Trinculo's Cafe: Exploring the Epicurean with The Stray Gourmet

That most romantic of days, Valentine's, is just around the proverbial corner. It's never too early to begin planning a special feast to share with the one you love best! With that in mind, we've assembled an entire Valentine's Day dinner menu of tempting dishes as a prelude to the (hopefully) exciting evening to follow. Included is a recipe for salad, entree, side dish and dessert - each one a gem in its own right. Be sure to pick up a bottle of red wine (we suggest a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) to accompany this sweetheart of a meal.

THE SALAD AS APPETIZER: Baby Greens with Cheese Crostini 8 ½” thick diagonally-cut wide baguette slices ½ lb. soft cheese (such as fresh mozzarella, Boursault or Teleme ) 1/2 cup olive oil 4 TBSP red wine vinegar 2 small garlic cloves, minced 1 bag or (or 8 cups) mixed baby greens ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup lightly toasted pine nuts Preheat broiler. Spread each baguette slice with 1 TBSP cheese. Arrange on baking sheet, cheese side up. Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in large bowl to blend. Add greens, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts; toss to combine. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad between 2 plates. Just before serving time, broil crostini just until cheese softens and begins to melt - no more than a minute. Arrange 4 crostini atop each salad and serve. THE ENTREE: Porterhouse with Garlic Merlot Sauce One large (14-16 oz.) porterhouse steak 1 TBPS. vegetable oil Salt & pepper to taste 1 TBSP finely chopped garlic ½ cup Merlot ¾ cup beef stock or broth 4 TBSP (½ stick) unsalted butter Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add steak and cook until brown, about 1 minute per side. Reduce heat to medium and cook steak to desired doneness: 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, 5 minutes per side for medium. Transfer steak to plate and cover lightly with foil. Add garlic to skillet and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add Merlot and boil until reduced by half - about 3 minutes. Add beef stock or broth and simmer until thickened - 7-8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut steak into 2 pieces and place on plates. Drizzle with sauce and serve. THE ACCOMPANIMENT: Whipped Yukon Gold Mashies 6 large or 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed ½ cup vegetable both ½ cup sour cream A pinch or two of ground nutmeg Salt & pepper to taste. Cook potatoes in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender - about 20 minutes.. Drain well and return potatoes to pan. Add sour cream and nutmeg and whip 1 minute more or until thoroughly blneded. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Use any extra steak sauce as gravy if desired. THE DESSERT: Nutmegger Chocolate Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream (an old Connecticut favorite) Preheat oven to 350°F. 2 eggs, well beaten 1 cup sugar 3 TBSP. unsweetened cocoa ½ cup evaporated milk Combine sugar and cocoa, then add eggs, butter and milk. Mix well and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Garnish each slice with freshly-whipped real cream.