“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.” – Coco Chanel
Nothing says Valentine’s Day like Champagne – especially when it’s pink! And in honor of this most romantic holiday, we’re giving away a very special selection this month to a lucky winner, the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne (a $75 value)!
In the 1960’s, making a non-vintage rosé Champagne was virtually unthinkable but Bernard de Nonancort, the charismatic Chairman and CEO of Laurent-Perrier at the time, was just the man to make it happen. Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé was launched in 1968 in an elegant bottle inspired by those made in the time of French King Henri IV. This gorgeous sparkler is a lovely, salmon pink hue with seductive aromas of fresh red berries, minerals, and smoke. The palate is lively and layered with notes of strawberry, black currant, gingerbread, and a hint of anise followed by a delightfully lengthy finish. While perfect on its own, the Cuvée Rosé pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes including foie gras with red currants, roasted chicken with mushrooms, beef tenderloin – or whatever your heart desires!
To enter the giveaway for the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, simply leave a comment at the end of this post and tell us your favorite romantic restaurant. Whether it’s in your home town or halfway around the world we’d love to know! Entering the giveaway is as simple as that and for an additional chance to win, you can (1) sign up to receive our weekly newsletter by clicking here and/or (2) leave a comment on another one of our blog posts. Each additional comment will count as one additional chance to win.
This giveaway is open to anyone 21 years of age or older who lives in the continental United States and ends Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 6:00pm EST when a winner will be randomly drawn. The lucky winner will be contacted immediately to arrange shipment in time for Valentine’s Day – the cost of standard ground shipping is included as part of the contest!
Best of luck and remember, you have to play to win so leave your comment now!
Cheers,
If your goal is to dazzle your Valentine with a delicious home cooked meal without undoing all the good, healthy eating you did in January, this menu is just the ticket!
As a big fan of Ina Garten, I was delighted to see this menu from her that’s packed with flavor yet also leans towards the healthier side of things. It includes Mustard-Roasted Fish accompanied by Roasted Vegetables followed by Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries for dessert. Sound difficult? Actually each one of these recipes is pretty darn easy, you just need to let the fresh ingredients speak for themselves.
For the Mustard Roasted Fish, pick up some fresh red snapper filets from your favorite fishmonger. The rest of the preparation involves simply mixing together the remaining ingredients including creme fraiche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, capers, shallots and salt and pepper and spreading the mixture over the fish before baking it in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. As the fish bakes it makes its own delicious sauce and comes out looking beautiful! As long as you don’t overcook it, you’re all good.
The Oven Roasted Vegetables that accompany the fish include fennel, fingerling potatoes (I used purple potatoes for extra color), haricorts verts (French string beans) and asparagus. Again, you want to purchase the freshest ingredients you can find since they are the stars of the show! Be sure to start by cooking the firmer veggies (potatoes and fennel) first and adding the string beans and asparagus at the end. These more delicate vegetables only need about 10-15 minutes of roasting, any longer and they may burn or get too mushy.
As if the delicious dinner wasn’t enough, now it’s time to dazzle your sweetheart with dessert: Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries. “Coeur à la Crème” is French for “heart of cream” and this dish is made using a specially formed, heart-shaped mold which is easily found at specialty cookware stores including Sur la Table. This dessert can be made a day ahead which is always convenient and frees up your time for Valentine’s gift shopping and other important things. The “Coeur” is made from a mixture of cream cheese, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean and lemon zest which is combined and left to sit in the mold overnight in the refrigerator, wrapped in cheesecloth. When you’re ready to serve it, simply unmold the cream onto a plate and spoon the raspberry sauce around the base and garnish with a few raspberries and ooh la la – let the compliments begin!
If you’re looking for the perfect wine to serve with this delicious feast, I recommend a rosé sparkling wine or Champagne. Not only do these sparklers make a lovely presentation, they are also delicious and pair remarkably well with food. To see The Wine Atelier’s Valentine’s Day Recommendations, please click here. Also, to access any of Ina’s recipes, please click here.
Wishing you all a very Happy, Delicious and Romantic Valentine’s Day!
Cheers,
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