For the Love of Chocolate! Valentines Day '09

Valentines Day. I really do have selective amnesia because as I recall Valentines Days of Old the memories are only slowly rising to the surface. Repression baby - it ain't all bad!!!

You know, there was adolescence. It makes me both laugh and cringe just to think about it. In High School the "Keyettes" sold roses (or was it carnations?) in red, pink and white - denoting, of course, was this "LOVE", "like", or ... the dreaded, "just friends" (only given by girls to girls anyway!). Ugh. Then there were my single years (which went on and on and on - smile). Sometimes there was a significant other, sometimes not, but the day always felt so ... so ... loaded!

One positive memory was a college boyfriend who was in an 'a cappella' singing group. They all came over to the house where I was living (with about thirty or so other college women) and sang before my boyfriend and I went out to dinner - very nice. Another Valentines Day several years later the person I was sorta-kinda dating at the time came over with a cactus or some other equally romantic plant life. I am cracking up as I type. Needless to say that romance didn't go very far. Bill actually thinks that Valentines Day is a manufactured Hallmark holiday - but he humors me anyway.

So while it is the day of loooooove for most people I really now believe it is all about CHOCOLATE. Yep - it is a day to celebrate my favorite food group! An old roommate of mine used to say "I know that chocolate is full of fat, sugar and caffeine but it makes me euphoric and it's worth it." I wholeheartedly agree. And thankfully, I have a friend on the same wavelength.

The last three years my friend here Marcela, who is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, has had a "Chocolate Dinner" on Valentine's Day. Not only is this always a fabulous meal, it is always fabulous company as well. This year, as in the past, each course had chocolate in it - in a very subtle way.

The menu:

• Goat cheese wrapped in roasted peppers with a balsamic chocolate glaze.
• Carrot ginger soup with a surprise of chocolate sauce on the bottom of the bowl.
• Black and white tortellini, stuffed with goat cheese and black olives. (The black tortellini was made of a chocolate pasta)
• Pepper Pistachio crusted salmon over roasted veggies with a chocolate barbecue sauce.
• Chocolate Cake with vanilla cream.
• Chocolate biscotti at your place to take home with you.

One year she had chocolate martinis. Ummm. Yum!!! Even though this is sadly our last one to share in her dining room, it is not the last Chocolate Dinner. I have decided it will be our new tradition! And I'll raise a glass to Marcela - and to the Cocoa Bean.

Happy Valentines Day!