A Match Made in Delicatessen Heaven

By Katie Barreira

This Valentine’s day, I’d like to celebrate the union of two New York icons, pastrami and smoked salmon.

When I lived in the East Village, bagels and lox from the appetizing institution Russ & Daughters became a Sunday ritual. Providing everything you’d eat with a bagel to finicky New Yorkers since 1914, no one shows lox more love than Russ.

Among the catalog of cured fish, I found myself particularly smitten with the Pastrami-Cured Salmon, which Russ describes as “salmon smoked to perfection and then covered in a special pastrami rub of 14 different herbs and spices.”

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Sweets for the Sweet on Valentine’s Day

By Sandy Hu

Years ago, when Steve and I were newly married and money was tight, we’d spend an occasional Saturday making a fancy dinner for ourselves (Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking was our favorite resource.). We’d set the table with our good wedding china, arrange flowers, light candles and enjoy a special meal together. Before dessert, we’d get up from the table and do all the dishes, so they weren’t waiting for us when the meal was done. Once the kitchen was cleaned, we’d sit back again and enjoy dessert and coffee, feeling as pampered as if we had dined at an expensive New York restaurant.

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Couscous Makes an Easy, Go-To Meal

By Sandy Hu

I’m on Twitter every weekday afternoon as @specialforksndy trying to help people with their most pressing need of the evening: what to cook for dinner. One of my favorite ideas for cooks in a hurry is couscous salad.

Here’s the couscous recipe in a tweet, under the 140 character limit: “Boil 1 ½ c broth; add 1c couscous. Off heat, cover & stand 5 mins. Fluff w/fork; add chick peas+g onions+feta cheese+olives+Ital dressing.”

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Chocolate = Love

By Andrew Hunter

Chocolate is the nectar of the Gods and it helps convey our sentiments for each other, especially when paired with flowers on Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is a cure-all for matters of the mind, body and heart. It brings joy, laughter and delight, no matter your age. For the boys, it’s a salve for skinned knees, a tonic for hurt feelings and a reward for any job well done!

As the boys are busy making “Happy Valentines” for their classmates and special gifts for secret admirers, Marilyn and I are busy whipping up a batch of chocolate mousse. We’ve decided to ditch the store-bought chocolates in red heart boxes this year for this fabled homemade chocolate classic that everyone loves.

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In Love with Rosemary

By Lori Powell

I am in love with rosemary – the plant, the flavor and the look of it! Unfortunately I haven’t had my usual luck with growing this grand plant as I have had several of them die on me recently.

Rosemary plants need lots of water but only after they run dry. But if you’re not around…that’s where it all goes wrong! The plant will only take so much stress. Once is enough or if you are lucky, twice, with this beauty.

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