[1] Not for the faint-of-palate: Jelly Bellys made with five different types of hot chile peppers (both photos © Jelly Belly).

[2] Take heed: There’a a warning label.

If your Valentine likes food with hot chiles, a package of Jelly Belly’s BeanBoozled Fiery Five should be part of his/her Valentine’s Day gift.

How hot can you handle? asks the package copy.

And check out the package warning in photo #2.

The hot-hot jelly beans are available in different sizes, from the conventional cellophane bag to a gift box with a spinner that suggests which flavor should you try next.

The Fiery Five are seriously spicy flavors. They’re made with real chile pepper purée, including:

 
Each jelly bean looks like a conventional Jelly Belly.

So buy them for those you think will love them.

But don’t spoil anyone’s day by tricking them into eating Fiery Five by pretending they’re “normal” jelly beans.

All Jelly Belly jelly beans are OU kosher, gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, fat free and vegetarian friendly.
 
 
>>> CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHILE PEPPERS <<<

This is the week to check the best cheese counter in town for heart-shaped cheese (or make your own—see the surprise below).

The most famous cheese heart is Coeur du Berry goat cheese; but if you’re a cheddar fan, you may be able to find a cheddar heart covered in red wax, from Godminster Farm in the U.K.

Coeur du Berry has a full Valentine heritage. It is produced near the village of Saint-Valentin in the Loire Valley, in the center of France.

Is there a connection between Saint-Valentin and St. Valentine’s day?

Yes, in that they are both named for a third-century priest (here’s the story).

In the 1980s, the mayor put on his marketing hat and began to promote the town (population 280) as “The Village of Love” [source].

He encouraged the villagers to decorate their houses in red hearts, and created a Lovers’ Garden (Jardin des Amoureux) where you can:

 
There’s also an annual festival around St. Valentine’s Day.

And, all the heart-shaped cheese and souvenirs you can buy.

If you’d like to attend, here’s more information.
 
 
ABOUT COEUR DU BERRY CHEESE

Coeur du Berry is a rich, mellow goats-milk cheese, made from pasteurized milk.

It’s made by Fromagerie Jacquin & Fils, a cheesemaker that has been making goat cheeses for more than 60 years.

Coeur du Berry is essentially the same cheese as Selles-sur-Cher, which is also made by the dairy.

The creamy white heart, dusted with ash, is melt-in-your-mouth smooth, with slight hints of hazelnut from the terroir—there are no nuts in the cheese.

Serve the heart for a cheese course before dessert, or dessert itself, with:

 
 
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CHEESE?

Check out our photo-filled Cheese Glossary.

[1] A red wax-bound cheddar heart and a bloomy white goat cheese heart (photo © Godminster Farm).

[2] Take a piece of my heart now, baby: Here’s the video of Janis Joplin singing it (photo © Goat Cheeses Of France).

[3] Pair goat cheese with a glass of sauvignon blanc wine (photo © Murray’s Cheese Bar).

[4] Get a large heart-shape cookie cutter and create your own selection of heart-shaped cheeses (photo © Point Reyes Farmstead).

  

[1] This very white food needs a bit of green. Some people add green peas; or, you can use fresh herbs. This photo shows a lighter version of Classic Fettuccine Alfredo. Here’s the recipe from Cooking Classy (photo © Cooking Classy).

[2] How to make Fettuccine Alfredo even richer? Add lobster (photo © Mackenzie Ltd.).

[3] Here’s the Alfredo recipe at right: the classic Alfredo with a bit of sour cream for flavor (photo © DeLallo).

[4] This Tortellini Alfredo adds flavor with garlic. Here’s the recipe from Damn Delicious (photo © Damn Delicious).

[5] Pumpkin Alfredo. Here’s the recipe from Pinch Of Yum | DeLallo.

February 7th is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day.

If you’re not familiar with the richest of pasta dishes, here’s the scoop, including how it came to be. A classic Alfredo sauce is creamy, indulgent, voluptuous (indulgent or voluptuous are words one should use instead of “decadent,” which means something else entirely*).

Fettuccine Alfredo ranks high among comfort foods craved by many. It’s one of those cream-and-butter-rich dishes one should enjoy a couple of times a year—just don’t make a habit of it.

Today is one of those days!

> The history of Fettuccine Alfredo.

> The recipe is below.

> The difference between Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
 
 
CLASSIC VS. MODERN ALFREDO

While Fettuccine Alfredo is rich, except for the Parmesan cheese and black pepper, it’s not layered with flavors.

While the original recipe was meant to be bland (for Alfredo’s pregnant wife), you can modernize the recipe with some toppings that don’t alter his concept. For example:

 
Or, add a few tablespoons of vegetable purée to the sauce, such as canned pumpkin or tomato purée.

Chile heads can add some heat: a drizzle of Buffalo wing sauce, minced jalapeños, red pepper flakes.
 
 
RECIPE: CLASSIC FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

You can use pasta shapes beyond the original fettuccine. In fact, if you use short cuts—farfalle, orechiette, penne, shells, etc.—the sauce doesn’t drip as much as it does when twirling ribbon pasta.

Tortellini Alfredo is a festive variation.

It’s easy to make Fettuccine Alfredo from scratch; and if you’re short on time, you can use a prepared Alfredo sauce.

This recipe, from DeLallo, adds a bit more flavor by replacing some of the heavy cream with sour cream.

Another tip: This is not a recipe for inexpensive Parmesan and Asiago cheeses. Cheese is a major flavor in the dish, so don’t skimp.

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Meanwhile…

2. ADD the butter and cream to a large skillet. Simmer over low heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the garlic, salt and pepper for one minute.

3. REMOVE from the heat and whisk in the cheeses and sour cream. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with the sauce to cover.

If the sauce is too thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. Serve immediately.
 
 
USING ALFREDO SAUCE BEYOND PASTA

Nick Saba, chef/founder of Terra Culinary Services, suggests Alfredo sauce as a topping for proteins.

He suggests using Alfredo to top:

 
Or, riff on another dish, like Chicken & Waffles Alfredo, or Pancakes Alfredo with bacon, ham or sausage (or a mixed grill!).

Lasagna fans will enjoy this Chicken Lasagna Alfredo recipe.
 
 
________________

*Language is not a linear: Words come into every language from a variety of sources, over many centuries. Their meanings can change or expand over time. But “decadent,” now used instead of the appropriate “self-indulgent,” means “being in a state of decline or decay.”

Calling rich foods decadent is not a great association. Whoever started this use, more than 20 years ago, used the word incorrectly, irresponsibly and everyone who perpetrated the error should be forced to read the dictionary.

There’s a lot of Valentine chocolate out there. Where to begin?

Here are two of our favorites artisan chocolatiers, with wares just waiting for you to take a bite.
 
 
JOHN & KIRA’S

John and Kira’s boutique chocolate company launched in 2002; from the beginning it has generated raves for its artisan bonbons (photos #1 and #2).

The confections were featured on the cover of Gourmet Magazine’s Valentine’s Day issue in February, 2003.

And from there, the chocolates have found their way into the hands of fine chocolate lovers nationwide.

In fact, three different items have been named a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

 
The company has used local and sustainable ingredients from the first. The boxes have always been the most beautiful in the business: beautiful paper on heavy stock that you’ll repurpose to hold other items.

Take a look at John & Kira’s suggestions for Valentine’s Day.
 
 
CHARLES CHOCOLATES

For an expenditure of $7.95, you can treat loved ones to the latest chocolate, ruby cacao (photo #3).

An authentic cacao with a naturally pink color, it has tart berry flavors and is a unique chocolate experience. Here’s more about it.

Charles Chocolates has transformed ruby into chocolate bars with three different garnishes:

 
Charles Chocolates also makes a delightful confection we have recommended previously:

 
For someone who not only wants a box of chocolates, but wants to eat the box, this is a memorable gift!

Check out Charles’ Valentine’s Day confections.

[1] John & Kira’s Chocolate Hearts, available in 9 or 18 pieces, with 9 different ganache flavors. Get them here (photos #1 and #2 © John & Kira’s).

[2] Bonbons deluxe: John & Kira’s Palette du Chocolat, in 24 or 50 pieces. Get them here.

[3] Ruby cacao bars from Charles Chocolates, available with three different garnishes. Get them here (photo © Charles Chocolates).

[1] Section the flesh with a serrated grapefruit knife or grapefruit spoons (photo © Budays Mart | Amazon).

[2] How about a yogurt parfait for breakfast or lunch, here with some lime and mint? Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home (photo © Taste Of Home).

[3] For lunch or dinner, add red grapefruit segments to a green salad. Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home (photo © Taste Of Home).

[4] Add red grapefruit segments or slices to your water (photo © Pampered Chef).

[5] At the end of the day, you deserve a glass of sangria. Here’s the recipe for Red Grapefruit Sangria from Taste Of Home. Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home (photo © Taste Of Home).

[6] Serve your drink with these red grapefruit crostini. Here’s the recipe from Fit Mitten Kitchen (photo © Fit Mitten Kitchen).

If you never enjoyed the tartness of white and pink grapefruits, give red grapefruit a chance.

Not only is it a sweeter, lush flavor, but it’s the perfect color to perk up gray winter days, or to accent Valentine’s Day meals.

Red grapefruit was discovered as a mutation growing on a pink grapefruit tree. After years of breeding, the Ruby Red cultivar was released to market.

Different growers established brand names: Flame, Rio Red, Rio Star, Ruby-Sweet, Star Ruby, Sweet Scarletts, TexaSweet and others.

Different brands can have different shades of flesh. For example, Florida’s Ruby Reds are deep pink, while Flame grapefruits have deep red flesh.

Below:

> The history of grapefruit.

> More grapefruit recipes.
 
 
HOW TO ENJOY YOUR GRAPEFRUIT

One of the best ways to eat grapefruit is to simply peel it and eat it like an orange.

One of the best ways to use the peel is to make candied grapefruit peel (one of our favorite confections and garnishes!). Grapefruit Basil Martini

 
 
MORE GRAPEFRUIT RECIPES

 
 
 
GRAPEFRUIT HISTORY

America is the world’s largest consumer of grapefruit, with large commercial groves in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.

But the grapefruit’s ancestor, the pummelo (also pomelo or shaddock), comes from far away—it’s native to Malaysia and Indonesia. It’s the largest citrus fruit.

Pummelo seeds were brought from the East Indies to the West Indies in 1693 by an English ship commander. The grapefruit may have been a horticultural accident or a deliberate hybridization between the pummelo and the orange.

The original grapefruit was about the size of an orange. It was originally called both “forbidden fruit,” and the “smaller shaddock,” after Captain Shaddock, who brought the seeds.

Grapefruit Comes To The U.S.

The grapefruit arrived in the U.S. in 1823, but it was not immediately popular; the thick skin was unusual and an impediment. But the tree thrived, and its name evolved in English based on how it grows: in grapelike clusters.

In 1870, the large, golden clusters on a tree he passed attracted John A. MacDonald, who lived in Orange County, Florida. MacDonald established the first grapefruit nursery.

Florida’s first shipment of grapefruits to New York and Philadelphia, in 1885, generated interest and helped create the commercial grapefruit industry.

By the late 1800s, grapefruit trees were being cultivated in the southern part of Texas; by 1910 grapefruit had succeeded in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, as well as in Arizona and California. The pink grapefruit and other varieties were developed.

 
When grapefruit became popular in the U.S., many households owned a set of grapefruit spoons that enabled people to scoop out the flesh in grapefruit halves. The utensils had pointed tips and serrated edges for separating the flesh from the membranes.

The grapefruit sections were loosened with a special knife that has a serrated, curved blade. Other homes had special grapefruit spoons: teaspoons with a serrated front edge.

If you have some from Grandma or Great-Grandma, it’s time to dig them out. Otherwise, both grapefruit knives and grapefruit spoons are inexpensive.

Here’s more on how people used grapefruit at home, including adding the juice to vinegar.
 
 
RED GRAPEFRUIT HISTORY

The first grapefruits were white. Pink grapefruit, a mutation, was first discovered in 1906 in the groves of the Atwood Grapefruit Company in Manatee County, Florida.

One day, a grove foreman peeled a grapefruit with the intention of eating it, and discovered that the fruit inside was pink! A local nurseryman was able to propagate the pink fruit, and it met with big success: In addition to a more pleasing color, the flesh tended to be sweeter.

Thank Goodness For Mutations

Another mutation gave us red grapefruit, which was originally discovered growing on a pink grapefruit tree in Texas. It was patented as Ruby Red grapefruit in 1929. Red grapefruit is known in agriculture as a “limb sport,” a mutation of one limb (branch) that has different fruit characteristics than the rest of the tree.

A hit from the start, sweeter with alluring rosy red flesh, Ruby Reds are marketed under different names: Flame, Rio Red, Rio Star, Ruby-Sweet, Star Ruby, Sweet Scarletts, TexaSweet and others.

While consumers call these different red grapefruits “varieties,” botanically it’s more accurate to call them different “selections” because they are all derived from one another as descendants of the original Ruby Reds. Each has different small attributes, tailored to succeed in different climates and soils.

Otherwise stated, all of the different deep red grapefruits grown around the world—Rio Red in Texas, Star Ruby in South Africa, Flame in Florida, etc.—are not botanically different, but have been adapted to the the climate and soil in each region.

> Did you know that THE NIBBLE has almost 1,000 food histories? Check them out!
 
 
WHAT MAKES THE FLESH RED?

Red and pink grapefruits contain lycopene, a phytochemical (antioxidant) found in tomatoes and some other red fruits and vegetables such as papaya, red carrots and watermelon. Red grapefruits have a greater concentration than pink grapefruits.

Why are red grapefruits sweeter?

It’s all in the weather. Sweet Scarletts, for example, are grown in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where hot days, cool nights and the unique terroir merge to create the ideal grapefruit.

Most red grapefruits are grown in Texas, since the The Texas climate produces the sweetest red grapefruits.