Special menu for your sweetheart

(Last years Valentine's Day feast!)

For our first Valentine's Day together, Peter and I made what felt like an insanely decadent meal, involving a warm bacon vinaigrette on frisee salad, asparagus goat cheese pasta and chocolate espresso cheesecake. This meal was a huge undertaking, especially because we relied on Trader Joe's frozen pasta creations for most dinners (and I often ate rice with lots of butter and salt for meals when we were apart!).

Now, we mainly use the holiday to buy things that are a bit too expensive for an ordinary dinner, like duck breast or lobster. I'm so excited for our menu this year, which is heavily inspired by my new love, Dorie*.

• Radicchio and haricot vert salad
• Veal chops with rosemary butter
• Garlic mashed potatoes
• Chocolate mousse

What are you all up to for the holiday? A fun restaurant date? A meal at home? Chinese take-out?!  

P.S. Cookie Bar this week! I'm hoping to sneak away sometime tomorrow to pick up a treat!