[1] It’s a beauty—and it has a just-as-lovely gift box (photo © Hennessy.

[2] Engrave a personal message on your X.O. Gift Photo courtesy Hennessy.

[3] Riedel makes a glass that improves upon the shape of the classic snifter, delivering more aroma and flavor (photo © Riedel).

[4] A Sidecar, perhaps the most popular Cognac cocktail. The recipe: 1-1/2 ounces Cognac, 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc.), 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice, orange twist for garnish (photo © Rémy Martin).

This is all about Cognac, where X.O. stands for Extra Old. It bears no relation to the X.O. that is short for a hug and a kiss.

Since we love a digression into related information, we asked:

What is the history of this custom? Why not HKHK instead of XOXO? There’s more about that below.

But first, the Cognac. we’d like to suggest a luxurious Valentine’s Day gift: X.O. Cognac, a divine apéritíf or nightcap.

This style of Cognac was created in 1870 by Maurice Hennessy, to be enjoyed with his circle of friends. The bold, intense and complex flavors are based on much longer aging.

Some of the 100 eaux-de-vie* assembled to create X.O were aged for 30 years. M. Hennessy gave it the name X.O to signify “extra old.”

It’s a Cognac for connoisseurs, served neat, on ice or with a splash of still or sparkling water. Don’t even think of mixing it in a cocktail!

> Below: What do all those letters mean: V.O., V.S, V.S.O.P, etc.

> The history of Cognac.

> National Cognac Day is June 4th.
 
 
A LUXURIOUS VALENTINE GIFT

Deliver your hugs and kisses with a bottle of X.O. Cognac. In addition to Hennessy, it is made by a number of Cognac houses including Camus, Courvoisier, Martell, Rémy Martin and others. The bottles cost $150 and up.
While a bottle of Hennessy X.O., at the top of the price scale, can cost upwards of $200, we found it “on sale” at WineAnthology.com for $165.

If you’re not looking for a bargain, you can get a custom-engraved bottle directly from Hennessy. Your message is engraved on the back of the bottle, making it a lovely keepsake (see the photo #2).

We also like to give an engraved bottle of X.O. Cognac as a wedding gift or anniversary gift.
 
 
COGNAC CLASSIFICATIONS

It was Maurice Hennessy, great-grandson of company founder Richard Hennessy, who created the Cognac classification system.

He used varying numbers of stars to designate different quality, first producing Hennessy’s Three Star Cognac, today known as V.S (Very Special). His classification system was adopted by the entire industry.

When he was the Prince of Wales, King George IV of Great Britain asked Hennessy to create a “very superior old pale Cognac.”

It was designated V.S.O.P—Very Superior Old Pale—and since then, a letter system evolved to replace the stars.

 
There are other age designations, but they are smaller productions and are not typically imported to the U.S.
 
Other terms to know:

 
 
Next: About X’s and O’s in personal communications.

The abbreviation for “hugs and kisses,” XOXO, has been used for centuries to express love or good friendship at the end of a written letter or card (and these days at the end of an email or text message). The X stands for kiss and the O for hug.

The custom of placing X’s on envelopes and at the bottom of letters notes, signifying kisses, dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, a Christian cross was drawn on documents or letters to indicate faith, honesty and sincerity. A kiss, indicated with an X, was then placed upon the cross by the signer as a display of his or her sworn oath.

A similar practice dates back to early Christian history. Since most people could neither read nor write, an X was used as their signature on documents, and an actual kiss was placed upon it as a show of sincerity. [Source]

What about the “O?” Current speculation is that it is of Jewish derivation, since Jews would not use the sign of the cross.

In terms of how the two symbols came together in the very non-legal “hugs and kisses”: Alas, dear reader, the answer is lost to history.
 
___________________

*Eau de vie (eaux is the plural), pronounced oh-duh-VEE, is French for “water of life.” It’s a clear, colorless fruit brandy. After the brandy is aged in wood, it takes on its amber color. Cognac is a region in northern France; only brandies produced there can be called “Cognac.” The artisanship and strict production regulations in Cognac create a superior spirit. Generic “brandy” can be produced anywhere.
 
 

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Sure, it’s popular. But for this year’s Super Bowl, how about a different spin: a seven layer Greek-style dip with pita chips? That’s what we’re making.

Yo don’t need seven layers: You can choose as many or as few layers as you like. The one thing we personally insist on is layering the ingredients in a glass salad bowl, so everyone can enjoy the pretty layers before the chip-dippers get busy.

PICK YOUR SEVEN LAYERS

Spreads/Dips

 
Vegetables

 
Plus

INDIVIDUAL LAYERED DIPS
Here’s a simple recipe from Stacy’s Pita Chips. If you don’t have verrines (the small glasses in the photo), clear juice glasses or other appropriate vessels, you can buy plastic rocks cups (9 ounces).

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE a layer of hummus at the bottom of the glass, followed by a layer of tzatziki. Repeat.

2. ADD a layer of diced tomatoes. Top with the feta, olives, onion and mint. Crown with a pita chip.
  

This old-fashioned-looking bottle with an unfamiliar name hasn’t been around in more than 40 years. Purple-hued and violet-scented, it was enjoyed since the 19th century in cocktails and as an after-dinner digestif.

Alas, it was one of many old-fashioned liqueurs that went out of style and ceased to be produced; in this case, it went defunct in 1969. But it recently caught the fancy of the creator of St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur (another favorite for Valentine’s Day or any day), who has resurrected it.

Crème Yvette, also called Crème d’Yvette and Crème de Yvette, is made from parma violet petals*, blackberries, blackcurrants, red raspberries and wild strawberries, along with honey, orange peel and vanilla.

Currently, it seems to be available in New York and California, but you can see if your local liquor store can order a bottle for you.

There are cocktail recipes on the brand’s website, CremeYvette.com. We enjoyed mixing it with sparkling wine (we also layered St. Germain into one variation).

And it’s delicious atop raspberry sorbet—an easy Valentine’s Day dessert.

(By the way, exactly who Yvette was has been lost to history.)
 
*The same exotic flower used to make those violet pastilles.

When you sang “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, did you recall that it was first a poem from Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland (1759-1796)?

His birthday, January 25th, is celebrated in Scotland as Burns Night. Family and friends gather for an evening of good food and company—a warm and happy event much like our Thanksgiving. A traditional Burns’ Supper is served. Here’s the supper format, if you want to plan ahead for next year.

But you can have a much smaller event tonight, as brief as enjoying a tumbler of Scotch and reading a poem. Burns’ complete works are available free online. Some suggestions: A Red, Red Rose (“My luve is like a red, red rose…”); To a Louse; To a Mouse; Tam O’Shanter.

If you’d like to do something a bit more elaborate, call around and invite a group for a Scotch tasting (here’s how). Everyone can bring whatever brand they have at hand…along with any bagpipe music.

Then, there’s a Scotch and chocolate tasting. While solid chocolate wasn’t invented in Burns’ lifetime, he was a bon vivant and we’re sure he’d approve.

Here are more food ideas for Burns Night.

If your crowd drinks red wine rather than beer during the Super Bowl, here are some dip ideas from Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi. The brand created recipes that go well with its Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. For good measure, a tablespoon of wine is added to each of the dips.

If you’re a Super Bowl guest, offer to make the dip as well as bring the wine.
RECIPE: ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

This dip is served warm.

Ingredients For 4-6 Appetizer Servings

Plus:

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F.

2. TOSS the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is fork tender, about 30 minutes.

3. PLACE all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. (If you’re making the dip a day or more in advance, also taste and adjust when you’re ready to reheat it.)

4. SPOON the dip into a serving bowl and top with extra pine nuts and goat cheese. Serve warm with the bread/crackers and a glass of Pinot Noir.

TO MAKE IN ADVANCE: Hold back the goat cheese and pine nuts until you’re ready to reheat and serve. At the 25-minute mark, remove the dip from the oven and the sprinkle goat cheese and pine nuts over the top. Place it back in the oven on BROIL for the remaining 5 minutes to toast the pine nuts and warm the goat cheese.

This dip is served at room temperature.

Ingredients For 4-6 Appetizer Servings

 
Preparation

1. MELT the butter over medium-low heat, then add the onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slowly caramelize the onions by letting them sit for about 3 minutes, then stirring. Do not allow the onions to burn. If the pan gets too dry, add a small amount of water. When the onions are a rich brown color (about 30 minutes)…

2. ADD the Cabernet Sauvignon and cook for another three minutes or until the wine is completely absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the caramelized onions for garnish.

3. ADD the cream cheese, sour cream and yogurt to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth on medium low speed. Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and add the onions. Add the seasonings to taste.

4. GARNISH with the caramelized onions and chives and serve at room temperature.

TO MAKE IN ADVANCE: Follow steps 1-3. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes to bring to room temperature. Garnish and serve.
 
DIP OR SPREAD: THE DIFFERENCE

Mondavi calls these recipes dips, but they’re actually spreads. What’s the difference?

Both dip and spread call it like it is:

 
Some recipes deliver a consistency between the two, and are dippable or spreadable. But if a chip breaks under the weight of the “dip,” it’s a spread.