Thinking Outside the (Chocolate) Box...More V-Day Gifts

There are plenty of ways to a sweetie’s heart that don’t involve chocolate.

Here are a few ideas to consider for last-minute shopping (and stats show that virtually ALL Valentine's Day shopping is last minute).

***  PROSECCO is the darling of today’s hip bar scene. This sparkling wine, which comes from a region just north of Venice, Italy, is light and effervescent, food-friendly and affordable. We’re talking between $8 and $18 for a bubbly that tastes delicious and wont’ leave you with a headache the next morning.

Visit any large liquor store and ask for guidance. I’m partial to the Bellenda Brut from the prestigious Valdobbiadene region. It costs about $17 and is available at some COSTCO stores. Mionetto and Tenuta S. Anna are other names to look for. This tantalizing photo is from the NYGirlEatsWorld blog which also features a terrific post about Prosecco.

Prosecco by itself is lovely. Prosecco with a few drops of Aperol, the Italian aperitivo made from gentian flowers, bitter orange and rhubarb, is even more glorious….rosy pink and with just a hint of sweetness. Aperol is available in large liquor stores such as BevMo, where a bottle costs about $25 and lasts forever. Prosecco's also good with fresh strawberries or a few drops of pomegranate juice (long considered an aphrodisiac, for what it’s worth).

*** Or, deliver a bottle of bubbly along with a jar of the WILD HIBISCUS FLOWERS IN SYRUP that I blogged about last month. Plunk one in the bottom of a Champagne flute, fill with Prosecco and get ready for the oohs and aahs.

*** HEART-SHAPED CHEESES are out there in the marketplace all year long. But this seems a perfect time to spring for a creamy cow’s milk or tangy goat’s milk cheese, gently molded into a heart shape. I found a deliriously good fresh cheese (as opposed to an aged cheese with rind) called Amour de Brillat (“love of Brillat-Savarin,” one of the first gourmets), at Jonathan’s La Jolla. Imported from France, it’s outrageously creamy and topped with a confetti of candied papaya, which makes it equally at home at the breakfast table and a cocktail table in front of the fireplace. It costs about $15… pricey but worth it for the great flavor and romantic message it sends. It’s also at Harvest Ranch Markets in San Diego.

Coeur du Berry  is another French import, made of fresh goat cheese, and costing about $10.  Coach Farm of New York State does an aged Chevre (goat cheese) that’s rich and creamy with a beguiling hint of lemon. It costs about $10. Both can be found at some Whole Foods and Bristol Farms markets.

*** So what about the lover who’s on a diet and nixing the idea of cheese, chocolate and booze? Chef Ron Oliver, of La Jolla’s Marine Room restaurant, has designed a line of DRINK CHARMS that’ll set guests’ wine glasses apart with style and “good taste.”  Each charm is crafted of Swarovski glass beads and hand-painted pendants including a carrot, grapes, a lemon wedge and peas in a pod.  A set of six charms and a book of creative cocktail recipes costs $38.50 at ChefRonOliver.com.

 Oliver also makes a “Fruits of Love” necklace, pictured here, that comes with a recipe for Latin Love Caramel. The line also includes necklaces inspired by bananas (my favorite), eggplant and pears.  Each necklace costs $39.50; matching earrings are $13.50. If you order a necklace on-line and mention that you saw it on this blog, Oliver says he’ll send you the earrings for free!

*** Everybody knows that a guy who can cook is a real chick-magnet. So imagine how much mileage a guy will get by proposing a hands-on cooking class for his sweetie and himself.

Great News! Discount Cookware and Cooking School in Pacific Beach has just the ticket. Called “Friday Night Dinner Parties,” these are three-hour-long hands-on classes, taught on Friday nights, and geared to couples of all ages. The group sips wine and chats while learning handy techniques and tips, and everyone gets to eat each dish as it’s completed.

Several of the upcoming hands-on classes are particularly appropriate as Valentine’s Day gift. There’s a Fondue and Raclette party; a Wine Country Cooking that includes White Chocolate Cheesecake; a “Friday Night” with Pacific Rim Flavors, and, the sexiest of all, the “Caribbean Island Fantasy” that kicks off with a Sparkling Pineapple Rum Punch. For info, visit Great News on-line or call  (858) 270-1582.  

Comments

[Love Aphrodisiac]

Love Aphrodisiac

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More info: http://www.whatisanaphrodisiac.com/

[Online Pharmacy no Prescription]

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[Alcoholic cocktail recipes]

nice drink, different and rich!!

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