STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

fairywings · Dooney & Bourke

Anyone else making V-Day Dinner?

Kelly · Hermes

Unless he really likes salads, I'd probably do an appetizer. I think men generally eat salads less, and you are making this for him!

I would make a really decadent chocolate dessert. I just think chocolate and Valentine's Day belong together! Lava cake and mousse are what I think of first, but I'm going to dig around a little and try to find some good ones. I want to make something ahead of time that BF and I can have when we get home from our date :)

jj · Kate Spade

We will be making dinner - probably together because I am a horrible cook. I am thinking about cheese fondue for an appetizer with veggies and bread. Maybe a simple filet mignon or grilled salmon for the entree with a bottle of wine from our trip to Napa this summer.

And ttara is right - it's not heart day without a chocolate dessert! I may make chocolate covered strawberries or cupcakes. And I just remembered we have a bottle of Veuve in the fridge, so we'll probably break that out too!

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I was going to suggest fondue. I've made it in the past for valentine's day and it was appreciated. It makes for a really slow meal and is super easy.

This year I am planning on making summer rolls and some sushi rolls. I'm sure I'll add in a few other Asian inspired items. And, yes, something chocolatly for dessert. I was thinking of a chocolate flourless cake.

Suasoria · Chanel

Yeah, I/we will probably cook dinner. We actually detest going out to eat on the major "date holidays" - VD and NYE. Because everyone else is eating out, you get lousy service, you're usually stuck with a "special chef's menu" that costs way more than the regular menu, and because it's made in institutional-sized batches it's not very good.

So we go out the day before or after and stay in...

A "theme" like red and pink could be cute - roasted beets, salmon fillets, rice pilaf with dried cranberries, maybe a tomato salad to start, red velvet cake for dessert...

I don't know if you have mad kitchen skillz or not, but in general I'd go with your culinary strengths, use fresh ingredients, and keep it simple and light since there's no doubt going to be strenuous activity happening later. For me it's not the time to attempt a dish I've never done before, and who wants to spend the whole evening alone in the kitchen when you could be canoodling with peach bellinis instead.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I have been thinking about cooking too. One of the Hungrygirl newsletters this week had a knock off on the molten lava dessert at chili's that looked good and easy to make.

HG's Best of My Lava Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

For Cake
1 cup moist-style chocolate cake mix (1/4 of an 18.25-oz. box)
One 25-calorie packet diet hot cocoa mix
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
2 dashes salt

For Filling
One-half Jell-O Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Snack (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. fat-free liquid creamer (like Coffee-mate Fat Free Original)
1/2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
Place the chocolate chips for the filling in a glass and set aside. Pour the creamer in a microwave-safe bowl with the butter, and heat in the microwave for about 15 seconds, until butter has melted and mixture is very hot. Pour the mixture over the chocolate chips and stir until they have dissolved. Allow to cool for several minutes. Add the pudding to the mixture and stir well. Spoon the chocolate mixture into four evenly spaced mounds on a plate. Place in the freezer for 25 minutes. (Don't over-freeze -- the mounds could stick to the plate.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chocolate chips for the cake in a tall glass along with the contents of the cocoa packet. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until chips and cocoa have dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cold water and stir well. Pour the contents of the glass into a mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the cake (cake mix, egg substitute, Splenda, and salt) to the mixing bowl, and whip batter with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes.

Once the chocolate mounds in the freezer are a little firm, spray four baking ramekins (each about 4 inches in diameter) with nonstick spray. Evenly spoon the cake batter (which will be a little thin, but don't worry!) into the ramekins. Remove chocolate mounds from the freezer, and place one in the center of each batter-filled ramekin. Put the ramekins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Cakes will look shiny when done.

Carefully remove each ramekin from the oven. You can eat the cake right out of the ramekin (while the center is still gooey!), but make sure to let it cool a little bit, because the ramekin will be hot. Or you can wait until it has cooled completely and plate the cake by running a knife along the edges and flipping it upside down. (Then just pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to heat it back up.) Enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 individual lava cake
Calories: 182
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 433mg
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sugars: 18g
Protein: 4g

POINTS® value 4*