Valentine's Day menu

As much of this easy-to-prepare menu contains foods with aphrodisiac qualities, this dinner may well be a prelude to what James calls "dancing beneath the midnight moon." Foods with heat, such as chilies, set the mood by stimulating your heartbeat, and chocolate is purported to arouse passion.

There is also something very sensual about picking up food with your fingers and feeding it to your loved one (think of the movie Tom Jones). Artichokes are perfect for this, as each leaf is consumed seperately. At dessert, nicely relaxed from the good food and wine, use the same technique for the truffles.

This Valentine's Day, try this menu at home and arouse your sweetheart's passion:
Artichoke vinaigrette (below)
Roasted veal chops with mushroom sauce and truffle oil
Potato galette
Chili chocolate truffles

Artichoke vinaigrette
Look for compact, tightly closed artichokes that are firm and heavy for their size. Once the leaves start to seperate and the head opens up like a rose, the artichoke is past its prime. Bronze-tipped leaves have been "winter kissed" by frost and have a special flavour.

Ingredients
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large artichokes
1/2 lemon

Preparation
Whisk together mustard, garlic, basil and red wine vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Vinaigrette mixture should thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut off artichoke stems. Pull off small bottom leaves. With a sharp knife, cut off top quarter of artichokes. With scissors, snip pointed tops off remaining outer leaves. Rub cut edges with lemon to keep them from turning black, or place in a bowl of water laced with lemon juice.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Do not use an aluminum pot, as it will cause artichokes to turn black.) Add lemon and artichokes to water, pushing artichokes into water as they bob up.

Reduce heat to medium and partially cover pot. Boil for 15 to 40 minutes, depending on size of artichoke. To test for doneness, pierce bottom with a knife (it should be tender) or pull off a leaf (it should come away easily).

Drain artichokes well and pour cold water over them to stop cooking. Turn upside down on a wire rack to drain off any water. With a spoon, remove feathery chokes, leaving hearts exposed.

Serve artichokes hot or cold with small bowls of vinaigrette for dipping.

More information
Artichokes The artichoke heart is what remains after you have removed the outer leaves. The heart consists of the tender, pale green leaves, the fuzzy choke and the bottom - the fleshy area above the stalk - which makes the best eating. The hearts of young artichokes can be eaten whole, as the choke has not yet grown. Otherwise the choke must be discarded. It can be removed with a sharp knife and spoon before or after cooking. You can also scrape out the choke while you are eating.

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Excerpted from A Matter of Taste by Lucy Waverman and James Chatto. Copyright 2004 by Lucy Waverman and James Chatto. Excerpted with permission by Harper Collins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.