'BLOW YOUR VALENTINE SWEETIE AWAY' ~ CHOCOLATE-CHERRY ICE CREAM BOMBE

"All I really need is love,

but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!"

~ Lucy Van Pelt (in Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz)

~Valentine Tulip

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CHOCOLATE-CHERRY ICE CREAM BOMBE

~Begin making this a day ahead. Chill the mold well before filling it. Allow several hours for the bombe to freeze and mellow before serving time. This easy recipe is from Bon Appetit (February 2000).

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1 16-oz. jar hot fudge sauce

(Sanders Bittersweet Fudge - the best)

1 12-oz. package semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tbsp. water

1/4 cup brandy

3 pints (slightly softened) cherry-vanilla ice cream with chocolate chunks or fudge flakes

1 1/2 (slightly softened) pints chocolate sorbet (or frozen yogurt)

or chocolate-cherry sorbet (or frozen yogurt)

1 9-oz. package chocolate wafer cookies

• Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in brandy. Cool.
• Line 10-inch diameter, 10-cup metal bowl with plastic wrap, extending over sides. Spread cherry-vanilla ice cream over inside of bowl to within 3/4-inch of top edge, leaving center 6-inch diameter hollow. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Fill hollow completely with sorbet (yogurt); smooth top. Overlap half of cookies (about 22) atop ice cream and sorbet, covering completely and pressing gently. Spread 1 cup fudge sauce over cookies. Overlap remaining cookies atop sauce. Cover; freeze bombe overnight. Cover and chill remaining sauce. (Can be make 3 days ahead. Keep bombe frozen).
• Rewarm remaining sauce over low heat, stirring often. Turn bombe out onto platter. Peel off plastic. Cut bombe into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce. (12-16 servings)

ELEGANT & EASY ~ OYSTER-ARTICHOKE BISQUE/ WHITE MUSHROOM SALAD with DIJON TARRAGON DRESSING

~ Elegant tulip

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OYSTER and ARTICHOKE BISQUE

“Oysters are the most tender and delicate of all seafoods. They stay in bed all day and night. They never work or take exercise, are stupendous drinkers, and wait for their meals to come to them.”

~ Hector Bolitho 'The Glorious Oyster' (1960)

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1 quart oysters (drained and chopped ~ reserve liquid)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 minced plump garlic cloves

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

2 (14-oz) cans drained artichoke hearts

3 Tbsp. flour

1 1/2 quarts organic chicken broth

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste

sea salt & white pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. fresh chopped thyme

1/3 cup sherry

1-2 cups half & half

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

• In heavy stockpot, melt butter and saute garlic, green onion, celery, and red pepper until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Add artichokes.Sprinkle mixture with flour and stir to coat. Gradually whisk in stock, stirring constantly until white roux is achieved.
• Season with cayenne, salt & white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Bring to low boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
• Add chopped oysters, oyster liquor, sherry and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes but do not allow bisque to boil. Stir in half & half. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• At this point, since soup improves with age, you may cool and refrigerate. Before serving, heat bisque gently over low heat. (8 servings)

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WHITE MUSHROOM SALAD with DIJON TARRAGON DRESSING

~ This simple salad, adapted from SALADS, deserves only the 'whitest' and 'freshest' cultivated mushrooms.

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1 1/2 lbs. clean white cultivated mushrooms

(caps tightly closed around stem)

1 cup diagonally sliced chopped celery

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper to taste

tarragon dressing

Trim ends off mushrooms and thickly slice from cap through stem. Place in salad bowl with chopped celery and sprinkle with lemon juice. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Toss gently with dressing until well-coated. Serve at once.

DIJON TARRAGON DRESSING

3 Tbsp. Dijon dressing

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped tarragon leaves (1 1/2 tsp dried)

2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

4-6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

coarse salt & white pepper to taste

Whisk Dijon, chopped tarragon and vinegar together, slowly adding olive oil until incorporated. Lightly season with salt and generous amount of white pepper. Allow to rest in refrigerator before serving.