I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. It started in grammar school with those colorful mass-produced cards we stuffed in the decorated class Valentine box. Later my kids gave me treasures made from construction paper and lace doilies with “I love you, Mommy” in their best writing. Today Beyond Wonderful is decked out in full pink and red splendor with lots of fabulous chocolate desserts for your Valentine’s celebration.

We’ve been busy these last few weeks perfecting recipes and photographing them for the website. My favorite photo shoot was for Baking Expert, Catherine Christensen’s Valentine’s column, Ooh la la… chocolat! Trust me, her decadent Mexican pots de crème and mousse au chocolat are close to aphrodisiacs, and will become favorites in your culinary repertoire.

Photo shoots may seem glamorous but they are hard work and often take several days to produce. I meet with our amazing food photographer, Windsor Andersen, to go over the schedule and decide what flowers, props, dishes, silverware and linens are required. Will we work in the studio or take advantage of the natural light in the garden? Once that’s determined, I start cooking, prepping food, buying flowers and gathering props.

To get in the mood, I headed to several flower shops for armloads of long-stemmed roses—both red and multi-colored bouquets—plus fragrant pink lilies and white narcissus. My favorite purchase was three bunches of the most beautiful pink tulips to herald the coming of spring.

Then it was back to the kitchen to prepare the two desserts. I piped the chocolate mousse in to an assortment of Spanish sherry wine glasses, and spooned the pots du crème into pretty bowls and festive red ramekins. All were refrigerated for the shoot.

Early the next day, Windsor arrived and started setting up. She surveyed the desserts and props and went for the chocolate mousse (her own favorite dessert). “Let’s use the red cake stand and the pink tulips. I want natural light so bundle up, we’re going to the garden.” As she worked, I piped the mousse with whipped cream and topped each with tiny red candy hearts.

In between shots I found Windsor in the kitchen eating spoonfuls of whipped cream over the sink. “Ooooo, this is so good.” So much for the tofu and bunny food she brought for lunch.

Shoots always have people circling the food table asking, “Are you done yet?” No one eats until we have our final images. When Windsor yells “done! you can eat now!” I hand out spoons and everyone grabs their pleasure and digs in. Silence for a moment, then appreciative moans and exclamations. Then, inevitably… the sound of everybody reaching for a second serving. Now that’s love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Late last September Sammy and I went to our local nursery in search of winter greens and herbs for my kitchen garden. He ran about exploring, sniffing flowers and stomping in puddles. I realized that this was the perfect time to start teaching him how to grow his food—plus a few life lessons.

We went home with our plants and a large pot for “Sammy’s Garden.” He helped fill it with potting soil and then gently removed each plant from its container. “What’s this?” Tiny fingers held up a plant with hairy roots flowing freely. We talked about how they absorb food and water and make the plants grow. He placed them in the pot, covered the roots, and gave them a drink.

Sammy checked his “babies” daily and took great pride watering and feeding them. As they grew, so did his joy for work well done. When the rainy season started, he realized he didn’t need to water them so much. We talked of plants and trees and clouds and rain. Always there were more questions which I answered with simple answers that satisfied his immediate curiosity.

This weekend, I sent him to the garden with his basket to harvest the first leaves for a salad. The picking went well until he realized that we planned to eat them. “No! You can’t eat my babies!” Gently, I reminded him that we grow food to nourish our bodies and souls—but he would have none of it.

Several days later, I took him to the local farmer’s market to shop for dinner. We looked at familiar things—beets, carrots, and lettuce. I showed him the hairy roots on the beets and reminded him that they grew in the soil like his babies. He was interested but didn’t say much.

This weekend we’ll make a simple salad using store-bought vegetables. Maybe he’ll offer a few home-grown leaves. Maybe not.

Sammy’s garden is his beginning awareness of the Earth and all its inter-connectedness. As he grows up, he’ll look forward to ripe, seasonal food prepared with love and care. Greater topics like sustainable organic farming, conservation, and global warming will make more sense with a core understanding of how things work. Sammy will know that to grow and thrive, we must be effective stewards of this planet and teach the next generation to appreciate the origins of our food.

Last weekend’s destructive storm and power outage had me checking my freezer for spoilage. Happily, everything including my “dead birds” shelf of chicken carcasses was safe. Since the shelf was chock full, I decided to make a huge vat of stock in preparation for more fierce weather yet to come.

As it turns out, that was a great idea. Another storm yesterday and continued rain today has caused still more Bay Area outages—it’s soup weather for sure.

Homemade stock is the perfect thing to make during horrible winter weather for lots of reasons. First and most obvious, it’s the base for fabulous soups, stews, and sauces—which is exactly what you’ll want to eat when it’s nasty outside. The stock’s lengthy four-hour cooking time warms the kitchen, while its aroma comforts the soul and helps erase the gloom of winter.

I’ll turn my stock into three soups this week. Today it’s Spicy Cauliflower-Potato with an exotic Indian flair. Tomorrow the kids get homemade Chicken Vegetable Alphabet soup, and will spend most of lunch identifying their letters. For the weekend, there’s nothing better than a huge pot of Corn Chowder on the stove to keep everyone going.

This stock is beyond easy. Don’t worry too much about the proportions, and know that the recipe can easily be reduced or increased depending on what you’ve got on hand. I’ve made small batches with just one carcass and up to 40 quarts with my flock of dead birds. I used a 12-quart pot for this latest batch.

Barbara’s Chicken Stock

4 chicken carcasses with bits and skin
~ cold water
1 large onion
1 head garlic
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
10 whole cloves
20–25 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Place the chicken carcasses in the stockpot and fill it with cold water.

2. Halve the onion, leaving the skin on (it adds color to the stock). Cut the garlic in half across its center. Add both to the stockpot.

3. Cut the celery and carrot into three or four large pieces and add them to the brew.

4. Toss in the cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaf.

5. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the stock to a lively simmer. Do not boil it, however, or it will become cloudy.

6. Notice that scum floats to the surface as the stock begins to simmer. These are proteins and easily removed with a slotted spoon.

7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 ½–4 hours. The stock is ready when the broth is intensely flavorful.

8. Remove the chicken bones and pieces and set aside

9. Cool the stock to room temperature, then strain through a large sieve.

10. Refrigerate overnight, then remove and discard the fat that has risen and solidified on the surface of the stock.

11. For convenient storage, freeze stock in small portions in ice cube trays or zip-lock bags, then thaw just what you need for everyday use.

Fierce winter storms hit the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California during the last several days and left over a million people without electricity. Amid radio reports of those struggling without adequate supplies or food, my family and I were grateful for each other—and the warmth of a gas-powered stove and water heater.

Family members took refuge at my house after theirs had been without power for two days. It’s amazing how a group of tired, grumpy adults and screaming kids comes together when warmed by a roaring fire, candle light, free-flowing coffee, and hot showers. Spirits soared at dinner with a big pot of cheese fondue and a large basket of sourdough bread cubes for dipping. The cold melted away as everyone dipped, twirled, and ate their cheesy morsels, told storm stories, and began laughing easily in the embrace of love and warmth.

My favorite cheese fondue recipe comes from our Beyond Wonderful Cheese Expert, Mark Todd, who first introduced me to the delicacy in its authentic form. Classic cheese fondue holds to a basic formula: one pound of cheese with two cups of dry white wine, seasonings, Kirschwasser liqueur and cornstarch to thicken the mixture.

Mark and I prefer Allgäuer Bergkäse and Appenzeller cheeses available at select specialty stores. You can substitute Emmental Swiss and Gruyere or try Comte, Beauford, or Raclette, found in good supermarkets. All of these alpine cheeses have similar cooking characteristics and are best when mixed with a dry white wine. The cornstarch and the acid in the kirschwasser are key for maintaining a smooth emulsion. Keep in mind that the world does not come to an end if the sauce breaks. Just add one teaspoon to one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to restore the proper acidic balance.

…and one last thing—watch the napkins when eating by candle light. One of ours caught fire and caused almost as much excitement as the storm.

Mark Todd’s Alpine Fondue

Serves 8–12 as an appetizer, or 4 as a main course

Ingredients

2 cups (8 ounces) Allgäuer Bergkäse, shredded

2 cups (8 ounces) Appenzeller, shredded

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon Coleman’s dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1 clove garlic, split

2 cups dry to off-dry white wine (such as premium German Spätlese)

3 tablespoons Kirschwasser

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika

~ cubed crusty bread for dipping

~ bite-sized vegetables and fruit for dipping

NOTE: You may reduce the amount of wine by 1/2 cup without compromising the acid balance between the wine and cheese. If the fondue breaks, add a small amount of lemon juice (one teaspoon to one tablespoon) and whisk vigorously to restore the emulsion.

Directions

1. Place the shredded cheese in a medium bowl and toss with the cornstarch, mustard, and pepper.

2. Set a double boiler over medium-high heat and bring the water to a lively simmer.

3. Rub the heated pot liberally with the garlic clove and discard.

4. Pour the wine into the pot and heat until barely simmering—do not boil.

5. Stir in the Kirschwasser.

6. Add the cheese by handfuls, stirring constantly in one direction until well integrated. Adjust the heat as required to maintain a temperature just hot enough to melt the cheese. Never boil the fondue.

7. Once you achieve a smooth emulsion of melted cheese and wine, add the nutmeg and paprika.

8. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot with a heat source, or carefully wrap the double boiler with a kitchen towel and serve. The water below the pot will keep the fondue hot.

Preparation time: Approximately 15 minutes.