Valentine’s Day approaches, whether or not you’re feeling the effects of Cupid’s arrow. Regardless, it’s a great excuse to shower your loved ones—romantic, platonic, or related—with tasty treats and lots of love. We’ve rounded up some excellent gifts that will please the food lovers in your life, from beautiful handblown martini glasses and adorable heart-shaped baking dishes to date-sweetened chocolates festooned with dried berries and rose petals. And, in case you need further inspiration, check out our favorite chocolates, fondue pots, and places to order seafood (we recommend oysters).

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Why not stay in this Valentine’s Day and have your martinis just how you like them—preferably ice-cold and served in one of Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s exquisite Piano Martini Glasses. They’re just one of the sassy items in this gift set from New York shop Big Night, a perfect gift for sharing a romantic night at home. 

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The newest apéritif from non-alcoholic powerhouse Ghia is a lovely, juicy berry flavor, perfect for a romantic low-or-no-ABV evening. Spritz up with sparkling water for a non-alcoholic treat, or add a splash to sparkling wine for a festive sip. 

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Elegant glassware from Glasvin is always a good choice for the connoisseurs in your life. The Precision is a gorgeous, tall-stemmed little number intended for sipping both white wine and sparkling wine. Add a bottle of champagne for the perfect celebratory gift. 

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These date-sweetened chocolates are incredibly delicious, shipped straight to your doorstep in flavors like mango chili, lavender rose, and mulberry fennel. Because one bar won’t be enough, we recommend sending a set of these velvety treats, like the Garden Party collection. 

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Transport your chosen one to a warm summer day in Italy with a picnic atop this cheerful throw blanket covered with tinned fish, tomatoes, wine, and oysters. Or, skip the picnic and snuggle up on the couch while dreaming of warmer days in a Mediterranean climate. 

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These organic cotton pajamas are screen printed in India with gorgeous patterns. Our favorite is adorned with colorful bottles of bubbly for a festive slumber. 

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Born from their head distiller’s love for his mother, Rose, Glendalough’s blush-pink gin is tinted with wild rose petals. The resulting flavors include lemon and blood orange with all the lush aromatics of fresh roses. Perfectly charming over ice, or mixed into your favorite gin cocktail. 

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A bouquet of flowers is always a gorgeous gift, but for your culinary-leaning love interest, give them a tin of flower-inspired spices instead. Bright, floral pink pepper, citrusy hibiscus, rose petals, and more floral spices combine for a seasoning that’s great on salmon or lamb, or sprinkled atop yogurt. 

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We can’t imagine a more adorable kitchen gift than this mini cocotte in red enamel. The gold, heart-shaped knob is the cherry on top of this cutie, which is the ideal size for baking couple-sized dishes like cobblers or pot pies. Keep it on the stovetop for warm fuzzies all year long. 

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Send flowers to the one you love, but in the form of a jiggly, wiggly, booze-filled jelly cake. Make a statement with one of these mesmerizing confections made with a Campari lime jelly base, orange juice jelly, and sweet milk jelly flowers. It has about five percent alcohol, so make sure it lands in the right hands.

Every product is independently selected and vetted by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

The post Our Favorite Valentine’s Day Gifts for Food Lovers appeared first on Saveur.

Dense and fudgy along the edges and liquified in the center, this molten chocolate cake recipe resists overbaking due to a cleverly placed ganache truffle. This dessert is intended to be served straight out of the oven; feel free to prepare the ganache and batter up to 24 hours ahead of time so that it’s easy to fire off the cakes “à la minute.”

This recipe is adapted from a version inspired by the Jean-Georges Vongerichten dessert, which originally ran in the 2011 SAVEUR 100.

Featured in “You Don’t Have to Apologize For Loving This 90’s Dessert.”

The post Molten Chocolate Cake appeared first on Saveur.

Sure, we’re all getting a little sick of our own cooking this year—but is there really a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a home cooked meal prepared with love? For this Valentine’s Day dinner (and for all those special date night dinners to come), it helps to have a few romantic recipes for two up your sleeve. Sophisticated entrées, chocolate desserts, and a bubbly beverage or two will remind you and your sweetie that love is in the air (even in your very own kitchen).

If you and your date are staying in together (lucky you!), consider marking the occasion with some lavish seafood like oysters, lobster, and crab—or maybe with a special Italian-style steak for two. Logging online for a Zoom date instead? Pour yourself an eye-catching festive beverage like a pink champagne cocktail or a vibrant red Negroni.

And don’t forget dessert—chocolate-lovers have plenty of options on this list, as do cooks looking for lighter, fresh red fruit desserts. As for that morning-after breakfast in bed? Plan ahead so that the two of you can enjoy breakfast pastries like flakey croissants, savory danish, or sweet Mexican- or French-style crêpes. After all, a special day merits great meals, morning, noon, and night.

Here are our very best Valentine’s Day dishes to make on February 14th.

Roast Duck with Figs

Lobster Linguine with Chiles

Broiled Oysters with Parmigiano and ‘Nduja

Pomme Rosé

Bourbon-Roasted Lobster

Lemon Meringue Tarts

Chicken in Wine Sauce (Coq au Vin)

Garlic-Steamed Manila Clams

Lady Stoneheart

Lamb Shanks in Red Wine with Creamy Eggplant

White Truffle-Pistachio Caramel Corn

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Sea Salt and Espresso Beans

Shanghai Red-Braised Pork with Eggs

Baked Alaska

Filipino Beef Short Ribs Adobo (Adobong Tadyang)

Icelandic Langoustine Soup

Strawberry Lemon Cake

Braised Pork and Clams (Porco à Alentejana)

Lobster Bisque

Seared Scallops with Steamed Brussels Sprout Leaves

The Original Fettuccine Alfredo

Crepes Cajeta

Shellfish Paella

Ginger and Cocoa Nib Cannoli

Marinated Flank Steak

Rack of Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme (December 2009)

Molten Chocolate Cake »

Strawberries with Wine

Grilled Oysters

Chocolate-Hazelnuts and Banana Crêpes

Semolina-Coconut Cake with Orange and Rose Waters

Sautéed Crab with Avocado, Grapefruit and Herb Salad

Roasted Radishes

Pan-Seared Trout with Pecan Brown Butter Sauce

Chocolate Cake with Fudge Icing

Coeur à la Crème with Caramelized Strawberries

Krystal’s Espresso Brownies

Pain au Chocolat

The Ultimate Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Rosemary-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin

Linguine with Crab in Spicy White Wine Sauce

The post 50 Valentine’s Day Recipes for a Romantic Dinner In appeared first on Saveur.

Tunde Wey’s dinners aren’t really about the food: Despite spending 14 hours preparing a 6-course Nigerian feast for his guests, Wey isn’t all that interested in explaining the various dishes coming out of the small kitchen he’s taken over for the weekend. A couple in the dining room inquires about a fufu dish with a series of vibrant condiments, to which Wey replies warmly, but briefly: “Beans. Peppers.” His brevity requests a kind of trust—a loosening of our sense of control, and a faith in his work.

That sense of trust is at the heart of “Marriage Trumps All,” Wey’s dinner series that took place this past weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. For two evenings, the Nigerian-born chef produced a dining experience as a part of a larger exhibition at the city’s August Wilson Cultural Center entitled “Familiar Boundaries, Infinite Possibilities.” The premise of the series was to facilitate legitimate love marriages between U.S. citizens and immigrants by hosting first dates. Interested participants submitted a dating profile ahead of time in hopes of being matched for a blind date on one of the two evenings. U.S. citizens were required to provide proof of their citizenship, subverting the typical pressure placed on immigrants, and if matched successfully, the citizens were also responsible for footing the $120 bill—another means of shifting the burden, this time in pure cost, away from the marginalized group. Wey says this is not just a representation of an uneven system, but a reminder that “true revolution happens when folks with capital are just as burdened as folks without.”

The two dinners were hosted at a house owned by one of Wey’s partners in the project, City of Asylum (COA), a local non-profit organization that provides sanctuary to endangered literary writers, helping prevent their voices from being silenced. The people behind COA were inspired by Wey’s version of food-based storytelling, and soon enough, they were helping Wey sort through dating profiles, playing matchmaker for his project. The process was more challenging than expected, admits Abby Lembersky, program manager at COA. “There was a level of fear, mistrust, and suspicion,” she says. “Especially considering the current political climate around immigration, it was difficult to find immigrants willing to openly participate.”

When the first guests arrived on Friday evening, to a sleepy street on the city’s Northside, the kitchen inside hummed with anticipation. Over the course of an almost three-hour-long meal, diners shared Wey’s take on traditional Nigerian dishes, including quail with peanuts and ginger, jollof rice, and goat paté with taro root. It was some guests’ first encounter with food from the West African country. A deeply smoky banga soup, made with palm fruit, was a particular standout, as was a savory stew of egusi melon. Prior to the dinner, Wey and local partners visited one of the few African stores in the city to secure distinct ingredients like palm oil, cassava flour, and Nigerian spices.

While food is certainly Wey’s platform, it is not his message. One goal of the meal was to start conversations about immigration in America, and, as he puts it, disrupt global power differentials. Despite the guests’ praise of Wey’s menu, he was more focused on what would happen after the meal—a discussion led by himself and a colleague from COA on the topic of “love, marriage, and immigration.”

As guests spooned the last melted bites of a chilled date sorbet with purple yams, Wey filled his glass of wine and pulled a chair into the dining room. “We’re going to talk about love,” he began, and asked diners if they thought financial differences between romantic partners made relationships difficult. Many guests shared stories about dating someone above or below their socio-economic status, and how it often intersected with differences in race, nationality, and culture. Wey encouraged guests to speak about issues of access and freedom of travel, emphasizing that not everyone can be a “citizen of the world,” with the privileges that many American citizens enjoy. He pushed, at times, to connect individuals’ stories to larger issues of inequality between the so-called “global north” and “global south.” As the evening came to a close, Kilolo Luckett, the Acting Curator of Visual Arts at the August Wilson Cultural Center, who invited Wey to Pittsburgh, articulated a sentiment that seemed to be shared by many in the room: “This has been so illuminating.”

The evening’s discussion took place in the midst of a government shutdown battle fueled by President Trump’s fixation on border security, and in the aftermath of 2 years of repeated challenges to existing immigration policies by the president. In 2017, President Trump cut the annual refugee quota in half, and has since announced a “zero tolerance” policy along the border and proposed new restrictions on green cards. His current immigration policy denies asylum for any undocumented immigrants who entered the country illegally (to which a U.S. District Court Judge issued a temporary restraining order in November).

I asked Wey later if the pretense of a dinner, and a shared meal, makes these difficult conversations more feasible. How important is food itself to engaging people on difficult topics related to borders, immigration and policy? “I think these conversations can and should happen outside of [this format]. But food certainly helps to soften things up,” he says. “The food itself sort of ‘chews’ the topic so people can digest it better.” He compares the role he wants food to play to that of oxygen—it is something that you need to consume, but it isn’t the focus of your evening. It should simply provide the backdrop to dialogue, conversation, or perhaps even more radical change.

The changes Wey hopes to enact, to be clear, are not subtle. Wey has a singular fixation on shifting power dynamics in a world shaped by global extraction and inequities. The ultimate goal of the dinners, he says, is to examine social institutions built on human relationships and interactions which we take for granted—in this case, marriage. He tells me that his dinner is his own subversive way to wield institutions in such a way as to create bolder forms of inclusion. In his view, social institutions are prescient, and where they go, law and policy usually follow. It’s possible that a person’s choice of who to date, or even just who to dine with, may somehow impact a skewed imbalance between America and the rest of the world. The idea is at once both wildly global and inspiringly personal.

The dinners themselves beg the question: What can one face-to-face conversation do to shape how we envision our borders and ourselves? The expansive potential of Wey’s work is, in part, what makes it so arresting. Wey is preparing to bring his dinner series to other cities around the country, and at least one couple from the Pittsburgh series made plans for a second date. Marriage might be a ways off, but at least now it’s on the table.

The post Can a Blind Dinner Date Help Bring Down Border Walls? appeared first on Saveur.

Ovenly bakeries in Brooklyn and Manhattan sell this jumbo chocolate-chip cookie cake in a heart-shaped mold for Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day if you prefer), but we think it’s a great, easy, and romantic dessert recipe for any time of year. The eggless, one-bowl (edible) cookie dough comes together in a flash and bakes to rich, chewy edges with a soft center. You can bake it in an 8-inch cake pan for an oversized cookie with a gooey center, or divide the batter into 12 paper-lined cupcake molds (in that case, bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes).

Featured in: Real Romance is Eating This Whole Cookie Cake for Two

What You Will Need

• 8-inch Round Pan or Heart-Shaped Pan
• Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil
• Medium Bowl
• Whisk
• Large Bowl
• Wooden Spoon or Spatula
• Offset Spatula

The post Caramel Chocolate-Chip Cookie Cake appeared first on Saveur.

Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, Singles Awareness Day—whatever you want to call it, this mid-February holiday is our favorite annual excuse to shower our friends and loved ones in excessive amounts of champagne and chocolate. How else would we make it through to spring after the post–New Years winter wasteland? This year, forget about the cookie-cutter greeting cards and obligatory red roses, and pick up something your special person will truly love, like that Danish vintage-style casserole dish everyone’s been talking about. From stylish serving ware and elegant décor to artfully designed chocolates and our favorite bottle of bubbly pink wine, there’s something in this gift guide for everyone—yourself included.

Astor Wines

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Early Bird Foods

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Rose Quartz Serving Tray

Dansk

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Raaka

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Regalis

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Wolves Within

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notNeutral

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One Kings Lane

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Ladurée

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Belazu

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Smeg

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The post 13 Extra-Special Food Gifts For Valentine’s Day appeared first on Saveur.

We don’t always have as much time as we’d like to make breakfast, but when we have a good reason to go all out, we do. A fancy breakfast in bed is one of our favorite ways to say “I love you”, on Valentines Day or any day at all!

If your sweetheart has a sweettooth, consider whipping up a batch of Espresso Waffles with Mocha Drizzle or Apple Cinnamon Bostock. If something more savory belongs on the menu, get started on a batch of Tartine Bakery’s Kimchi, Bacon, and Egg Danish or a quick Basque-style Tortilla.

Whatever you decide on, don’t forget the bubbly—on its own, Champagne is a perfectly acceptable breakfast beverage, or get even fancier with a festive, sparkling cocktail.

Perfect Blue Cheese Quiche With Whole Grain Crust

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Lose Your Shoes Cocktail

Baked Egg Danish with Kimchi and Bacon

Espresso Waffles with Mocha Drizzle

Fried Egg with Hazelnuts, Chanterelles, Green Garlic, and Blackberries

Cinnamon Apple Bostock

The Best Croissants

Waffle Sandwiches with Cecina, Avocado, and Arugula

Blackberry-Mint Scones

Ricotta and Honey Sandwich

Arugula and Pistachio Pesto Quiche

Mixed Berries and Mint with Berry Shrub

Egg and Cheese Soufflé

Grated Potato and Cheese Omelette

Crumpets

Basque Potato and Pepper Tortilla with Ham and Cheese

Salami, Oven-Roasted Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Omelette

Crazy Day Crêpes

Billionaire’s Bacon

Cranberry Crumb Cake with Almonds and Oats

Yeast-Raised Waffles

Kir Royale

Hangtown Fry

Brennan’s Eggs Hussarde

Coquito French Toast

Biscuits with Pancetta, Collard Greens, Marbleized Eggs, and Espresso Aïoli

Scrambled Eggs with Black Truffles

Date, Parsley, and Sumac Quiche with Crushed Almonds

Sicilian 75

Quiche Lorraine

Cornflake-Crusted Brioche French Toast

Strawberry Griddle Cakes

Hong Kong-style Coffee with Sweetened Tea (Yuanyanga)

Gazpacho Bloody Mary

The Volstead

Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary

The post Elegant Breakfast In Bed Recipes appeared first on Saveur.

The Menu

• Cranberry Crumb Cake with Almonds and Oats
• French Baked Toast with Cream and Eggs (Oeufs Au Plat Bressanne
• Sicilian 75
• Australian Flat White

More About This Menu

1. The night before, load up on an assortment of fresh winter citrus. Juice some blood oranges, whip up a batch of simple syrup, and chill the Champagne for the cocktail. Bake the crumb cake before bed and leave it out at room temperature overnight to cool.
2. Set a few thick slices of soft white bread out, uncovered, on a baking sheet overnight. Stale bread works best for this savory, baked French toast.
3. The flat white is a popular Australian alternative to the latte. It uses less milk with very little foam. If you don’t have an espresso maker with a steam want at home, mimic the drink by brewing espresso-strength coffee in an Aeropress or stovetop moka pot, then frothing warm milk with a whisk or mechanical frother.
4. While the eggs are baking,
5. For even more breakfast cocktails, see our collection.

The post Gourmet Recipes for Breakfast in Bed appeared first on Saveur.

What’s more romantic than mixing your sweetheart an elegant cocktail on Valentine’s Day? To turn up the saccharine sentimentality to 11, try a holiday-colored drink. We’ve collected 50 great red and pink cocktails to woo your partner on Valentine’s Day.

Nothing says romance like champagne. Our Sicilian 75 is a riff on the French 75 made with blood orange juice, gin, and campari. Or try the Volstead, with vodka, St. Germain, and fresh berries. For something sweet-tart, the Rhubarb Fizz pairs champagne with a ginger-rhubarb syrup.

Hopefully your relationship isn’t bitter, but your drink can be. The negroni is a classic, with equal parts gin, campari, and sweet vermouth creating a bitter, refreshing sipper. Replacing the vermouth with light, citrusy Lillet Blanc gives you our floral pink negroni.

Gin Campari Sour

Sometimes we like cocktails to have a bit of an aggressive bite; other times, we’re looking to round them out a bit. Gin, Campari, and lemon are three ingredients that pair beautifully, but all have their sharp edges. Adding an egg white helps mellow and integrate these flavors without muting them, while also contributing a silky texture and an opacity that’s quite elegant in a vividly colored drink. Get the recipe for Gin-Campari Sour »

Easy Fermented Soda

Cookbook author Amy Thielen likes to add a splash of this tart, naturally fizzy juice to grown-up, not-too-sweet ice cream floats for a bright swath of flavor. We also like mixing it into cocktails and even vinaigrettes. You can start with any fruit, but the smaller and juicier the better. Get the recipe for Fermented Raspberry Soda »

Evening Shade

Heaven Hill Distillery‘s brand abassador, Lynn House, enjoyed nothing more as a child than picking peaches and other fresh produce on her grandparents’ farm in Tennessee. She continues the tradition as an adult, incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into her cocktails whenever she can—hence her nickname, “The Garden Girl.” This summery drink combines peach purée, cucumber, and whiskey. Get the recipe for Evening Shade »

The Merchant’s Wife

A bright mix of watermelon, gin, Aperol, lemon juice, and a splash of club soda, this cocktail from Stella Rosa Pizza Bar in Santa Monica sidesteps the normal pitfalls of watermelon-based cocktails, which tend to veer to the overly sweet. Well-balanced and pleasantly effervescent, the mild astringency of the Aperol tugs back at the melon’s sweetness and reignites the gin, elevating this brightly-hued cocktail to the heights of sophistication. Get the recipe for The Merchant’s Wife »

Tinegroni

A snack-sized negroni with a savory agave twist from bartender Tristan Willey of Long Island Bar. Get the recipe for Half-Sized Negroni Cocktail (TiNegroni) »

Beth Dixon, bartender at Pasture in Richmond, Virginia, describes this fun cocktail as the lovechild of a Mai Tai and a Negroni. Get the recipe for Bermuda Hundred »

We asked Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta, bartenders at The Broken Shaker in Miami, to create a cocktail for SAVEUR’s 21st birthday. They obliged with an elevated twist on a classic vodka-cranberry using housemade cranberry vinegar—because nothing screams 21 like vodka and cranberry juice. Get the recipe for Shaker Vodka Cranberry »

Lose Your Shoes Cocktail

Sometimes, the only creative direction you hear as a photographer is “Make it sexy.” So here you go: a sexy, ruby-red cocktail to drink tonight. Get the recipe for Lose Your Shoes Cocktail »

Moradita

A jalapeño-infused, blood-colored tequila and beet cocktail, the Moradita (“Little Death”), is a fresh, nearly healthy-tasting drink with some real body and a balancing hint of elegant richness. Get the recipe for Moradita »

Il Palio

Campari ice cubes morph this drink from a Manhattan into a Boulevardier as they slowly melt. Get the recipe for Il Palio »

Stone Fruit Rosé Sangria

This version of a Spanish sangria is ripe with summer fruit; its light, crisp flavors complement seafood and poultry. Get the recipe for Stone Fruit Rosé Sangria »

French Monaco

This fruity beer-based cocktail is an ideal outdoor sipper—mix the pomegranate lemonade ahead of time and bring a six-pack to top each glass individually. Get the recipe for French Monaco »

Venetian Cup

A mix of Campari, Pimm’s No. 1, and ginger beer, this drink makes an excellent warm weather apéritif. Get the recipe for Venetian Cup

Rhubarb Fizz

This bubbly cocktail makes the most of rhubarb season. Get the recipe for Rhubarb Fizz »

The Charleston Fizz

The floral flavor of gin is a natural match for bright grapefruit and elderflower liqueur in a refreshing cocktail. Fresh tarragon adds an aromatic, peppery anise note. Get the recipe for The Charleston Fizz »

The Soul Train

Tequila and cardamom is an unexpected combination, but it works beautifully with the help of lime and grapefruit juice. Get the recipe for The Soul Train »

Surviving recipes for this once-forgotten cocktail call for a curious ingredient called “red Hembarig.” We have it on good authority that a raspberry shrub works well to replace this mystery ingredient. Get the recipe for Roffignac »

Negroni

This classic cocktail couldn’t be simpler—it’s simply even parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Get the recipe for Negroni »

Strawberry-Lillet Crush

Muddled strawberries and mint star in this refreshing, lightly sweet cocktail that packs a punch. Get the recipe for Strawberry-Lillet Crush »

This refreshing frozen drink from Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right gets its baby pink color and pleasant bitterness from a combination of Campari and fresh grapefruit juice, while a pinch of finely ground yerba maté adds subtle herbal flavor and a gentle caffeine kick—the perfect fuel for a night of revelry. Get the recipe for The Pink Baby »

Strawberry Cachaça Shake

Use an aged cachaça like Avuà Amburana to add warm depth to this fruity drink. Get the recipe for Strawberry Cachaça Shake »

Sicilian 75

Campari and blood orange juice give this twist on the French 75 a beautiful color. Get the recipe for Sicilian 75 »

Bourbon Smash Jelly Shots

This jelly shot is a mix of fresh raspberries and mint with just a touch of bourbon. Get the recipe for Bourbon Smash Jelly Shots »

Raspberry-Rose Collins

The best and most surprising part of this tall, refreshing drink is the taste of rose on the finish. It comes not from any floral ingredient but from the gin—Nolet’s Silver, a brand with a pronounced rosy finish. Get the recipe for Raspberry-Rose Collins »

Plum-Basil Gin Fizz

Deep and sweet, this cocktail is an ideal vehicle for summer’s juicy red plums. Get the recipe for Plum-Basil Gin Fizz »

Cranberry Crush

Spiced rum and fiery ginger beer combine with tart cranberry juice in this flavorful cool-weather cocktail. Get the recipe for Cranberry Crush »

Shrub, the sweet-tart syrup favored by colonial Americans, is simply made by macerating fruit in sugar until the fruit exudes its juice, straining, then adding vinegar. Mixed with rum and soda it makes a bracing drink ideal for summer afternoons. Get the recipe for Blackberry Rum Shrub »

Rose Cocktail

A popular cocktail in 1920s Paris, this delicate concoction gets its soft pink color from the addition of raspberry syrup and its floral notes from vermouth and kirsch, a dry cherry brandy. Get the recipe for Rose Cocktail »

Rock & Rye & Rum Punch

This throat-warming punch is a sophisticated take on the old-timey cold-season cure of tea dosed with Rock and Rye cordial. Get the recipe for Rock & Rye & Rum Punch »

Red Nose Punch

This sweet and tangy cranberry–beer–bourbon punch, delicately spiced with cinnamon-infused simple syrup, is perfect for a festive gathering. Get the recipe for Red Nose Punch »

Sweet and tangy, with the mild smokiness of pink peppercorns and the salty edge of black cured olives, this elaboration of a vodka martini is as grand and glamorous as the wide avenues of Paris. Get the recipe for La Grande Parade de Paris »

The post 31 Red and Pink Cocktail Recipes for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Saveur.

Sure, you can sweeten Valentine’s Day with a treat from your favorite chocolatier, but because of how surprisingly easy it is to melt, temper, and mold chocolate, I like to observe the indulgent winter holiday by taking the task on myself. Homemade chocolates and hand-dipped treats are a thoughtful and inexpensive gift, and the activity itself makes a great date night project.

Whether you’re celebrating with a special someone or ignoring the holiday with friends, consider picking up a bottle of bubbly, a bag of couverture, and some of our favorite candy-making equipment.

The Prettiest Marble Pastry Board – Williams-Sonoma French Pastry

This beautiful, Spanish-made version from Williams-Sonoma is one of the more expensive pieces you can add to your confectionary arsenal, but its other uses make it easier to justify. Beyond chocolate work, this board is equally excellent for rolling out pie doughs as it is for serving cheese and charcuterie (not to mention the professional background it will add to all those Instagram shots you’re going to snap on it). Invest in this piece and you’ll immediately channel the true pastry professional you are meant to be.

Norpro

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ThermoPro

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Freshware

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Oasis Supply

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Bakers EZ way

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Wilton

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Wilton

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Wilton

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The post Everything You Need to up your Chocolate-Making Game appeared first on Saveur.

This Valentine’s Day, a rose by any name tastes just as sweet.

Whether it’s due to the current adoration of all things rosy (the phrase “millennial pink” returns over 31 million results in Google) or an extension of the now year-long appreciation of rosé wine, spirits producers of all stripes are indulging in a pink moment.

For consumers, this means a bouquet of products to choose from, such as rosé wine packaged in floral glass bottles to a pink gin that heralds back to the early days of the storied spirit.

“Pink is appealing,” Federico Vaughan, CEO of Código 1530 Tequila, says. “It has a youthful, vibrant energy.”

“Pink is very easy on the eye,” Geoff Curley, founder of Gin Lane 1751, echoes. “In beverage, specifically wine and spirits, pink-colored beverages definitely evoke warmth, summer, and fun thoughts.”

A soft coral hue doesn’t necessarily mean that spirits will taste cloyingly sweet, or even that blush-tinted liquids are only for the feminine consumer.

It’s worth noting that while pink is currently considered “girly,” this is only a recent phenomenon. From the late 1800’s to the 1940’s, little boys wore pink while their sisters donned pale blue, a color then considered the more delicate of the two hues, according to the Smithsonian. But by the 1980’s, pink was linked to not just infant girls but also to femininity in general. Consider Barbie’s striking fuschia branding or the pink breast cancer awareness ribbons popularized by the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

When, in 2016, the Pantone Color Institute broke with tradition by announcing not one, but two, Colors of The Year, it set a few things in motion. Rose Quartz (a soft pale pink) and Serenity (a cool sky blue) set the tone for the current state of all things pink (and blue); Pantone notes that the rise of the twin pastels reflect “a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted color trends throughout all other areas of design.”

As the pink trend spread from fashion to consumer goods, it makes sense that salmon, blush and coral shades are showing up in spirits as well. And this time, more men may be open to rose-colored products.

“[Pink] used to be very female-positioned, but in the past couple years, it has become very androgynous,” Mr. Curley says. “More men are not afraid to associate with soft pink color shades.”

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Launched late last summer, Codigo 1530 Rosa is a tequila with a pretty rose tint.

While the Rosa is technically still a blanco (or unaged tequila), the liquid gains its hue after resting in French white oak barrels that previously held Cabernet wine. No color or flavor additives are introduced to the Rosa, Código 1530 Tequila CEO Federico Vaughan says.

The Rosa began as an experiment, to see what would happen if unaged tequila was placed in uncharred, but previously used, wine barrels. “When we opened it, this pink tequila came out,” Vaughan says. “We tried it and we knew we had something special.” The red wine barrels give the tequila additional fresh citrus notes, in particular tangerine.

Elva Ramirez

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Deliver a bouquet of a different kind this season. The Côte des Roses’s charming bottle features a garland of petals along the base; lift up the bottle to discover a blooming rose etched into the design.

The pale blush wine, a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, delivers a sprightly floral note with grapefruit accents and a lush finish.

Elva Ramirez

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Do Valentine’s Day right. Get the Dom Perignon.

Dom Perignon has been crafting rosé champagnes since 1959. Their rosés are bottled only when winemakers have exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay harvests to work with.

Dom Perignon’s 2005 vintage arrives in a striking fuschia and black bottle that’s more sex than romance. (We’re ok with that.) Inside, you won’t find some flimsy liquid. The 2005 vintage is rich and structured, with a backbone of sharp blood orange and touches of licorice.

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East Coast favorite Wölffer Estate is often spotted at Hamptons celebrations for a reason. Among their popular offerings, this dry apple cider, which gets its color from red grape skin extracts. Sipping these is like getting an early taste of summer while still in February.

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Like the gin-and-tonic, “pink gin” first originated in the British Royal Navy, when officers would douse their gin with Angostura bitters. The resulting concoction, as you can guess, turned into a shimmering rose gold that feels particularly modern today.

Gin Lane 1751’s “Victoria Pink”, which debuted last fall, harkens back to that early drink, by adding spices and herbs to its juniper-forward gin. With a base of a sturdy London Dry, the bitters highlight a delicate spicy note in the finish. Try it in a French 75.

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Moët & Chandon’s “Love Unconventional” comes close to bottling Valentine’s Day itself.

Decorated with whimsical photo-illustrations set against a pink background, this rosé Champagne delivers a bright red berry bouquet with a pop of pepper and a hint of rose. Available in both a 750ML bottle or individual mini-bottles, this Champagne does double duty as romantic gesture but also as a playful best friends’ gift.

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There’s a new trend to drink Champagne on ice, and while this causes some purists to clutch their pearls, the innovation gives France’s storied liquid a youthful makeover.

Champagnes like Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé are designed with ice in mind, which means drinking them on their own doesn’t showcase the wines at their best. This wine has been blended with a touch of sugar to bring its red fruit accents to the forefront. When added to ice, the wine unfurls a bouquet of radiant red fruit notes.

The best way to serve Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé is easy peasy: Take a big goblet filled with chunky ice cubes, pour in the rosé and top it with one fresh fruit garnish, such as lime or pineapple.

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Don’t let the dark bottle fool you, this Gentian Amaro from Lo-Fi Aperitifs boasts the loveliest shade of dark rose, courtesy an infusion of hibiscus flowers.

The amaro begins with a California white wine and neutral grape spirits base, to which Lo-Fi adds gentian root, cinchona bark, anise, and other spices. With hints of ginger as well as floral notes, pair this with rosé and soda for a summer-forward cocktail. For something as pleasant as it is unexpected, pour a shot of Gentian Amaro directly the lager beer of your choice.

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