Basic principles to consider for Valentine's Day meal

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I don't know how true that is, but I do know that if my wife is going to whisper something soft and sweet in my ear, I'd just as soon she say "lemon meringue pie."

Food and romance, of course, are inextricably connected and probably have been since the beginning of time. With Valentines' Day just around the corner we're reminded of that fundamental connection, an association underscored in the old French proverb that without bread and wine, love is nothing. No wonder cookbooks still outsell sex books.

Valentine's Day itself has culinary roots. It can be traced back to a pagan feast held in honor of the Roman god of fertility, Lupercus. The festival took place in mid-February and featured a lottery designed to find mates for unattached individuals. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius, attempting to morally upgrade the celebration, replaced it with a day of tribute to the martyred Bishop Valentine, creator of the phrase "From your Valentine."

Today the interaction of palate and passion lives on in the modern custom of sharing an intimate and romantic meal with a significant other on Valentine's Day, a ritual which in its hopefulness and occasional desperation, suggests food writer John DeMers, is really just a grown up version of exchanging valentines in grade school.

What makes a meal romantic? If you're not sure, there are plenty of books on the market to advise you. One, by Ellen and Michael Albertson, even includes detailed instructions for what is termed an edible orgy. Others, such as the aptly titled "50 Ways to Feed Your Lover" and "A Taste for Love" merely offer recipes, menus, and decorating ideas. Perhaps the most intriguing is Debbie and Stephen Cornwell's "Cooking in the Nude." I trust none of the recipes in it call for a waffle iron or a veg-o-matic.

The truth of the matter is you don't need to be a cross between Dr. Ruth and Julia Child, or read a book by someone who claims to be, to know what makes a meal romantic. Intuitively we all realize that it probably depends more on the magic between two people than on any magic in the kitchen. Thus, a bowl of ice cream and a single spoon can be as idyllic as a five-course meal at the fanciest restaurant.

Still, there are some basic principles to consider if you want to make a Valentine's Day meal especially sensual, and Cape Girardeau's premier restaurateurs know what they are.

For example, Jeri Wyman, who with husband John owns and operates The Royal N'Orleans, says that on Valentine's Day the restaurant's recently redecorated main dining room, perhaps the most beautiful in the city, glows with anticipation. The staff is eager not to disappoint, even if it means occasionally fulfilling unusual requests -- like the one from the gentleman who for 30 years has been bringing in Twinkies (yes, Twinkies) and asking that they be served for dessert. For most other diners, Wyman says, nothing symbolizes Valentine's Day better than chocolate.

Mike Risch, who with Chef Matt Tygett, runs Mollies Restaurant, suggests that some foods, like seafood, shellfish, and sushi, are more romantic than others.

"Steak can be sultry," he adds. After all, red meat goes with red wine, which itself is romantic. Furthermore, the tannin in red wine can make you pucker.

James and Pat Allen of Celebrations know that the right dining environment is important. During their first year in business, one couple got engaged over a meal served in a secluded private room at the restaurant. They come back every year to commemorate their anniversary -- at the same table in the same room.

The stately Rose Bed Inn, where innkeeper Eldon Nattier and Chef James Coley hold forth, has likewise been the scene of romantic encounters from the very start. Its first paying guests were honeymooners from Arkansas, reunited after losing track of each other following high school.

Coley, who maintains that a little intrigue is an essential ingredient to a romantic meal, serves luxurious Basil Chicken Wellington on Valentine's Day, just the thing to overcome inhibitions, as it did with one young man recently who insisted on proposing to his sweetheart on bended knee and in full view of the rest of the diners. Her tearful acceptance of his overtures, and five carat ring, sparked applause all around.

When it comes to romantic meals, of course, the Inn has at least one advantage over other dining venues -- it's a bed and breakfast establishment, so if things go well at dinner, there are rooms upstairs where dessert, of one kind or another, can be taken.

Basil Chicken Wellington

This elegant entree, a specialty of Chef James F. Coley of Cape Girardeau's Rose Bed Inn, is perfect for any romantic occasion, especially Valentine's Day. If you really want to impress your dining companion, decorate the dish with heart shapes cut out of additional puff pastry and secured to the Wellington with egg wash for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

10-by-15 inch sheet of puff pastry

2 cans (3.5 oz. each) sliced mushrooms

2 medium onions, diced

2 sticks butter

2 eggs, beaten

6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded

2 teaspoons diced fresh basil

1 bulb garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Melt together 1 stick butter, the olive oil, and 1/4 cup of the wine. Add the onions and half the garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Drain mushrooms and add along with 1 teaspoon of the basil and sauté another 5 minutes. Drain liquid and chill mixture. Once chilled, stir in cheese and set aside. Trim chicken breasts and pound between sheets of plastic wrap until uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch. Place a 2 ounce scoop of the mushroom and cheese mixture in the middle of each breast and gather edges over to form a ball. Place breasts in cups or large muffin tin and freeze just until they hold their shape. Cut puff pastry into 5-inch squares and roll out a bit to increase size. Cover each breast with pastry using beaten egg to seal all edges. Bake at 350 degrees on lightly greased baking sheet for 1 hour. While chicken bakes, sauté remaining garlic in remaining 1 stick butter until golden. Add remaining 3/4 cup wine and 1 teaspoon basil, honey, and salt and pepper. Simmer until alcohol boils off. Add cream, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until reduced by one-third. To serve, ladle sauce onto plate, place chicken in center, and garnish with fresh basil. Makes six servings.

Listen to A Harte Appetite at 8:49 a.m. Fridays and at 11:59 a.m. Saturdays on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Write A Harte Appetite, c/o the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699 or by e-mail to tharte@semissourian.com.