Ewenity

Lovely as it is to indulge in a French brie, a Greek feta or a Spanish manchego, imported isn't necessarily better when it comes to cheese. Look closely, and you'll find some wonderful stuff made close to home.

A good place to start if you're looking for a lovely Ontario cheese is with some of the great sheep milk stuff made by Ewenity Dairy Co-operative and Best Baa Dairy. Though based in Conn, Ontario, just outside of Arthur, the dairy's plant and store -- where you'll find their full repertoire of cheese (as well as milk, ice cream and yogurt) -- are just up the road in Fergus.

The milk itself comes from seven or eight farmers who together make up the Ewenity co-op. Many are Mennonite farmers from the Kincardine area. The co-op formed seven or eight years ago when Elisabeth and Eric Bzikot, English farmers by way of Manitoba, moved to the Conn area to milk sheep and settle into "semi-retirement."

So much for that. Now, they're running a busy little operation along with the help of their son Peter and his wife Nicole, a self-professed city girl who bought cheese from her husband at the St. Lawrence Market until he finally asked her out -- "Then I sold my little condo and here I am," she tells me over the phone from their home in Conn.

Though the farmers in the co-op are clearly interested in selling their milk, they're not necessarily interested in the production, marketing and sales of the product. So the processing and development is left to Best Baa Dairy, the Bzikots themselves. Elisabeth is the cheesemaker (she and Eric also look after the flock, even growing their own feed); Peter and Nicole handle the business side of things.

"My mother-in-law is Swiss-German and my father-in-law is Polish," explains Nicole. "They both have family memories of making cheeses. Elisabeth is very adventurous. She's developed such a great product line. Some things have fallen by the wayside along the way because they're not excellent, and others have really stood strong."

Among the cleverly-named products available: Ramembert (a camembert-style cheese), Sheep in the Meadow (a gorgeous fresh cheese rolled in herbes de provence), Eweda, an aged, semi-hard cheese and a Greek-style feta. Most cheeses are available either in raw milk or pasteurized form. Interestingly, Bzikot says people often opt for raw milk given the choice.

Nicole's personal favourite is Mouton Rouge, a firm, washed-rind, raw milk cheese aged 60 days. "It's caught on all over the place," she says. "It's kind of a comfort cheese, but not stinky. You don't have to be tough to enjoy it. It's palatable for a variety of people."

As for farming philosophy, Elisabeth, says Nicole, "treats her livestock like family. Even though we're not certified organic, we're really good to our animals. They have an excellent life. The boys' lives aren't as long, unfortunately, because they end up going for meat."

Next on the agenda for the folks at Best Baa is to delve further into ice cream. Before, it was more of a passive project but they recently received a grant, invested in a machine, and are experimenting with new flavours. "It's really good," Nicole says. "There's a huge market of people who are intolerant of cow's milk, so we're excited about it."

Despite the tightening of budgets, Nicole says they've found that "cheese is one of those things people don't skimp on." Indeed, she says, they remain as popular as ever at farmers markets (they're at several across Toronto, as well as in Guelph), which they particularly enjoy because "it's an opportunity for us to chat with people and visit with friends."

Though they're not yet selling at the markets in Waterloo region, the Kitchener market, Nicole says, is one they "might consider."

And though you'd have to head up to Fergus to find the full scope of Ewenity's products, you can find select items at several locations in the area, including Vincenzo's and Nougat Bakery and Delicatessen, both in Kitchener, and a handful of health food stores.

Check out www.ewenity.com and click on Where to Buy for a more extensive list.
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The Perfect Winter Breakfast

I am not one of those people who can't eat in the morning. I wake up with a growling stomach and among the first three thoughts in my head is, "What's for breakfast?" I can't wait to eat.

There are a handful of things I have for breakfast, weekday or weekend, usually involving some combination of granola or cereal, yogurt or milk and fruit. Or maybe some good bread, toasted with some PB and jam.

In cold weather, I'm partial to oatmeal. It's a great whole grain and it's easy to find locally grown, organic varieties. But it presents a few problems.

First off -- the better tasting (and better for you) the oatmeal, the longer it takes to cook. Steel cut oats take about 20 to 30 minutes on the stove top and I don't give myself lots of time to linger in the morning. You can make it ahead, put it in the fridge, and heat it up day by day, but then I'm committing to having it several days in a row and I like some variety.

Then there's the question of protein. A bowl of stick-to-your-ribs oatmeal, while full of fibre and other good things, doesn't really give me a protein kick, which, I've learned, is important. And fibrous as it is, I'm always looking to get an extra boost of that, too.

Lucky for me, the perfect solution arrived in my email inbox this winter by way of a newsletter from my naturopath, Dr. Joanna Thiessen, at George Street Naturopathic Medicine in Waterloo.

In her newsletter, Joanna shared her Winter Breakfast Recipe, a great porridge that mixes oats with bran, flax and ground nuts and seeds. It's oatmeal but with a boost of extra fibre, protein and omega-3s. And -- most exciting of all -- it doesn't need to be cooked! You soak it in milk overnight and just warm it up when you're ready to eat.

I've been eating Joanna's porridge a few times a week now for the last few months and have shared the recipe with a few people, including my mom, who is also hooked, and who recently made a batch to take to a friend she was visiting for the weekend along with a copy of the recipe. (Something a little different than the token bottle of thanks-for-having-me wine).

I have been so chuffed about the porridge that I thought it only fair that I share the recipe with you, so I emailed Joanna this week to find out the particulars on why it's especially good for us.

"It's very high in fibre," she explained, "particularly soluble fibre. This is primarily due to the oat bran, but also the oats and ground flax."

Soluble fibre lowers cholesterol and keeps the heart healthy. Then there's the insoluble fibre from the flax, which keeps the bowels working nicely.

As for the protein, that comes from the ground almonds and sunflower seeds.

"Protein is essential for proper functioning of our immune system, and also helps to keep our blood sugar stable," Joanna said. "Eating protein in the morning will also get our metabolism and energy production off to a good start, and this is very important for helping us to maintain a healthy body weight."

And so, without further delay, here's the Winter Breakfast Recipe. I know spring (mercifully) officially arrives today but let's not get carried away and think we won't have any more mornings that don't have us hankering for a warm breakfast. Plus I think this would be good cold in the summer months, topped with fresh berries and a bit of extra cold milk.

A trip to the bulk food store will stock you up on most, if not all, of these ingredients. I bought the sunflower seeds whole and ground them myself in a food processor.

Winter Breakfast Recipe

4 cups oatmeal

2 cups oatbran

1 cup ground flaxseed

1 cup ground almonds

1 cup ground sunflower seeds

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Store in a container in the fridge. Joanna says to use it up within four weeks but I think I've had mine slightly longer than that and so far, so good.

To prepare, scoop 1/3 of a cup of the mix into a bowl (I use 1/2 cup scoops -- I told, you, I'm hungry in the morning!) Pour enough of the milk of your choice (cow, rice, almond, etc.) overtop to cover it, and, if you like, add dried or frozen fruit. Refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, just heat it up. Joanna, being a naturopath, suggests warming it in a pot; convenience wins out for me in this case and I just use the microwave. Add a little more milk at this point to loosen it up, if need be.

Top with maple syrup or honey to taste (both great because they're natural sweeteners).

Making Stock

In winter, I practically live on homemade soup. Many Sunday afternoons are spent putting together a pot of something, which I then divvy up into single serving containers, pop in the freezer and take out one at a time the night before for quick lunches the following day. We'll have soup for dinner once every couple of weeks, too. With some lightly dressed greens and a piece of crusty bread, it's makes a warming, satisfying supper.

The stock dilemma is always a frustrating one for me. Chicken is my usual broth of choice but I'm not particularly interested in bouillon cubes. Something about all those living, breathing ingredients being shrunken down into a florescent yellow cube is off-putting.

Most often, I stand in the grocery aisle, staring at the options -- organic (but sodium-loaded); non-organic (and sodium-loaded) or non-organic (with less sodium). If I make it over to the health food store, I can find a good option that's both organic and low in sodium. But it costs quite a bit and with the amount of stock I go through, it seems indulgent.

The answer, of course, is to make my own stock, which I never seem to find the time for. In truth, it's quite easy and it's very cheap. The thing to do is to set aside an afternoon, borrow an extra stock pot, get myself a plethora of one-litre plastic containers, clear a spot in the freezer and make up a huge batch. This I vow to do at least once before winter is over.

My favourite spot for chicken in the city (and many others', too, based on the Saturday morning insanity) is Bloomingdale's Hilltop Acres Poultry, which is available most easily from St. Jacob's Market. Their chicken, while not organic, is free run and hormone and additive free.

Lynn Dettweiler, the retail sales manager (and sausage maker) for Hilltop, says bones of any kind will make good stock.

"You can use anything," she says. "Chicken feet make good gelatinous stock. It's thick and full of body and flavour. Necks work, too. Those are the most economical ones."

Indeed, a two-and-a-half pound bag of chicken feet at Hilltop will set you back a mere $2.50.

Lance Edwards, head chef at Waterloo restaurant Charbries, says he uses "anything that you can't eat. The tips of wings, chicken feet, necks and so on."

Stock is one of the simplest things to make, he says, but every chef has their own technique. Depending on what he's using the stock for, Edwards has different methods.

One worthwhile tip, he says, is to roast the bones first. "It's extra work but it does make for a deeper colour and flavour. When you do roast the bones, you also get rid of a lot of the fat so you don't have to work as hard to skim the stock later."

As for how to flavour your broth, Edwards recommends a classic mirepoix (carrot, onion and celery) and a bouquet garni (a bundle of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme and bay leaf) for starters. Peppercorns and salt are also important. A few tomato scraps are a worthwhie addition, he says. "It won't colour it, but it will help clarify it." And you can "break the rules" by adding leeks and other vegetable scraps, but steer clear of anything with strong flavour (like broccoli or cauliflower).

Here's a recipe slightly adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook to get you started. If you have two stockpots (or can borrow one), I suggest doubling this and making a big batch. Might as well. Refrigerate it (or stick it out on the front porch for a few hours) before skimming the fat off -- it's much easier. There's no salt in this recipe; you can add it later when you put your stock to use.

Chicken Stock

5 lbs chicken bones, backs and/or necks, cut into pieces

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

1 unpeeled onion, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

a few stems of fresh thyme and parsley

1 tbsp black peppercorns

Pour 16 cups (4 L) cold water into large stockpot. Add chicken bones. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam.

Add all other ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for four hours. 

Strain into a large bowl, discarding vegetables and bones. Cool to let fat solidify on surface. Remove fat and refrigerate up to three days or freeze up to four months. 

Growing and Canning

Last fall, I made grape jam and I think I can say, with some confidence, it may be the most delicious thing I've ever cooked. Bold statement, maybe, but there -- I've said it.

The jam came into fruition (pardon the pun) after a bunch of Concords I'd bought at the market started to wilt a little too fast and made for less than ideal snacking. With relative ease -- on a work night, no less -- I canned half a dozen jars of the the deepest, sweetest, richest purple perfection. Looking at it and smelling it is almost as satisfying as eating it. I have but two jars left.

Lovely to think about canning fresh, homegrown stuff in the depths of winter. Even lovelier if you were thinking about it -- and actually doing it -- this past harvest season, in which case you're reaping the benefits now.

As it turns out, a lot of people are interested in canning and preserving nowadays. Which is why the folks at Everdale Farms, a working farm and environmental learning centre in Hillsburgh, are headed to Kitchener in March to enlighten us about "putting up," among other things.

The farm is offering two different day-long workshops in the area in the coming weeks. The first is set for Saturday, March 28 and will teach participants -- both novice and experienced -- how to plan their own organic vegetable garden. The second, held in conjunction with The Working Centre in downtown Kitchener on Saturday, April 4, will tell you all about how to preserve fresh food. 

Though Everdale is always running workshops on sustainable living, and has brought eco-building clinics to the Waterloo region in years past, the area's strong food community was the impetus for bringing these particular topics to town, says Lynn Bishop, who coordinates Everdale's workshops. Canning, especially, was a no-brainer.

"People have been asking about it and we're excited about that," she says. "I tried offering a canning workshop seven or eight years ago and it wasn't well attended. But now people are interested in putting up Ontario food and having a variety so they can eat locally in winter. And that way you can also have your little specialty items in your pantry that no one else has."

Farmer and chef Cathy Hansen will be running the canning workshop and will be talking about specialized sauces, pickles, applesauce and various other things -- both "things you eat often or things that are a nice side to go with a main course," says Bishop. "Cathy will give you recipe ideas you wouldn't even think of. She's so into food."

Also helpful, says Bishop: the information provided will ease some of the paranoia about things like botulism that make many of us too afraid to preserve wholeheartedly.

"It gives people the courage to do it," she says. "They worry, 'Isn't there danger in it?' Once people have that one session with someone, their questions are answered, they've seen the process and they understand it better. They can go on and read a book and not be so, 'Am I doing this right?' "

As for planning a food garden, Bishop encourages anyone who's even had thoughts about growing their own vegetables to try. Myself, I've always figured my yard didn't get enough sun and I was out of luck, save for a few pots of herbs and tomatoes. But Bishop says I'm wrong.

"Anybody's yard is suitable," she says. "You can have a pretty small garden and can produce quite a bit of food. You don't need great soil because you can make raised beds and create good soil. You do need a certain amount of sun, but if you had half-shade or dappled sun, there are still certain vegetables you could grow."

Everdale manager Gavin Dandy will advise people on what kind of seeds to get, how many and where to buy and plant them. He'll also talk composting and mulching.

"It's totally valuable to beginners but also to experienced gardeners," says Bishop. "There's lots of room to ask complicated or complex questions, too."

Say goodbye to store-bought jam. And start dreaming of homemade dills. Even if it's only February.

For further information on both workshops, click here. Or give the farm a ring at 519-855-4859.

The Perfect Pancake

Everyone has one of those foods for which they have no off-switch. For me, it's pancakes. I can just keep going. As a result, I don't have them too often. But Shrove Tuesday is only a few days away and I smell an excuse to eat pancakes for dinner. Yay!

There are a million variations on pancakes nowadays. There are all the standard versions -- blueberry, banana, chocolate chip -- and the healthy ones -- whole wheat, buckwheat, multigrain. Most fun are the unexpected interpretations. I just phoned my sister-in-law to wish her a happy birthday and my brother was in the midst of prepping a breakfast of pumpkin pancakes with root beer syrup.

The trouble with pancakes is they're finicky. They've got to be light and fluffy and cooked evenly (golden brown with no raw spots in the middle). They're also hard to enjoy with a group because they really do need to be eaten as they come right off the grill. They're one of those deceptively simple foods that are actually quite tricky to make.

Last week I made a couple of phone calls to people who make a lot of pancakes. I also consulted the website for Cook's Illustrated magazine, one of my favourite sources for when you're looking how to make "the best" of something. The folks at Cook's Illustrated test recipes dozens and dozens of times, tinkering with oodles of variables in an effort to sort out the ultimate way to create whatever it is they're trying to make. For recipe classics like this, they're a great source.

At Angie's Kitchen in St. Agatha, they know their breakfast. Sharon Graham, who's married to owner Mike Graham, was a little cagey when I asked her what makes a good pancake, fearful of giving away any secrets.

"You've got to have a hot grill," she said. "And it has to be well-greased with oil or butter or they stick and make a mess." As far as ingredients go, Graham did tell me that Angie's uses a splash of vanilla for flavour but wouldn't go much further than that.

Other tips: Don't let the batter sit too long or it thickens and the consistency is no good. And, she says, "absolutely" serve them right away.

Here are the best tips from Cook's Illustrated:

Mix the batter lightly. Apparently fluffiness in pancakes is related to underdeveloped gluten and the bubble-forming ability of the baking soda. Mixing too much makes makes glutens elastic and less tender and exhausts the baking soda. Stir your batter just until ingredients come together and no more than that. Many recipes now incorporate beaten egg whites, which can also add volume (see below).

Use the batter as soon as you make it. As Graham pointed out, fresh is best. The baking soda will no longer do its thing if the batter sits too long.

Get the pan temperature just right. A good way to test the heat of the skillet is to make a toonie-sized pancake using about a tablespoon of batter. If it's golden brown (not blond or burning) after one minute, your pan is ready. Butter will give you good flavour and crispy edges, but it has a lower smoke point than oil and burns faster. Canola oil might be a safer choice.

Serve immediately from the pan. But if you want to sit down to eat as a group, try this: spread your pancakes in a single layer on a large cooking-spray-coated cooling rack placed on a baking sheet. Pop into a 200 degree oven (uncovered) for up to 20 minutes. Beyond that, they'll start to dry out.

Here is a classic recipe for buttermilk pancakes from the master of simplicity, Alice Waters. This comes from her book The Art of Simple Food and serves four to six. Play around with the flours according to what you've got (you can also use all-purpose) and, if you like, add chopped banana or blueberries to the finished batter.

Buttermilk Pancakes

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup mixed whole-grain flours (such as whole wheat, rye, spelt, cornmeal or buckwheat)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp sugar (optional)

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, separated

1-3/4 cups buttermilk

6 tbsp butter, melted

In a large bowl, measure and mix together first six ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks into buttermilk. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir just until mixed. Add the melted butter and stir well. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold them into the batter. If batter is too thick, add more buttermilk.

Spoon the batter onto a preheated griddle, cooking a single pancake first to see if the griddle is the right temperature. Cook until the undersides of pancakes are golden brown. Turn over and cook until done.

Macarons

I think it's fair to say that the cupcake has gone the way of the sweet potato fry and the chipotle pepper.

They're ubiquitous. We love them and we'll keep eating them, but as food trends go, they're past their peak.

With every exhausted fad, though, comes something new for people to salivate over. In the sweet department, the cupcake has been shoved aside by an equally pretty young thing: the macaron.

Macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons) are lovely little ground almond and egg white cookies sandwiched together with flavoured buttercream. They come in an eye-catching array of colours and, thanks to their good looks and memorable taste and texture (crisp outer shells giving way to squishy meringue and silky icing), they're the current darlings of North American bakeries and patisseries. Here is the part where the Parisians would roll their eyes -- there, they've been a staple treat for many moons.

Shops dedicated to macarons alone have popped up in Toronto and Montreal. And the little cookies are the new thing at weddings (in showstopping tree-like towers or as boxed favours), showers and parties. Some are touting them as a more affordable -- but equally attractive -- alternative to cakes and cupcakes.

Here in the Waterloo region, Kate Sauer has been making macarons at her Waterloo patisserie, Sabletine, since it opened 16 months ago. She's makes them to order (though you may also find them ready-to-buy at the bakery in smaller quantities) in a variety of colours and flavours -- chocolate, grapefruit, cassis, raspberry, passionfruit, orange blossom and lemon.

If you're feeling ambitious and are looking for a Family Day kitchen project (or something sweet for your Valentine, perhaps?), why not make your own? Just don't expect to whip them together in an hour.

"My words of wisdom would be patience," says Sauer. "They take a long time, so don't try to do it in a rush."

Key things to remember, she says: Don't try this on a humid day; weigh your ingredients for best results; don't underwhip or overwhip the egg whites; and let your piped cookies dry before you put them in the oven or they'll crack.

Here's a recipe from the website Serious Eats, with some alterations and added advice from Sauer. These are for chocolate macarons. You could take away the cocoa powder and use a little gel food colouring to make the meringue cookies the hue of your choice, then add colour to the buttercream icing, as well. The icing is also the place to play with flavour (using zest, extracts, and so on).

Basic Chocolate Macaron Cookie

Makes approximately 30 to 50 finished macarons

225 grams icing sugar

125 grams ground almonds

20 grams cocoa powder

110 grams egg whites (about 4) at room temperature

30 grams granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1. On parchment, use a pencil to draw one-inch circles about two inches apart. Flip sheet over and place on a baking sheet (you'll likely need to do about three baking sheets worth). 

2. Push almond flour through a sieve, and sift icing sugar and cocoa powder. Mix all three in a bowl set aside. If the mixture isn't dry, spread on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at the lowest setting until it is.

3. In a large, clean, dry bowl, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip to stiff peaks -- the whites should be firm and shiny.

4. With a flexible spatula, gently fold icing sugar mixture into egg whites until completely incorporated. The mixture should be shiny. When small peaks dissolve to a flat surface, stop mixing.

5. Fit a piping bag with a 3/8-inch (1 cm) round tip (or fill a plastic baggie and cut the corner off). Pipe the batter into circles draw on parchment (use a moist fingertip to flatten any peaks). Tap the underside of the baking sheet to remove air bubbles. Let dry at room temperature for one to two hours to allow skins to form. At this point, they should be tacky (not wet) to the touch.

6. Bake in a 325F oven for 10 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 5 minutes for even baking. (Note: The recipe suggests using a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar but Sauer says she's never done this).

7. Remove macarons from oven and transfer parchment to a cooling rack. When completely cool, slide a metal offset spatula or paring knife underneath cookies to remove from parchment.

8. Pair cookies of similar size and pipe about 1/2 tsp of filling (recipe follows) onto one cookie. Sandwich macarons and refrigerate to allow flavours to blend together. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cream Ganache 

230 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Place the chocolate in a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients and keep it close at hand. In a separate bowl, work the butter with a rubber spatula until it's soft and creamy. 

2. Bring the cream to a full boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and, working with the rubber spatula, gently stir the cream into the chocolate. Start stirring gently in the centre of the mixture and work your way out in widening circles. Continue to stir without creating bubbles until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. 

3. Let cool slightly, then add the butter in two additions, mixing with the spatula from the centre, again in widening circles. When the butter is fully incorporated, the ganache should be smooth and glossy. Let it sit at room temperature or chill it slightly in the fridge (stirring it now and again) to get it to the right consistency for piping.

Cooking For Your Valentine

You could go out for dinner next Saturday night -- that would be Valentine's Day. In that case, hopefully you've already made your reservation. Restaurants are usually crazy on the 14th, but with it falling on a Saturday this year, expect everyone and their brother to crawl out of the woodwork looking for a romantic night out.

So why not stay in? Many of us have got all day to tinker in the kitchen. And if you're lucky enough to have a significant other that likes to cook, too, then spending the afternoon or evening in the kitchen putting together an amazing meal just might make for the perfect date.

As for those of you with thoughts of creating the perfect meal for your loved one, the question is this: how do you do so without spending most of the evening in the kitchen, sweating and swearing, while your Valentine flips through magazines and sips wine in the living room?

I posed this question to a couple of local chefs -- Maribel Linfield and Kirstie Herbstreit, both of whom offer hands-on cooking classes in the region, including some this week geared specifically toward the Valentine-minded.

Both emphasized the same things -- make-ahead dishes that are simple and feature quality ingredients.

"It doesn't have to be stressful or cost a lot of money," says Linfield. "Something as basic as mashed potatoes is perfect. It's a simple food treated with love and respect."

That said, she also advocates staying away from meals that are too heavy. Nothing ruins the Valentine's mood like a lead belly and an encroaching case of heartburn.

"Stuff that you can make ahead is number one," says Herbstreit, whose Valentine's clients learn to make a do-ahead meal of roasted chicken with savoury brie bread putting.

"Often it's the simple dishes with very few ingredients that you get the most satisfaction out of, anyway. It's also fun to splurge on a special ingredient, like a real vanilla bean or a really good cheese. That sort of thing can make all the difference and it's where people get the wow factor. It makes a home meal a little bit more special."

As for getting organized ahead of time, make lists, order meat or fish ahead of time from your butcher or fishmonger and make anything ahead of time that you can. Soups, says Herbstreit, often taste better when done ahead. Desserts like custards benefit from being refrigerated for several hours, and sides like scalloped potatoes taste great reheated.

As for the main event, both Linfield and Herbstreit say beef or salmon wrapped in phyllo or puff pastry (like Beef Wellington) are ideal dishes. You can wrap the meat or fish ahead of time and pop it in the oven when the time comes.

Whatever you decide on, says Linfield, keep the champagne flowing and remember: "The good thing about trying something new is that you're with someone you care about."

Here is Kirstie Herbstreit's recipe for Beef Welly Bites, a lovely little appetizer whether you make them for your sweetie next weekend or take them to a party some other time.

To make ahead, prepare them through step three, then stash them in the fridge or, if you're really working ahead, freeze them.

Beef Welly Bites 

Makes about 24

1 cup cremini or other mushrooms, finely chopped 

1 tbsp butter, divided 

1 lb beef rib-eye steak 

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper 

2 sheets store-bought puff pastry, thawed, but cold

1 egg, lightly beaten 

1 shallot, finely chopped 

1-1/2 tbsp whole-grain mustard 

Splash of white wine (optional) 

1/2 cup 35% cream 

arugula or mixed greens (for platter) 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. In a small saucepan, melt half the butter and sauté mushrooms until soft; set aside. 

2. Slice the rib-eye steak into cubes, about 2 cm by 2 cm and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

3. Cut puff pastry into squares, 3 cm by cm. Place a small dot of the mushroom mixture in the middle of the pastry and top with beef cube. Brush egg wash on the sides of the pastry and ‘pinch’ pastry together at the top.

4. Place on a parchment line baking sheet and bake until nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, prepare sauce by sautéing the shallot in the remaining butter until soft. Add mustard and wine, if using; stir once. Add cream and reduce by half.

6. Plate bites on platter on top of greens; drizzle with sauce or serve on the side in a small dish.