Celebrating Valentine’s Day at home? Centre County chefs offer tips to make it special
Whether you’ve waited too long to make that dinner reservation, or you just prefer to stay in and celebrate, crafting a gourmet experience at home this Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be difficult. Happy Valley chefs and other food and dining experts have weighed in with tips and tricks to make your at-home Valentine’s Day dinner both seamless and scrumptious.
For starters, Zach Lorber, culinary arts instructor at State College Area High School, said you should cook something you and your partner like and something not beyond your skill level.
“Cooking with a partner should be fun and not stressful,” he said. “Review the recipe in advance and make sure you have the correct ingredients. If something needs to be thawed, marinated (or) pre-heated, or requires advanced preparations, make sure you plan for that. ... You can always wash, peel and cut vegetables in advance (or) chop herbs or marinade proteins a day or two ahead of time. This year, Valentine’s Day is on a Wednesday so there’s no reason you can’t prepare some ingredients on Sunday to jump-start your week.”
Multiple chefs similarly suggested keeping things simple and stress-free for the best experience and dinner possible. Amanda Cruz, owner of The Gourmet Girl Personal Chef Service, noted that there’s no need for a Valentine’s Day dinner to be “fancy” or expensive, in order to impress your partner.
“When we were dating, my husband made me one of his family’s favorite dishes from his childhood, spicy cheesy chicken — chicken stuffed with shredded pepper jack cheese then breaded with crushed Cheez-Its and baked. It’s not fancy, but it was delicious and memorable, and a great way to learn more about him,” she said.
Cruz added: “For a budget-friendly, fancy-feeling meal, I love an oven roasted pork tenderloin. When cooked properly — use an instant-read thermometer for perfect doneness — they’re moist and flavorful and out of the oven in about 25 minutes. Prep with a mustard, garlic and fresh rosemary rub or make a chili maple marinade for ultimate flavor. I recommend pairing (it) with mashed sweet potatoes and simple steamed green beans, or roasted carrots topped with gremolata for a flavor boost.”
Lorber also offered a recipe recommendation: his Thai peanut shrimp, one of the first meals he ever cooked for his wife. He called the recipe “super easy, very adaptable and delicious,” and it only takes five ingredients and less than 20 minutes (and he provides a handy instructional video for the recipe on his YouTube channel, @zachlorber9171).
However, if you do have some culinary skills and want to splurge, Lorber recommends scallops as an option, saying, “Beautifully seared scallops with boursin cheese mashed potatoes, sauteed asparagus and a chilled riesling is close to a perfect meal in my book.”
Speaking of wine, if you don’t know your riesling from your rosé, Jeff Proch, president of University Wine Company, can help with your wine pairings.
“Generally speaking, pairing wine and food with similar intensities typically works best,” he said. “For example, pairing red wines with red meat and white wines with white meat or seafood is always a safe choice. A bold steak pairs well with a bold red wine, such as (a) tannic, higher alcohol cabernet sauvignon, and a delicate fish pairs well with a lighter white wine, such a crisp and fruity chardonnay. If you are thinking about a spicy dish, try a semi-sweet riesling or moscato. The sweetness of these wines do a nice job to cut the heat of the spicy food. For dessert, red wine with dark chocolate is always a popular combination.”
Speaking of dessert, consider making chocolate-dipped strawberries, which, according to Chef Harrison Schailey at Harrison’s Eat Well Catering and The Mt. Nittany Overlook Event Center, is both a foolproof and simple idea, as well as an option for a date night activity. Crafting a dessert-only grazing box or charcuterie board is also a possibility — but if you’d prefer something a little less hands-on, Heather Heverly and Sarah Ehrlich, co-owners of Ahhmazing Graze, have you covered. The local business is offering dessert-themed Valentine’s Day boxes with heart-shaped brownies, chocolate dipped short bread cookies and cheesecake stuffed strawberries, available for pick up on Valentine’s Day.
Lastly, however you end up spending Valentine’s Day, no matter what you cook or how well it turns out, you can follow Lorber’s final tip: “Make the most of the time you have — light a candle, drink the good wine that you usually save for guests, hold hands and relax together.”
Chef Harrison’s Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Purchase:
A pint or two of the largest, ripest strawberries. Make sure they will be at their prime on Feb. 14, not past it. Make sure the berries have nice green stems.
A 12 oz. package of semi-sweet, 100% chocolate chips. Ghirardelli is good (actually, all chocolate is good!). The chocolate needs to be semi-sweet or even darker, depending on your tastes. Milk chocolate is too sweet for the strawberries.
You’ll also need:
A double boiler pan (if you don’t have one, use a regular pan on the bottom and a glass or metal bowl on the top).
A vertical container to pour the chocolate into for dipping — a coffee cup or similar. The chocolate will need to be deeper than the strawberries’ length.
A whisk or spoon.
A non-stick surface to place the dipped berries on, like parchment or wax paper.
To make the berries:
Wash and pat the strawberries dry. If any moisture is left, the chocolate will not stick to the berries. Gently pull the stem on each berry to form a little handle. Place the berries on a baking sheet or plate for easy access.
Put an inch of water in the bottom of the double boiler and bring to a simmer.
Place the chocolate chips in the top pan (or bowl) and place over the heat.
Stir the chocolate with a whisk or a spoon as it slowly melts. (This method provides gentle, indirect heat, reducing the risk of overheating. Avoid using high heat, as this can cause the chocolate to overheat and seize.)
Once the chocolate starts to melt, stir it. If it looks glossy, keep stirring until all the chocolate chips have broken down, then remove them from the heat.
Quickly pour the melted chocolate into your vertical container.
Grab a strawberry by the stem and gently dip it into the chocolate one time, up to just before the stem.
Place the berries on your non-stick surface.
When all berries are dipped, place them in the refrigerator to harden, at least 10 minutes.
Voila! Ready to eat!
Recipe provided by Chef Harrison Schailey.
Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.
