Once upon a time, a young man (he who will not be named) and a young lady (Me, who else) went out to a Valentine’s Day dinner at the finest restaurant in the Philadelphia Main Line area (which is where the rich and the very rich once lived).  The food was bland, the service was pretentious, and the prices were astronomical.  The young lady and the young man spent the best part of the snickering and laughing about the dinner especially when the obsequious waiter opened their bottle of champagne, which was done with a flourish of a white serviette and ended with a shooting cork and a spray of the bubbly.

However when the dessert was brought to the table, it was a different story.  Sweet, creamy and tantalizing, the young man and lady lapped up their delectable goodie and purred at the end of the meal over glasses of Grand Marnier.  “Now that was perfect”, said the young man sitting comfortably in his chair.  “Yes, and it was a no-brainer to make.  Plus fast and easy”, added the young lady.

So here it is, a delectable morsel from my past to bring love to you and your partner.  Or just make it for yourself and cherish it while taking a warm soak in a hot tub.

Berries in the Snow – Prep – 10 minutes, No cooking – for 2 to 4 people depending on the size of your goblets

2 pints of sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or any combination – cleaned.  Save a couple for decoration

3 tablespoons of raspberry or cassis liquor – I used Chambord

Sugar

2 pints of heavy whipped cream

1 tsp of vanilla – I love the vanilla from  the Vanilla Queen

Wedge of chocolate or a cookie – I used a wedge from Ghiradelli Chocolate (hazelnut)

In a medium glass bowl mix liquor with a teaspoon of sugar, and add berries.  Let sit while making whipped cream.  Using a mixer, put cream in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla.  You can add more sugar if you want it sweeter.  Whip until the cream is stiff enough to hold up a spoon.

I used glass wine goblets from Cost Plus that were large and have an open  mouth, unlike some goblets that are tulip-shaped.   This allows you to get the berries into the goblet easily.  If you want to be really fancy, run the liquor around the rim of the glass, and then on a plate with sugar, place the mouth of the goblet into the sugar (same technique used for margaritas).  Put the berries into the goblet, and any of the remaining liquor.  Then using a tip and plastic pastry bag filled with the whipped cream, fill the rest of the goblet (or skip the finer touch and drop in spoonfuls of whipped cream into the goblet).  Decorate with the remaining berries and a wedge of chocolate or cookie.  Put into the refrigerator until serving time (about 1 hour).

On that tension-filled day, I never was the girl that got piles of cards on my desk.  Nor did I have boyfriends who smothered me with gifts of jewels, furs, trips and chocolates.  So over the years, Valentine’s Day has been a ho-hum holiday.  In fact, it really means that it is my best friend’s birthday, and she is a real sweetheart.

When we, my husband and I, moved out to California in the late ‘80’s, we made a pact never to spend a lot of money on flowers.  Plants grow so quickly and easily in California, it seemed ridiculous to plunk $60 on a dozen long-stem red roses.  Soon we found out that roses were to be had for $3.99 a dozen, and that sealed the deal: he could only buy me roses if he found them for under $7 a dozen. It was a smart decision.

He also found out that I’m not a chocoholic and that for people that are poor at planning, reservations on the California coast seem to be impossible to get on Valentine’s Day.  And so are babysitters.  So we’ve changed game plans; we have a day of love.  The kids make valentines for all of us, my husband usually finds a card at the last moment, and I cook to sweeten up the evening.

About that chocolate thing of mine; it is not genetic, the rest of the family loves the stuff.  But we have recently found a central ground.  We just can’t resist those Cella’s Milk Chocolate Covered Cherries with 100% liquid filling.  I know that they are crap but in three days, they’ll all be eaten. Being a cheap bitch, I already bought them on sale – one box per family member.  Happy, sweet indulgence.

And so I part with you a sweet recipe for Amaretto Shrimp.  It’s fast, easy to make, and irresistible to your crowd. My family of 5 powers through 2 lbs of shrimp, but for an intimate dinner of 2, I’d suggest ½ to 1 lb.  I make it with white rice, but you could use any delicate-tasting grain.  Top it off with a green salad, shallot vinaigrette and an Alsatian Gwerztraminer wine.

Sweet Shrimp in Amaretto – Prep time:  20 minutes, Active Cooking: 10 minutes or less, rice takes 50 minutes

2 lbs of raw shrimp

½ lb sliced bacon (pan fried or even better, roasted)

1 clove of finely chopped shallots

Olive oil

½ cup Amaretto

½ cup of heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

For rice: 1 cup rice for every 2 cups of water.  In a pot, boil water and at full boil, add rice.  Come to a second boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cover pot with a tight lid.  Ready in 45 minutes to 1 hour.

For roasted bacon:  set oven at 400 degrees.  Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and place a rack on top of it.  I use a cooling rack.  Cook until crisp – about 20 – 25 minutes.  Be careful getting pan out of the oven since the fat from the bacon has dropped down to parchment paper.  When cool enough to handle, chop bacon and set aside.

For shrimp: In a large frying pan, add enough olive oil to cover bottom and place on a medium heat.  Add shallots and sauté for 1 – 3 minutes.  Add amaretto and cream, and cook until it begins to bubble (don’t boil).  Add shrimp & bacon – cook until shrimp turns pink – 3 to 5 minutes.  Take pan off of the heat, and serve over a bed of rice.  Add salt and ground pepper to taste.

For those of you without a SaladSuccess shaker, use 3 parts olive oil, one part sherry, wine or balsamic vinegar, a tsp. of Dijon Mustard, 1/2 finely chopped clove of shallots, 2 dashes of salt and a dash of pepper.  Toss into a jar with a closed lid, and shake until about 20 times.