From the Food Editor: Thinking about Valentine's Day makes me all bubbly inside
I love Champagne and am looking forward to Valentine's Day as an excuse to open a bottle of bubbly.
But what to serve it in?
Sure most people know about flutes — their tall, trim bowl designed to reduce surface area and retain carbonation — but they're not the only player in the game.
In fact the coupe, or saucer, was the glass of choice for Champagne way back in the '60s — the 1660s — in England. Coupes became especially fashionable in America during the post-Prohibition era (think Jay Gatsby) and were the stemware of choice at weddings until the 1960s.
For settings more casual than an opulent estate party or country club wedding, stemless is the way to go, like Riedel's Stemless “O” Champagne Flute. Riedel severed the stem to create a modern feel that's more practical for appetizers on the beach or a picnic in the park. The 4-inch tall flutes also are easy to transport and store — just think, no more standing on the counter to reach the tall champagne flutes that fit only on the top shelf ($25 for a set of two at national retailers).
Riedel's Veritas Coupe is a bit of a redesign as well. Instead of a short, chunky stem from the flapper era, the stem is longer but still boasts a voluptuous bowl. It does double duty for other cocktails and individual desserts (about $60 for a set of two at national retailers).
A rose by any other name: Here's a drink I plan to enjoy with my valentine come Saturday, and it sates my strong passion for bubbly and his affinity for gin. It's call the Edinburgh Rose and comes from the people who make Hendrick's Gin, which, I just learned, is infused with rose petals.
To make the Edinburgh Rose, add 1 ounce Hendrick's Gin, 4-6 fresh raspberries, 1 ounce lychee juice (from canned or fresh lychees), ½ ounce raspberry juice and a splash of rose cordial to a cocktail shaker and shake to muddle. Double strain into a flute or coupe and top with Champagne or your favorite sparkling wine. Garish with a raspberry.
Contest corner: The Girl Scouts of the USA have teamed up with Taste of Home magazine to sponsor a contest to find creative dessert recipes that use the iconic cookies as an ingredient.
Through March 2, cooks of all levels, from home cooks to professional chefs, are invited to enter a recipe in one of four categories: cakes, pies, cupcakes; cookies, brownies, bars; pudding, ice-cream, gelatin desserts; and candies. On the line is for the chance to win $250 to $500 in prizes plus a feature in the popular magazine.
Staff from the Taste of Home test kitchen will review and test the recipes and select the top 16 from each category determined by taste, visual appeal, creativity and crowd appeal. From March 30 to April 14, the public will have a chance to vote for their favorite finalists at www.girlscouts.org/recipecontest. The recipes with the most votes in each category win and winners will be announced in mid-April.
“Each year, we see so many excited cookie fans share their own recipes using Girl Scout Cookies via social media and more, so we figured it was high time to do something with all this positive energy,” said Anna Maria Chavez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “The creative possibilities are endless, just like the number of ways girls use their cookie money to give back to their local communities.”
Of course, you'll need some cookies for recipe testing. If you don't know a neighbor or co-worker's daughter who is selling cookies, head to www.girlscoutcookies.org to find out where a local troop will be selling cookies near you. Then, when you have your recipe ready, review the full contest guidelines and enter your recipe at girlscouts.org/recipecontest.
Good luck.
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at dpankey@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524. Be her friend at Facebook.com/DebPankey.DailyHerald or follow her on Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter @PankeysPlate.