If you’re looking for a particularly pretty or manly box of Valentine chocolate, take a look at this week’s Top Picks:
Each piece of Anna Shea Chocolate is a miniature work of art. The chocolates are designed to please someone with an eye (and palate) for beauty. But they’re not elitist: They’ll delight the chocolate connoisseur as well as the teenager. The boxes, in pink fabric or crocodile-stamped red leather, are keepers.
Chocolate Malts is a masculine counterpart: handsome chocolates filled with single malt Scotch-infused chocolate ganache. The Scotches represent almost every region of Scotland; and yes, they’re delicious with a glass of Scotch. In a gold box with a plaid ribbon, they’re a treat for any Scotch lover.
Garnish with a strawberry heart. Photo
courtesy Peligroso Tequila.
Cut a strawberry in half or in slices, and you get heart shapes.
Heart shapes make great garnishes for Valentine’s Day.
Whether you’re serving cocktails, mocktails, sparkling or plain water, a strawberry heart garnish spreads the love.
Peligroso Tequila wants to spread the love with a Peligroso Liquid Love cocktail. Peligroso means “dangerous” in Spanish. If you’d like a less strong cocktail, use 1 part each of tequila, cranberry juice and orange juice.
For lunch or a light dinner on Valentine’s Day, try this Strawberry Steak Salad.
Sliced fresh strawberries, which look like little red hearts, unite with grilled skirt steak, a spring mix salad, avocado, mascarpone cheese, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in a blush wine or raspberry vinaigrette.
A lighter dinner gives you more room for desserts and chocolate!
Many people pop open a bottle of Champagne or other sparkling wine for Valentine’s Day. We celebrate with a rosé Champagne.
Rosé Champagnes tend to be more expensive than their white counterparts, but are worth it. They’re typically more full-bodied and complex, with rich fruit flavor.
Two bargain sparkling wines that offer a lot of quality for the price are [yellow tail] Bubbles Rosé from Australia (yes, it’s spelled lower case and in brackets) and Martini & Rossi Sparkling Rosé Wine from Italy—both around $10.00. The Martini & Rossi is a bit sweeter and pairs better with desserts and chocolate.
“Pink Champagne” is a gimmicky, average-quality product that is not French. It is colored pink, rather than allowing a natural pink color extraction from red grape skins. Avoid it.
Our favorite rosé sparklers and other special wines for Valentine’s Day.
Looking for a fun Valentine’s Day activity? Have a rosé sparkler tasting. Gather affordable bottles for a tasting. In addition to the [yellow tail] and Martini & Rossi, check out Domaine Sainte Michelle Rosé, Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut and Korbel Sweet Rosé—all under $13.00. Your retailer may have other affordable rosé sparklers as well.
