are available from $13.99 to $47.99; the deluxe gift basket shown in the photo, includes:

 
We highly recommend the currant concentrate, which mixes up into a delicious juice.
 
 
 
*They’re not even distant cousins!
Raisins: Kingdom Plantae, Division Magnoliophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Subclass Rosidae, Order Vitales, Family Vitaceae, Genus Vitis.
Currants: Kingdom Plantae, Division Angiosperms, Class Eudicots, Subclass Core eudicots, Order Saxifragales, Family Grossulariaceae, Genus Ribes.

We love getting gifts from Chocolat Céleste (it means “heavenly chocolate” in French), a Minneapolis-based artisan chocolatier. The ganache fillings are delicious and the cocoa-butter transfers that decorate the tops are lovely.

If you’re looking for a special box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, head over to the website and take your pick.

Gift boxes filled with heavenly chocolates are available from 2 pieces to 24 pieces, $7.00 to $64.00.

Read our review of Chocolat Céleste.

Pretty in pink: Valentine chocolates from
Chocolat Céleste.

He’s just a hunk, a hunk of chocolate love. Photo courtesy Choclatique.com.

For the Valentine whose heart desires two-and-one-half pounds of solid milk chocolate, the creative chocolatiers at Choclatique suggest Chocolate Man (in photo) or Chocolate Girl (she has long eyelashes and a hair bow).

There’s no gingerbread—just 100% chocolate (plus decorations).

Each Chocolate Man and Girl is custom made and decorated to order. It can be inscribed with a name (include the information in the special notes section at checkout).

Chocolate Man and Girl are 13″ tall, 10″ wide and 1/2″ thick, and are made of all-natural, premium chocolate. Get yours now:

 
They’re $50.00 each and nicely packaged.

THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY

This holiday for lovers has roots in an annual Roman celebration called Lupercalia, held on February 15th.

Men stripped naked, grabbed goat- or dog-skin whips and spanked young maidens, with the goal of increasing their fertility.

The pagan celebration remained wildly popular well into the fifth century C.E.—more than 150 years after Emperor Constantine had made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Church leaders were unable to put a stop to the celebration, so scholars contend that they converted it into a Christian festival with this story:

The third century C.E. Roman Emperor Claudius II, seeking recruits for his army, forbade young men to marry before serving. In defiance, the priest Valentine performed marriages in secret (he also helped martyrs at the time of persecution, and when in prison converted guards and their families to Christianity).

St. Valentine (Valentinus in Latin). Photo courtesy Communio.org.

He was executed by beheading on February 14, 270 and ultimately became Saint Valentine (his relics repose in the Church of Saint Praxedes in Rome). A feast day for St. Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 C.E., but was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of Saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI (because not enough was known about Valentine).

Valentine greetings for loved ones were popular as far back as the Middle Ages. According to Wikipedia: “The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.” Poems were written to one’s beloved; in the 19th century, they were replaced by mass-produced greeting cards.

In 1850, Esther Howland, an American printer and artist, was among the first to publish and sell Valentine cards in the United States. In the early 1900s the Norcross card company became one of the first companies to manufacture Valentines. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine’s Day than any other time of year.

In 1861, chocolate manufacturer Richard Cadbury created the first heart-shaped box of chocolate for Valentine’s Day; and commercialization took over.

One of five alternatives to Valentine
chocolate. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

Situation: You need a great gift for Valentine’s Day. The recipient doesn’t want chocolate candy.

Solution: five recommendations for delicious food items that aren’t chocolates.

Our Valentine Top Picks include:

1. Godiva Chocolate Vodkas & Chocolate Liqueurs

2. Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, a chocolate- and coffee-infused tequila.

3. Cakeslider Creations push-up pops filled with buttercream-frosted cake.

4. Richart Chocolate Chocomacs, innovative macarons filled with ganache and topped with a chocolate paillette.

5. Two Hearts Bakery Heart-Shaped Pies On A Stick (a Williams-Sonoma exclusive)

Read the full review to learn more about these luscious choices.

A French spin on Valentine chocolate. Photo
courtesy Valrhona.

Speak to French chocolatiers and pastry chefs—or anyone trained in the world’s leading culinary schools—and odds are that their chocolate of choice is Valrhona.

It’s one of our favorites, whether for baking or for snacking.

Nestled in the middle of the vineyards of Tain l’Hermitage in the Rhone Valley, France, since 1922 Valrhona has produced the finest chocolate couverture.

A highly regarded pioneer in the prestige chocolate world, Valrhona did not sell its chocolate direct to the consumer until 1986. Prior to then it sold couverture only to chocolate manufacturers.

More recently, the company has created bonbons and other chocolate confections. For Valentine’s Day there’s a gold-speckled, heart-shaped red box holding 15 heart-shaped bonbons:

 
Available exclusively through the Valrhona online boutique for $29.99, it’s waiting to be sent with your personal message, to someone who’d adore a box of fine French chocolate.

More about Valrhona chocolate.

We try not to acquire gadgets and appliances that have only one function. But in the case of this Babycakes bite-size pie maker, we might make an exception.

We see it as a family activity, a start to teach kids (and non-cook adults) the fun of baking. Kids can easily make pie pops for friends, and then decide to further develop their baking skills.

Or, they can continue to use the appliance to turn out sweet or savory pies, as their contribution to meals and snack time.

The Babycakes Pie Pop Maker is:

Make pie pops in minutes. Photo courtesy Sur La Table.

 
And in bright red, it also can be a Valentine gift. Get yours at SurLaTable.com or Amazon.

WHAT TYPE OF PIE POP SHOULD YOU MAKE FIRST?

Check out our Pie Glossary for inspiration.

Chocolate and heat: perfect for Valentine’s
Day. Photo courtesy Wisdairy.com.

Instead of shopping for chocolates for friends and family, make them!

An easy option is chocolate fudge. This recipe, from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, has spicy heat, thanks to the addition of cinnamon and ground ancho chile.

This recipe makes 64 pieces—enough to give 12 pieces to five different people and keep four pieces for yourself.

If you save gift boxes, line them with wax paper and tie the boxes with red ribbon; no wrapping paper needed.

CHOCOLATE CHILE FUDGE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
*Use more or less ancho depending on desired spice level.

Preparation

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, allowing edges to extend beyond pan. Butter the foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine chopped chocolate, cinnamon and ground ancho chili.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, sugar and butter. Heat over medium flame, stirring constantly, until sugar and butter are melted and mixture begins to boil. Add marshmallows and stir for 1 minute until melted.

4. Remove from heat and immediately pour over chopped chocolate mixture. Let stand 2 minutes or until chocolate is softened. Add vanilla; stir until smooth.

5. Pour mixture into pan and refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. To cut fudge, pull on foil edges to remove foil and fudge from pan. Remove foil, place fudge on cutting board; cut into 64 pieces, using knife dipped in hot water. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Our favorite fudge and recipes.

The history of fudge—an American accidental invention!

Make Valentine gingerbread a family
tradition. Photo courtesy Sur La Table.

Valentine’s Day isn’t all about chocolate.

Today’s tip was inspired by an email we received from Sur La Table, which has a bounty of Valentine-inspired cookware and utensils: red or pink rolling pins, spatulas, measuring cups, heart-shaped cake pans and more.

The tip: Use your gingerbread man cookie cutter to make Valentine gingerbread.

Gingerbread is for far more than Christmas. In fact, a nifty recipe book, Dress Your Gingerbread, shows how to turn that gingerbread man into a bunny for Easter; a pumpkin and ghost for Halloween; Santa, elves and reindeer, and a bride and groom; as well as anytime favorites such as a bee, ladybug, pirate and favorite animals.

The biggest decision you need to make is what size gingerbread man/woman/child you want to make:

NEXT STEPS

1. Pick a gingerbread recipe (here’s one from Paula Deen, which includes a royal icing recipe to make faces).

2. Get some candy hearts or other Valentine-themed candy to decorate.

3. Invite friends or family to share the baking and decorating fun.

4. Make enough to share with friends and colleagues!
 
 
Find more of our favorite cookie recipes.