Happy Valentine's Day and a Valentine's recipe idea

This morning my fiance officially stated ( in the proper Valentine card form ) on Facebook that he loves me more than bacon. I replied, again in Valentine card form that I love him more than cheesecake.

Valentine's day is all about saying what you feel, but sometimes words are not enough. Food ( and drink) come to the rescue as the ultimate way to express yourself.

A couple of weeks ago, on February 3, Diana and I released the third volume of the Art of Real Food recipe cards. We called them 100% aphrodisiacs, because the recipes we collected, invented and adapted, are all based on time proven arousing foods. We talked a lot about the power of good nutrition, but moreover about the power of good intention and how much sharing food really means. I would like to quote someone who said:

'' sharing food is the most intimate act you can perform with your clothes on''

and I hold this to be true in my own life. I feel like putting a ribbon around a home made cookie says more than '' I really care how you feel'' and making cheesecake for a friend the night before their birthday means more than '' I really like to be your friend''. Making food that glows, speaks, shines and flows, melts and invites the next bite is surely the way to a friend's or a lover's heart.

We discussed our menu ideas last night and decided to make an assortment of starters, cheese and some prosciutto, possibly crackers with olives and some amazing smoked mahi mahi we found at the farmers' market this weekend. We'll also make my favorite zabaglione sauce ( a wine and yolk custard sauce) to serve with fruit. I will try to take pictures and see how the dinner idea turns out. We were a bit split between champagne and wine...and shots...but as the day proceeds I am sure we will get even more overwhelmed with the options.

Until tonight, I offer you a recipe idea from our third book.


asparagus wrapped in prosciutto

We made asparagus with prosciutto which later Roland changed to asparagus with bacon, but we seem to like both. I feel like bacon takes a lot longer to cook, since it's richer in fat and thicker than prosciutto, but if you find a way to get it sliced real thin, it will probably work out very well.


asparagus wrapped in bacon

All you need to do for this recipe is find good looking asparagus and wrap one or two stalks, depending on how thick they are, in a long slice of meat. Place over a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet in an oven heated to 400F (200 C) and cook for 8-10 minutes. Bacon, depending on the thickness, may take longer.

Enjoy responsibly, they go very fast, especially accompanied by some red wine. Our own recommendation would be Malbec for a deeper aftertaste or something light like Pinot Noir, if you would rather favor a more delicate experience.