Valentine's Day: Paris, Pears, and Pooches

Dan and I have never been fans of dining out on holidays like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day.  We're perfectly happy to have a quiet, low-key evening at home.  This year was no different.  An especially nice surprise was the fact we were able to have a fire as it was an absolutely Arctic 60 degrees in L.A.....okay, all of you with snow on the ground can stop groaning now.  Needless to say, it was a nice romantic treat. 

Perhaps we were still reveling in the stunning images of Paris in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (which we watched last weekend) or I just needed a St. Germain fix, so our drink of choice this year was a La Rosette.  A La Rosette is St. Germain topped with Brut Rose' graced with a strawberry.  For anyone not familiar with St Germain, it is an elderflower liquor with a sweet, floral flavor and the most exquisite bottle.  The recipe is on the St. Germain web site as one of their suggested wedding cocktails. It was positively scrumptious and the color was a soft antique pink.

My go-to dessert these days is poached pears.  I often make them when we have guests as they are light and elegant.  Last night I served the pears with a dollop of creme fraiche drizzled with the wonderfully luscious poaching liquid and a strawberry.  The perfect dessert for the end of a perfect day.

Well....not entirely the end.  We somehow found a little more room for a few chocolate covered strawberries in front of the fire while we watched the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  Of course, we were cheering for the Golden Retriever.....who, once again, didn't even make the short list in the Sporting Group.  We're convinced there is a huge conspiracy against, what we consider, the best breed ever.  Our Valentine's Day Best In Show award goes to the Golden!

La Rosette

1/2 jigger St. Germain
Brut Rose' (we used Mumm Napa)
berry for garnish  

Pour the St. Germain in a champagne flute and top with the Brut Rose'.  Garnish with a strawberry or raspberry.

Reisling Poached Pears

3 cups (1 bottle) Reisling
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 firm, ripe Bartlett pears with stem
juice of 1 lemon
sugar for coating
creme fraiche
berries for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pour the wine in a baking or gratin dish large enough to hold the pears upright.  Add the vanilla and mix with the wine.

Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact.  Cut a thin slice off the bottom so the pears sit upright.  With a melon baller, cafeullly remove the core from the bottom.  Rub each pear with the lemon juice and then roll in the sugar to coat.  Place the pears in the baking/gratin dish.

Roast the pears, basting frequently until tender and slightly golden, approximately 1- 1 1/2 hours.  The time may vary depending on the ripeness of the pears.  Test the pears by piercing with the tip of a knife.  When the knife pierces the flesh easily, the pears are done.  The poaching liquid will automatically reduce during the cooking process.

Serve the pears warm, cold, or at room temperature with a dollop of creme fraiche, a drizzled puddle of the poaching liquid, and a berry garnish.

You could serve the pears with ice cream and/or whipped cream rather than the creme fraiche.  I have also served the pears with a raspberry syrup garnished with fresh raspberries.

I've posted additional photos of our dinner on the Living Simply page.