Mascarpone, a rich Italian cream cheese, is a perfect Valentine gift for someone who has no interest in a box of chocolates. Just for the occasion, The Mozzarella Company swirled this one with a few pecan pralines. Add it to your cheese plate, or split it for dessert after a romantic dinner for two. No bread needed—it’s like cheesecake.
February 2007 |
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Marketplace / Gift-FinderThe Best Savory Valentine GiftsFor Sweeties Who Don’t Like Sweets
Some people—we envy them—simply are not tempted by sugar. You can’t delight them with a big, red satin heart-shaped box bursting with bonbons. They just prefer the savory to the sweet. How can you dazzle such a valentine? With our selection of gourmet delights, so tantalizing that even if you have a sweet tooth yourself, you’ll be willing to set the chocolate aside and dive right in! You could buy them all and serve a complete dinner from appetizer through dessert—and we’ve listed them in that order. And there’s more! Click on over to our best Valentine gifts that aren’t chocolate candy to pick out a gift for your honeys who do like sugar. If you need a sugar-free treat, click here. Each of these is a great gift by itself—or combine them for
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Tsar Nicoulai: Truffled Caviar The team at Tsar Nicoulai has found a way to combine two popular luxury foods into something delicious for just $80 a pound. Instead of sturgeon caviar, they infuse whitefish roe with truffle flavor, and the result is simply wonderful. If you’d like variety, there are beet-saffron, ginger, and wasabi flavors as well. Serve them on thin slices of radish and cucumber for a low-calorie feast. Click here for our review. |
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The Little Pearl: Caviar for a Year When we first tasted The Little Pearl’s caviars, we were impressed by how easy it was to enjoy such a special indulgence each month at an affordable price. We immediately signed up for the Caviar Club, and look forward to a different variety each month. You might want to start with something special for Valentine’s Dinner, and give the Club as “the gift that keeps giving.” Read our full review of Little Pearl Caviar, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.
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David Burke: Smoked Salmon PopsDavid Burke gives us a new way to enjoy scrumptious smoked salmon: in the form of gourmet “lollipops.” Atlantic smoked salmon and cream cheese are whipped into a mousse with capers and scallions, wrapped in a slice of smoked salmon and served on a stick. These pops, with champagne, would make the perfect hors d’oeuvre. Get some of the cheesecake pops for dessert. Read our full review of David Burke’s Gourmet Pops.
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Alfonso Gourmet Pasta: Heart-Shaped RavioliIf Alfonso isn’t the king of pasta, he certainly is a member of the royal family. When you look at the incredible ravioli he makes, you may be tempted by the oval-shaped Kalamata Olive Ravioli, the Butternut Squash Ravioli, the Duck Ravioli or the Shrimp Scampi Ravioli. Order those too, and enjoy them the day after Valentine’s Day.
AlfonsoGourmetPasta.com |
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Vino de Milo: Gourmet Wine SaucesThe right color to proclaim “Be My Valentine,” these are the best tomato-based sauces we’ve found. Each is made with different seasonings and a different wine—hence “vino” de Milo. There are three sauces from different areas of Italy, two from North Africa and one infused with Bombay curry. Use them to make pasta dishes, tagines, hors d’oeuvres and more; recipes are on the website and in a booklet included with the gift sets. Made without sugar, these sauces are very low in calories and high, high, high on taste. The gift box selections and dinner kits are great; there's even a “Love Kit,” perfect for Valentine's Day. With a box of Barilla pasta from the supermarket, you can turn out dishes as delicious as any restaurant just by boiling water and opening the jar. Read our full review of Vino de Milo sauces.
Serve Vino de Milo sauces with a beautiful pasta shape and a great-tasting pasta like Barilla, Italy’s #1 pasta:
BarillaUS.com |
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Tsar Nicoulai: Beet-Saffron Caviar This heart was shaped from the beet-saffron caviar. While the heart is a holiday “photo op,” you can use the caviar all year round. Mix it into deviled eggs for perky red flecks and crunch (and use some as a garnish on top); spoon it into miniature potato halves or baked potatoes with sour cream; serve it on crunchy radish and cucumber halves; or use it to garnish fish filets and seafood. It’s colorful, tasty and low-calorie. |
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Sweet Love
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| Valentine Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family, by Sara Perry and Kathlyn Meskel. Nothing says “I Love You” than gifts made from the heart. Click here for more information. | Lovin’ in the Oven, by Debra Hite and Johnny L. Gilbert. This erotic cookbook with guided instructions intended for people who are willing to try cooking with a little style and imagination. Click here for more information. | The Erotic Cookbook, by Kristina Knaupp. This cookbook draws inspiration for Europe and Asia, where the sensual and spiritual blend with the culinary to spark essential life energies. Click here for more information. |
Hot Stuff
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| Valentine Spatula. Food grade silicone spatula head; contoured for optimal mixing. Click here for more information. | NordicWare Rose Bundt Cup Cake Pan. Inspired by a rose bouquet, make individual cupcake for everyone at the table. Click Here for more information. | Parisian-style Multi-tier Stand. This stand beautifully displays hors d' oeuvres, bite-size cakes and other temptations. Click here for more information. |
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