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Bellevue Club Executive Chef Paul Marks |
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Executive Chef Paul Marks shares recipes and cooking tips with members.
In today’s busy world all of us are on the move constantly, whether it be running the kids to the Bellevue Club for swim lessons or taking the family dog to the groomer. But sometimes you have to slow down and smell the roses, and Valentine’s Day is one of those days to do exactly that. This is generally a time to show love and admiration for another person. If you are a couples that likes to cook together, why not make this one of those special nights? Call Grandma to see if the kids can do a sleep over and begin planning your special night.
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The concept of bonding over food is nothing new. From the dawn of history, families and communities have shared in the work of producing nourishment to survive. Even to this day, the family-style servings utilized by many cultures bring people together at the table.
Serving food to be shared encourages people to interact with each other and creates emotional bonds that provide better mental health. Cooking a meal with your loved one is a great way to interact with one another and it promotes conversation.
Try taking the meal a step further and go down to Pike’s Place Market with your date and stroll through the booths, together searching for unique ingredients for your Valentine’s meal.
It’s surprising how much you can learn about someone, even if you have been together for years, while preparing a meal together.
When choosing the dishes for your special meal, keep in mind items that promote conversation and sharing. Foods with interesting, vibrant flavors and colors promote conversation and stimulate the senses. For example, when putting a salad together, think about presentation, as in what can you share off one plate? With main courses, present them family-style on a large platter with a starch and vegetable. If you’re planning on serving a several course meal, be sure to keep the portion size small for the main course so you have room left for dessert. I prefer to use the dessert as a palate cleanser. Overall, the No. 1 rule is to have fun together and focus on each other throughout the cooking and dining process.
If you’re stumped for ideas, here are some of my favorite dishes and recipes for an interactive meal:
• Stuffed artichokes
• Prosciutto-wrapped strawberries
• Ripe pears with soft cheese and black pepper
• Ripe tomatoes, grilled onions, goat cheese, balsamic and extra- virgin olive oil
• Grilled pears with mountain Gorgonzola, chopped rosemary and molasses
• Caesar salad stuffed with cherry tomatoes and Parmesan
• Butter lettuce leaves or endive leaves with radicchio slaw
• Grilled flank steak or any other steak with grilled potatoes and peppers
• Pasta with green onion-skewered prawns, tomatoes, olives and basil
• Fresh melon drizzled with blackberry brandy
• Lemon pound cake with Grand Marnier whipped cream
• Chocolate double-dipped strawberries
VALENTINE'S RECIPES TO TRY
Here are some basic recipes to help get you started on your interactive meal:
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Polenta
6 cups water or stock
2 cups polenta
¼ cup chopped herbs
1½ cups Parmesan
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
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Bring water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Turn down to medium and whisk in the polenta slowly. Continue stirring until polenta starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Add in butter, cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour out onto a greased cookie sheet with ½-inch-tall sides, cool, and cut.
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Raddichio Slaw
½ carrot, thinly sliced
¼ cup fennel, thinly sliced
½ zucchini, thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
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Toss with vinaigrette of choice and salt and pepper, and let marinate for at least a half hour.
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Risotto
1 pound Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
2½ cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons diced onions
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 bay leaves
Parmesan
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Sauté onions and bay leaf in oil in a large pan. Add rice and sauté. Stir constantly and add wine. Once the wine is absorbed start adding the chicken stock a little at a time until all is absorbed. Once rice is cooked, stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
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Meat Marinade
¼ pound marjoram
¼ pound rosemary
¼ pound tarragon
¼ pound parsley
1¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup minced garlic
3 cups olive oil
4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
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Pick the herbs off the stems and weigh. Combine all ingredients and purée into paste. Rub on the surface of the meat, and let marinate several hours.
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Artichoke Stuffing
2 slices bacon, finely chopped
Juice and zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
6 scallions or green onions finely chopped
½ cup Parmesan
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
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In large bowl combine scallions, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, lemon juice and zest. Brown bacon in oil. Add onions cook until transparent; add rosemary and sauté one minute. Add white wine and bring to a boil. Add butter and melt into mixture, pour over ingredients in bowl and combine. Stuff artichokes and bake 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees or until brown and crusty on top.
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DINING IN POLARIS
If you don’t feel like staying home and cooking yourself, join us in Polaris Friday, Feb. 13 or Saturday, Feb. 14 for our special tasting menu to be shared by you and your date. Besides the normal Polaris menu, we’ve created the Valentine’s Day tasting menu to stimulate conversation and enjoyment.
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