Romantic Evening Recipes

The Newsy Neighbour
September Issue 107
www.thenewsyneighbour.com

By Kathryn Hartwell

Does the thought of a romantic evening at home feel foreign to you, or does it bring on a sudden panic attack? You know – a nice bottle of wine, some candles, decadent food, some soothing music and perhaps wearing something other than your comfy clothes? It's not always easy to think of ideas for a romantic evening at home, particularly for couples who are either not terribly romantic, or who have been together for so long that some of the spark has dwindled. To help you plan your special evening in this month’s Luscious Joys, I have included (yes!) decadent romantic finger food. Finger food can be fun and you can feed each other. You never know until you try – come on, you might rekindle some of that lost passion!

It doesn’t get more romantic than this:

Dried Fruit and Caramel Brie

1 (6-inch) wheel brie cheese
¼ cup sliced almonds or candied pecans
1 cup dried fruit mix (pre-purchased mix or create your own blend of cranberries, blueberries, cherries, mango, pineapple, candied ginger)
2 tbsp butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Orange Liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau) - Optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt brown sugar in butter - mix well. Add in orange liqueur, dried fruit mix and almonds and stir. Pour over brie in oven-proof pan and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a serving dish. Cut a small wedge of the brie to let some cheese ooze out and indulge in this decadent dish. Serve with water crackers or sliced baguette.

For you Oyster lovers:

Oysters Kilpatrick

24 fresh oysters, in their shells

Rock salt

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp butter

4 slices bacon, finely diced

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Lemon wedge, to serve

Preheat the grill to the highest temperature. Arrange the oysters on a bed of rock salt in a large, shallow, ovenproof dish. Combine the Worcestershire sauce and butter in a small saucepan and heat the butter until it melts and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat. Spoon a little of the Worcestershire sauce and butter mixture over each oyster, and top evenly with the diced bacon and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Cook under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

And to finish off the night:

Nightcap

1 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
1 dash nutmeg
6 oz milk
1 tsp powdered sugar

Heat the milk. Add sugar and Kahlua, sprinkle nutmeg on top, and serve.