It's Foodie Friday Valentine's Day!

It's Foodie Friday at Gollum's!!

Thank you Michael for hosting- Allie and I absolutely adore this blog and the sweet lady who writes it. If you haven't already done so, run- don't walk, over to your favorite bookseller and check out "Consuming Passions- A Food Obsessed Life". You won't be sorry

It's been an insane week here at Casa Bramasole what with Valentine's Day and the impending 16th birthday of a certain teenaged food and decor blogger. Allie will be our Sweet 16 on Monday. 

It's not possible

It just isn't-she weighed less than 5 pounds just yesterday

Oh....it wasn't yesterday?? S-i-g-h..........

We'll be having a little girl's lunch for our girl this weekend and will share next week.

For today we're going to share recipes from our  romantic Tablescape Thursday  Valentine's dinner. 

Our first course will be a simple, but oh-so-flavorful Tomato Cream Soup with a swirl of Creme Fraiche

WARNING! This is made with real butter and real cream

This IS a Valentine's dinner for lovers

Decadence is expected and forgiven

Our dessert...

Perhaps an ending to the meal,

but definitely a beginning.......

Enjoy...

Tomato Cream Soup

4 cups ripe fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed (not too liquid-y. If you're using canned tomatoes, drain excess liquid)
 4 cups homemade chicken stock (or low sodium boxed)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons fresh pesto
 1 cup heavy cream
 1 stick unsalted butter
salt
  cracked black pepper
 lemon juice (optional)

Combine tomatoes and stock in saucepan.
 Simmer 30-45  minutes.
 Puree with the pesto, in small batches in blender. Return to saucepan, season with salt and pepper, swirl in butter and whisk slowly to combine. Add cream and stir over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and swirl in some creme fraiche or sour cream

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Mango Cream Meringues

2 egg whites

dash of salt

good pinch of cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

Filling:

3/4 cup heavy cream whipped  to soft peaks with 1-2 tablespoons sugar.

1/2-3/4 cup pureed fruit-I used frozen mango, thawed for these today, but have also used passion fruit and various berries

Fold gently together

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. These can be made in any shape, but we did hearts for valentine’s Day. Using a 3-4 inch heart shaped cookie cutter as a guide, I traced 6 hearts on the parchment

     Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar till soft peaks form. Add the sugar VERY SLOWLY and continue beating till you have stiff glossy peaks. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag with a half inch tip (or a Ziploc bag with the corner clipped). Pipe meringue around the outline of the traced hearts and fill in-you should be able to get 6 hearts. Bake for 45 minutes, turn off oven without opening door and allow to cool for at least an hour.

Lay three hearts, flat side up, on a platter. Spread with cream filling and top with remaining 3 hearts, pretty side up :)

** These are exceptionally pretty accented with ruby red pomegranite seeds. I went to 4 different local stores and was unable to find any, but take my word for it-really lovely

*** Another thing I have done is made a tart with a puff pastry base and a creme patisserie filling. Simply “float” the meringue hearts on top and sprinkle with pomegranite seeds or drizzle with chocolate

Happy Valentine's Day

As Always,

Buon Alimento, Buon Amici,

Allie and Pattie