Happy Valentine’s Day! We assembled some fun Valentine’s Day links to some of our favorites.

Why? Because we love our readers!

Cheers!

How to Open a Champagne Bottle with a Sword- Drinks After Dark
Green Gifts for Valentine’s Day- Best of the Green Web
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Kisses
Classic Romantic Cocktails - About.com
Chocolate & Whisky - Stotch Chix
Maker’s Mark Bourbon Chocolates

Valentine’s Day Cocktails

Making your special someone a home-cooked meal is a romantic (and economical) way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But remember that wine isn’t the only beverage that pairs well with food.

Cocktails, liquor and beer can compliment a meal. And since you’re in control of the food and the drink, there are a lot of ways you can tie the meal and the beverage together.

For example, you can add a garnish or ingredient to your cocktails that is also used in the meal. So add a sprig of rosemary to your martini to go along with rosemary chicken, and so on.
These tantalizing Valentine’s dinner menu suggestions aren’t too complicated to do at home yet still impart the proper special occasion fanciness the night calls for.
Here are just a few food and drink couples for the happy couple:

Salmon and gin cocktails

The crisp but mild herb goodness of gin is an excellent match for the buttery woodsy flavor of salmon. Both salmon and gin go well with herbs and citrus. You can serve grilled salmon with citrus sauce with a gimlet. Or try salmon with fennel and Pernod with a gibson.

Meat and scotch

Traditional wisdom says scotch is too strong to pair with food. However, a nice single malt’s smokey flavor can be a good compliment to gamy meats such as lamb or venison.

Pork and fruit

Pork goes really well with pears, pomegranate and apples. So why not serve your pork dish with a cocktail based on one of those flavors? This pork tenderloin could be a good match for a pomegranate pear cocktail.

If you’re planning a special Valentine’s Day dinner, don’t forget the wine! Here are some basic food and wine pairing tips.

The first thing to remember is that it is more important to choose a wine that you enjoy than to follow rules. However, there are some tips that will help enhance your food and wine experience.

• Match the intensity and “weight” of the dish with the intensity of the wine. So a bold dish calls for a bold wine. And a light dish calls for a light wine. Sounds logical, right? Although sometimes opposites attract, it’s a lot more difficult to come up with a complimentary pairing of a strong wine with a light dish and vice versa.
• Artichokes or asparagus both contain compounds that really mess with your taste buds and can make a great wine taste really gross. Who knew?
• “Acidity” in wine (such as a sauvignon blanc) is a good match for deep-fried foods, creamy and cheesy foods, fish, spicy Asian and Indian foods, tomato dishes and tart foods.
• Wines high in tannins (such as a Syrah) pair well with fat.
• Cuisine from a region usually pairs well with wine from the same region.

Chocolate-covered strawberries are the perfect romantic treat for Valentine’s Day. They pair well with Champagne and sparkling wine. They look pretty on the plate. However, they are actually inexpensive and easy to make.

When pairing this with champagne, you can’t go wrong. But if you’re looking for a nuanced pairing, keep in mind that you want the Champagne or sparkling wine to be as sweet as the chocolate. “Brut” has the least sugar, which would be good for dark chocolate. While “Sec” has the most, a good compliment for white chocolate.

If you want to get fancy, before dipping, inject the strawberries with a little cognac, brandy or orange liqueur using a kitchen syringe.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
6 large, ripe strawberries
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (can also use dark chocolate or white chocolate)

Wash and dry strawberries. Leave the stems on. Microwave the chocolate chips for 15 seconds at a time and stir — until the chocolate is melted. Hold the strawberries by the stem and dip them half-way into the chocolate and swirl it in a circular motion.

Place the dipped strawberry on a baking sheet covered with foil or wax paper. Place in the refrigerator for a half hour to set. The sooner you eat them, the better they will be. I do not recommend letting them sit overnight.

Photo credit: satanoid

This artichoke dip is so good! It’s by no means health food, but it fits right in with any Super Bowl Sunday snack menu. Serve it with tortilla chips, potato chips or a good loaf of crusty bread.

Creamy Artichoke Dip

1 1/2 cups chopped artichoke hearts (frozen and thawed or from a can, drained)
6 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
optional: 4 oz. can of green chiles

Heat the cream cheese in a sauce pan until it is soft, then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until all ingredients and flavors meld into a creamy mix of delicious flavors. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it.

Super Bowl cocktail recipes

Whether you’re a Steelers or a Cards fan, chili is a tasty way to tame your hunger so you can focus on yelling at the screen and second guessing the coach.

Slow Cooker Super Bowl Chili

2 lbs. ground beef
2 16 oz. cans kidney beans, drained
2 14 oz. cans tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 poblano pepper, chopped

In a skillet with a drizzling of olive oil, saute half the chopped onion and one clove minced garlic. Brown the ground beef (adding salt and pepper to taste) with the onion and garlic and drain. Mix all the ingredients into a slow cooker and put it on high for an hour. Change the heat to low and leave in the pot for 5 hours.

If you want to get fancy, serve the chili in individual biscuit bowls or as a topping for burgers, fries and hot dogs.

Other chili recipes:
Mother-In-Law’s Chili (traditional chili recipe for cooking on the stove top)
Spicy Bourbon Chili (for those who like their chili hot and boozy)
El Cid Chili (made with chorizo and steak for extra meaty goodness)

Super Bowl cocktail recipes

The Maker’s Mark folks are at it again with the perfect Valentine’s Day Gift. We got a box of Maker’s Mark Bourbon Chocolates at Christmas and have never had a better liquor soaked confection. The mix bourbon with a creme filling so the liquor taste is smooth and doesn’t squirt out like other liquor filled chocolates I’ve had.

To help celebrate Valentine’s Day, Maker’s Mark sent along a few love poems to include with a box.

Unrequited Love For Another?

Roses are red, Violets are blue
You sit two cubes down
but I’ve never spoken to you
I found out that you’re single
when I checked you Facebook
I’m confident the chocolates will get me a
second look

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