There are very few saints whose day is celebrated as widely as Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day. There are many different and contradictory stories of the origin of this holiday.
According to one version, during the Roman Empire, around the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II forbade the legionnaires to marry so that they would not think about anything but war and the glory of the Empire. However, this could not prevent soldiers from falling in love. Fortunately for them, a man was found who secretly married the lovers - the priest Valentine. This, unfortunately, could not last long: as soon as the Emperor found out about such a perfidious violation of his decree, Valentine was immediately sentenced to execution, which took place on February 14. Thus, Valentine, later recognized as a holy martyr, became the patron saint of all lovers. According to the same legend, before the execution, Valentine left a farewell letter to his beloved, signing it "Your Valentine". It is believed that this is how the tradition of giving "valentines" to your beloved arose.
According to another version, it is believed that this holiday originates from the ancient Roman Luprecalia - a feast of fertility in honor of the goddess of love, held on February 15. Over time, this holiday has outlived its usefulness and people began to forget about it. And in the Middle Ages, the life of St. Valentine began to grow into legends that became extremely popular. Therefore, Valentine's Day is still called Valentine's Day.
Of course, everyone knows about the tradition of giving gifts to their loved ones on this day. As for the gastronomic component, this is a great opportunity to prepare a truly romantic dinner and thus rekindle passion - you just need to know what products to use!
I present to you the TOP 15 of my favorite aphrodisiac products:
- Asparagus
- Almond
- Avocado
- Truffle
- Chilli
- Chocolate
- Watermelon
- Bananas
- Honey
- Basil
- Vanilla
- Fig
- Goji berries
- Caviar
- Oysters
Now let's start preparing dinner using these products! I offer you a simple but very effective menu for Valentine's Day.
Asparagus with goat cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 kg asparagus
- 200 gr soft goat cheese (or feta cheese)
- 200 gr cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 75 ml olive oil
- 35 ml balsamic vinegar
- 20 g cilantro
- 20 g flat parsley
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Boil the asparagus in boiling water for 4 minutes. And immediately dip in a bowl of cold water.
Chop tomatoes, onions and herbs.
Put asparagus on a plate, top with tomatoes and onions, cheese and herbs. Drizzle with vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Steamed mussels a la Marinier with linguine pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 kg fresh mussels
- 400 gr tomatoes
- 400 g of linviné pasta
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 1 onion
- 75 gr parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 30 ml olive oil
- 30 g fresh basil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, fry for 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and leftover ingredients. Cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the mussels.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the shells open.
At this time, boil the linguine pasta.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to deep portioned bowls on top of the pasta. Top with the sauce you used to cook the mussels.
Chocolate fondant
This is one of my simplest recipes, so just follow the directions and you will succeed!
For 4 persons you will need:
- White sugar 100 gr
- Bitter chocolate 95 gr
- Eggs 3 pcs
- Unsalted butter 90 gr
- Flour 50 gr
- A pinch of salt
Melt chocolate in a water bath, add butter and eggs. Stir well and make sure the water is not boiling - keep the temperature low. Then add flour and mix everything thoroughly.
Grease 4 round tins with butter and fill them with the same amount of the resulting chocolate mass.
Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 6 minutes.
Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This dessert can also be garnished with fresh raspberries.
Enjoy your meal
Photo source: GettyImages
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MICHEL LOMBARDI BORN IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE INTO AN ITALIAN FAMILY. THERE WAS A CAREER IN THE LEADING RESTAURANTS IN LONDON, MILAN AND TORONTO AND THE HIGHEST CREDITS OF EXCELLENCE, INCLUDING THE BEST RESTAURANT TORONTO AWARD. MICHEL LOMBARDI WAS ALSO OWNED BY THE RESTAURANT OF OUTDOOR SERVICE OF THE SHOOTING SITES, AND WITH HIM AND THE HONOR OF COOKING DISHES FOR THE STARS OF WORLD CINEMA AND SCENE: DEMI MOORE, BRUCE WILLEWELLIS STA. NOW MICHEL IS THE CHEF OF THE RIVER RESTAURANT ON RED OCTOBER.