The Emeryville Connection: A news magazine published by the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce
LIFESTYLE
In the Kitchen with Terry Paulding
February – month of storms and sunshine, bluster and budding plum trees. A glimpse, a tease of spring, then high winds and cold rain. The days are slowly lengthening, and the kids are practicing their signatures on little paper valentines, just as grown-ups are practicing their dialing skills, making restaurant reservations. Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year in the restaurant industry, just as it is in the floral shops.
Perhaps a homemade Valentine’s dinner is something you’ve contemplated, but never actually had the courage to try. I can offer a few suggestions, but my column is necessarily brief—no room for multiple recipes. And, it’s a week night, too—so perhaps offering you a stellar dessert recipe will have to suffice, and you can either pull together the rest of the meal, or enjoy a dinner out, and come home to a special dessert you’ve made for the one you love.
The recipe for Fallen Chocolate Soufflé Torte comes from Alice Medrich’s book, Chocolate and the Art of Low Fat Desserts (1994, Warner books), a truly inspired volume that lightens desserts without ruining them with fake ingredients. Not only is it delicious, but you can eat it guilt free (see the nutritional analysis). Alice’s latest book Pure Dessert, was my requested birthday gift from my kids—and I’m enjoying trying recipes from that right now as well. I recently had the pleasure of meeting the author in my own kitchen, where she came to judge a chocolate recipe contest, and enjoyed letting her know how much I love her recipes.
By the way, for a totally different Valentines adventure, you might try our couples Valentines dinner cooking class (see my website calendar for details). The class solves the problem of wanting to cook your love a wonderful dinner, but not having the time or skills—we shop, provide recipes and guidance, and you come and learn and cook together, then dine together on the feast you have made. And, you get something else of value—you get to go home with newfound skills, and wonderful recipes you can make again another time.
Carole Rehbock is the President and Founder of Consulting & Coaching Solutions. You can reach Carole at carole@rehbocksolutions.com or 510- 843-6417.
3980 Harlan Street · Emeryville, CA 94608 · Phone: 510-652-5223 · Fax: 510-652-4223 · info@emeryvillechamber.com
©2007 Emeryville Chamber of Commerce.