Will You Be My Valentine?-2/11/10

This may come as no surprise to some but I am not a hopeless romantic. I don't like romance novels or even novels with more than a little romance. (Sorry, Twilight fans, way too much for me!) Kissing in public makes me uncomfortable, even at my wedding, and I'd rather Richard help by doing the dishes than give me chocolates any day of the year. But even I like Valentine's Day. Making Valentine's cards (I've always made my own) and decorating food with hearts is creative fun and I'm all about the creative fun. Richard and I will probably go out to eat on the 14th so I did my hearts a little early. My uncle from Chattanooga came into town for the night before heading to Raleigh to see my cousin and gave me the perfect excuse to make a Valentine dinner. Richard had been begging for the cover recipe in this month's Bon Appetit so in the spirit of love, I obliged. The Grilled Cheese and Short Rib Sandwiches with Pickled Caramelized Onions and Arugula were a bit labor intensive but had enough glamour to be a dinner "sandwich". The short ribs were tender but very fatty, a treat good in moderation. The pickled caramelized onions were a good foil for the fattiness of the meat and gave a bit of pucker to the sandwich. The bitter arugula was also a good match and paired well with the rich melty Jack cheese. The effort made this a dish I will probably not make again but they were good.
For dessert, I adjusted one of the milk chocolate recipes. The "Top Tier" Devil's Food Cake with Sour Cream-Fudge Frosting called for smaller 5-inch cake pans. I don't have 5-inch cake pans and the last thing I need is another kitchen toy. Flavor is not affected by pan size so I used my traditional cake pan and instead of 4 layers, I just had two. I didn't buy organic roses but I think the cute hearts Eyrleigh and I put on top works just as well. This cake was very good and very rich. The frosting spread on very smoothly and firmed up well. A great cake for Valentine's Day!
Grilled Cheese and Short Rib Sandwiches with Pickled Caramelized Onions and Arugula-B
"Top Tier" Devil's Food Cake with Sour Cream-Fudge Frosting-A

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