Spreading the Love
Looking for a delicious, artisan treat for your valentine? Ditch the crappy box of chocolates and look no further than Amour Spreads (amourspreads.com). It's marmalade season, and this local company now sells flavors like blood orange rosemary, Meyer lemon rose geranium and ruby red grapefruit. Inventory is running low on out-of-season spreads like marionberry, heirloom satsuma plum, apricot rose, olallieberry and my favorite, pear lavender, so get them while you can. It'll be a while before those flavors return.
Cooking Class Cuddles
Here's another fun idea for a romantic gift or an anytime excuse to cook with your special someone. The Salt Lake Culinary Center (2233 S. 300 East, 801-464-0113, saltlakeculinarycenter.com) hosts frequent "Date Night" classes "designed for couples who like to put some spice in their cooking." Upcoming courses include The Ultimate Surf and Turf on Feb. 9, a sushi-making class and Turn Up the Heat on Feb. 10, Playing with Fire! Feb. 11, Some Enchanted Eating on Feb. 16 and Hibachi Steakhouse on Feb. 24. Valentine's Day at Salt Lake Culinary Center is reconfigured as "Galentine's" for the Girls Night Out: French Bistro class, where a "modern, sexy menu" is prepared for BGFs to enjoy. The organizers say, "This class will be taught shirtless by a witty, dashing, CrossFit-training, talented chef."
Under-the-Wire V-Day Entrées
We received last-minute info for holiday specials just before press time from SLC POP, which hosts a pre-Valentine's Day dinner at the Red Moose on Feb. 11 (tickets at slcpop.com). Also, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (20 S. 400 West, 801-355-3704, flemingssteakhouse.com) offers a V-Day prix fixe menu from Feb. 10-19. A three-course menu is featured, starting at $79.95 per guest. Begin the evening with an amuse-bouche and choice of salad, followed by an 8-ounce cut of tender filet mignon, accompanied by either New Zealand Ora King salmon or Australian lobster tail. Round out dinner at Fleming's with wines by Jean-Charles Boisset and finish on a sweet note with raspberry white chocolate bread pudding.
Quote of the week: "Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it had to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new."
—Ursula K. Le Guin
Food Matters 411: tscheffler@cityweekly.net