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Here is a sneak preview of "Mise en Place," our new monthly guide to crafting a fine dining experience at home. French for "set in place," mise en place is kitchen-speak for the preparatory work a chef completes before cooking; it is the setup that enables a cook to focus on the task of creating a fine meal, with all of ingredients at the ready. Each month our menus will guide you through the process of preparing a sumptuous meal that is easy to prepare and elegant to serve, and what better place to begin than with le jour d'amour?
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Valentine's Day Dinner for Two
Why dine out when you can revel in the privacy and intimacy of a home-cooked dinner for two? We've crafted a romantic dinner for two with dishes that are a non-fussy, yet elegant, with sumptuous aromas and textures certain to go straight to the heart of your special paramour.
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(See our full listing of menus for more ideas)
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A NOTE ON WINE PAIRINGS
One of the challenges in suggesting wine pairings is that we may have the perfect wine to match a particular recipe, but your local wine merchant may not. As a result, we are pairing this month's recipes based on varietal (Riesling, Pinot Noir, etc.), so you at least have a guideline.
Our enthusiastic recommendation is for you to simply take a copy of the menu to the wine store, show them what you're serving, and ask for recommendations based on a price range. We rely on this method regularly, as our wine merchants make it their livelihood to continually taste wine and expand their knowledge base, so we make good use of their expertise. If you are in a rural area and/or do not have a local wine merchant, these suggestions should at least help you to choose a wine in your supermarket or other local store.
If you think three bottles of wine may be too much for two people, and would rather choose one or two bottles, keep in mind that you could serve Champagne or sparkling wine for all except the dessert course. You will want a dry champagne, such as a Brut (see our Champagne dossier for more information on the varied levels of sweetness).
It is also not absolutely necessary to serve a dessert wine if you are not partial to sweet wines. You can simply serve dessert, then move on to coffee afterward. (We recommend that you resist the American urge to serve coffee with dessert, as it can interfere with the flavors of your sweet finish.)
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We want to know what you think!
We've made the menu section of our
discussion forum open to registered members
and guests,
so we hope you'll drop in and share your thoughts or questions with our Test Kitchen team.
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
