KEY POINTS:
You've left it a bit late if you're still trying to book a special Valentine's Day dinner tonight. Your best bet is to hope that some other couple have had a bust-up and you can pick up a last-minute cancellation. Or if you don't want to desperately phone every restaurant in town - and possibly end up dateless yourself - try pulling this trump card out of the hat.
Geoff Scott of Vinnies is offering to cook a special Valentine's Day meal for couples wanting to celebrate their love, but not necessarily surrounded by every Romeo and Juliet in town. Any time this month he will whip up a unique eight-course dinner, starting with a glass of Bolly to toast your loved one, followed by crayfish, whitebait, venison and more, with, of course, chocolates to finish. It's $160 a head, but don't forget to buy a nice card too, lest you look like you haven't made any effort at all on the big day.
And at Vinnies this Friday, Australian chef Alla Wolf-Tasker is taking over the kitchen for lunch in a special meal hosted by Tourism Victoria to celebrate the best produce from over the ditch. The acclaimed female chef was recently awarded an Order of Australia for services to tourism and hospitality. The special lunch is $150 a head, including wine. This is the first time that Scott has hosted a guest chef, but he promises it won't be the last. Bookings for both: Ph (09) 376 5597.
Other restaurants planning something special tonight include the Langham Hotel's Partingtons, which has a six-course menu at $85, with champagne matches for an additional $60 a head. If that has been booked out since we wrote this, do pop into the bar for a Raspberry Rhapsody champagne cocktail and complimentary tastings of oysters and chocolate-dipped strawberries from 5pm-8pm. Partingtons: Ph 0800 616 261
Other options include whipping up something special yourself (read on for a healthy alternative), picking up a great deli spread (try Rocket Kitchen's cakes and candies or $90 More than Friends picnic hamper for two), or heading to the beach for some traditional Kiwi kai from a good fish and chips shop.
Show you really care
The Heart Foundation has come up with its own Valentine's Day menu to show that healthy choices don't have to be cuisine killjoy. There's even chocolate on its three-course menu, but that doesn't mean a boxful - it is, after all, Heart Week, so enjoy all things in moderation. Check out the website (www.heartweek.org.nz) and click on Valentine's Recipes for ideas for a romantic picnic, a heart-healthy evening meal, or a full day of recipes that you'd happily eat any time of the year. We rather fancied the following:
Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Berries
INGREDIENTS:
155g dark chocolate, chopped
2 tsp powdered gelatine
100g reduced fat ricotta
250ml reduced fat vanilla custard
4 egg whites, beaten until stiff
300g mixed fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
METHOD:
1 Put the chocolate in an ovenproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not come in contact with the water and that no water touches the chocolate. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate melts then set aside to cool slightly.
2 Put the gelatine and 60ml water into a small pot and stir over a low heat until the gelatine dissolves and the liquid is clear. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3 Beat the ricotta and custard together until smooth. Press through a sieve to remove any lumps.
4 Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold through the ricotta mix.
Fold the gelatine and chocolate into the ricotta mix. Spoon the mousse into six 125ml-capacity ramekins or mugs, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Serve with mixed fresh berries.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes + chilling
Butter them up
Interesting new products are coming in thick and fast this year. And thick and fast is just the trick with the new Ceres Organics nut butters. Slather on some almond butter for a taste treat that lets you cut down on total fat consumption. There's also cashew, hazelnut, peanut and mixed nut blends.
The nut butters contain monounsaturated fat which can help lower cholesterol, unlike many commercial peanut butters, which have saturated fats. They can be used to flavour dips, sauces, dressings, soups and baked goods and are good with noodles and satays. Sold in glass jars for $11.90 to $14.90.