"I had often heard the song before..." ~ Jane Eyre

I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. ~ Walt Whitman

I am teaching Whitman this week, including “Song of Myself.” I admire Whitman’s words of personal praise; this post is in his spirit.

Though I believe Neil’s Valentine’s Day support system for singletons via IM is a sweet idea (www.citizenofthemonth.com - 2/6/07), I decided to create my own post in a slightly different spirit: Singletons need to celebrate themselves on Valentine’s Day. If you are not going out with your friends and celebrating one another, what better way to do so than to cook a three course meal for yourself, complete with wine and flowers? Why do you need someone else to treat you well? Treat yourself well on Wednesday, please! Here is a menu I have created that will have you singing of yourself on Valentine’s Day.

Firstly, do the majority of your food shopping this weekend for any ingredients you need. Perhaps wait to purchase the produce until Tuesday. Secondly, go out to your florist and get a dozen carnations for yourself. They aren’t expensive, they last for weeks, and you can get them in various colors! Stop by your local wine store and pick up a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, a dry white wine you will need for both cooking and drinking. Ask where the Californian wines are located and choose from there – most are less than $20 a bottle. Thirdly, go get yourself a small box of chocolates of your favorite variety, as Valentine’s Day should truly be named Chocolate’s Day.

When you get home from work on Wednesday (or after you have worked as tech support for Neil's Valentine's Day IM network), this menu will take you no more than an hour to prepare, and the dessert takes all but five minutes. The salad has sweetness from pears because you are sweet, the main course is surf and turf because you deserve it, and dessert is going to have you singing. Spend the evening listening to jazz or watching a classic film like The Thin Man or Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Baby Greens, Pear, Walnut, And Blue Cheese Salad
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
2 large ripe pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (you can toast these easily in a pan on your stove a day ahead of time and keep it in a sealed container)
Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide greens among 6 plates. Top with pear slices, dividing equally. Sprinkle with cheese and walnuts. Drizzle lightly with remaining dressing and serve.


Chuck Blade Steaks with Herb Wine Sauce (Gourmet Magazine)
*You may choose to halve this and make two steaks*
4 (1/2-inch-thick) top chuck blade steaks (about 18 ounces total)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Pat steaks dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute steaks 3 minutes per side for medium. Transfer steaks with tongs to a plate and keep warm, loosely covered. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and cook shallot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add wine and any meat juices that have accumulated on plate with steaks. Simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in herbs and salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour sauce over steaks and serve.
*The vegetable I suggest to pair with the steaks are sautéed green beans*

Crab Potato Cakes
(This recipe is halved)
1/2 lb. crab meat (do not use imitation!)
1/2 c. mashed potatoes (use Yukon – peel, boil until fork tender, mash, mix in some butter and milk)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
Dash onion salt
Remove any shell or cartilage from crab meat. Combine all ingredients. Shape into 12 cakes. Place cakes in a heavy frying pan which contains about 1/8 inch of canola oil, hot but not smoking. Fry at moderate heat. When cakes are brown on one side turn carefully and brown other. Cooking time approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.


Chocolate Mint Parfaits
1 shot creme de menthe liqueur
1 scoop mint chocolate ice cream
1 chocolate mint candy, such as Andes or peppermint patties
1 sprigs fresh mint
Using a parfait glass or cocktail glass, pour 1/2 a shot of creme de menthe into each glass. Top with scoops of mint chocolate ice cream, then drizzle another 1/2 a shot per parfait of creme de menthe over ice cream. Garnish parfait with mint candy and fresh mint sprigs.