Napoleon Puff Pastry

There are certain foods that we associate with love and romance: chocolate, oysters, champagne, strawberries, etc. But the true ingredient that should make Valentine’s Day so special is time. Most of us run around like chickens without heads on, trying to build our careers and/or make ends meet. We barely have time for ourselves, let alone time to spend with the people we care about. One of the nicest ways to do this is by cooking and eating (didn’t you know I was going to say that!). Seriously. No restaurant is ever as good as a night spent with a family member or friend in the kitchen, creating something delicious together. I am particular to eating at home, because I love to cook, but if you usually spend your V-Days out of the house, I recommend you stay in this Sunday. We have lots of recipes that we have developed over the years with love in mind; most of them have chile, pistachio, and rose in them, and they are all worth trying.

Start out any celebration dinner with a nice cocktail. Passion Potion is an exotic blend that you can make at home and is sure to be something you have never tasted before. For entrees, Risotto and Pasta are comfort foods at their best. Our Casanova’s Risotto with saffron and pistachio oil is nourishing and delicious. A pasta we love to share is the Forbidden Love Pasta, known as Amor Prohibido in Spanish. One of Kitchen Caravan’s first recipes, it is pasta with an Acorn squash sauce touched with a hint of smoky chipotle. It is topped with pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pomegranate. The dish is quite simple to make, yet the layers of flavor give it a lot of depth.

Our desserts are the best part of the meal. This year’s Valentine’s dessert, Napoleons "in Love" is one of my all-time favorites. It is a classic French Napoleon, but with Mastiha pastry cream (Mastiha is an aromatic resin that is used as a spice in Eastern Mediterranean cooking) and rose petal glaze. The various flavors and textures come together in perfect harmony. For something super chocolatey, I would recommend the Chocolate and Anise “Champurrado" Tart. It is a deep, rich chocolate tart scented with anise in a Mexican cornmeal crust. Chocolate and Anise are a match made in heaven, and if you have never tried them together before, you must make this tart.

If you do not want to cook, celebrate anyway, even without a Valentine. Celebrate the friendships and familiar love you have in your life and count your lucky stars.