| |
There are two differing folk tales about St. Valentine according to legend and history. One of them was about a priest and martyr from the ancient Roman Empire. The other was a martyr and a bishop in Terni, Italy (Valentino da Terni).
| The first legend, a priest dared to defy the order of Roman Emperor Claudius II. The emperor declared that Roman soldiers should not marry because he believed that single men made better and stronger soldiers. St. Valentine, a priest felt this decree was unjust. He defied the emperor by performing marriage ceremonies in secret for Roman soldiers. This act of defiance angered the emperor, and he beheaded Valentine on February 14th.Valentine's faithfulness inspired many Roman men to marriage and in honor of him, they drew names of eligible ladies out of an urn during this holiday. Then the couple would pair off and spent the year getting to know one another, which often led to marriage. This custom spread across Europe. The other legend, Valentino became a martyr because he wanted to protect others. During the third century, Christians were being imprisoned, tortured, and beaten and sent to Roman prisons. Valentino could not bear to see this happen, so he plotted and succeeded in freeing many of these prisoners. This led to his imprisonment, where they decided to put him to death. Before his murder took place, he met and befriended the jailer's daughter. Legend says Valentino healed her from blindness and was capable of performing many other miracles. He fell madly in love with this woman, and before he died, he wrote her a letter and signed it, "from your Valentine," which took place in mid-February in A.D. 270 and is believed to be why we endorse our cards this way today. Around the Middle Ages is when things began to evolve, it is believed that courtly love gained influence throughout Europe. Some celebrants found a more chivalrous and cheerful way of explaining why Saint Valentine’s day should be a time to think about romance. Romantic phrases and poems were written. During the industrial revolution in the mid-19th century, the production of mass quantities of consumer goods began to appear with greeting cards with romantic phrases and images appearing on greeting cards. Cadbury’s heart-shaped boxes of chocolates emerged in the 1860s, Hershey’s Kisses in 1907, and Hallmark Valentine’s Day cards in 1913. All of which have still continued the Valentine’s Day traditions. Valentine's Day 2021 offers the opportunity to celebrate this occasion with our loved one in a thousand different ways, but all linked to wanting to express feelings of love that binds us to a special person. It is no coincidence that many choose to declare themselves on Valentine’s Day to amaze the person they love. There are also those who choose to make a marriage proposal and there is certainly no better day than Valentine's Day to ask your sweetheart to marry you. For a Valentine's Dinner at home, you can order something special from a takeaway restaurant, or choose to prepare a dinner together on that evening. You do not need to organize a complicated dinners to be romantic. I would like to treat you to a romantic dish that I hope you will prepare without too much fuss. This will leave more time for conversations and je ne c’est pas quois apres! Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish made from a short-grained starchy variety of rice called Arborio rice. A well-cooked risotto should be soft and creamy. It shouldn't run across the plate, nor should it be stiff or gluey. While not too difficult, I am adding essential detailed instructions that will make it easier to prepare this restaurant-worthy risotto in your kitchen. The first step is to gather all ingredients and read all the instructions before beginning.
Risotto al Prosecco Pere e Pecorino 5 cups chicken stock, warm 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided) 1 medium shallot, minced 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 3/4 cup Prosecco (or dry white wine) Salt and freshly cracked black pepper 2 pears with skin on (1 diced, 1 sliced for decoration) 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese 1 tablespoon roughly chopped Italian parsley You will need: 1 wide thick-bottom pan, 1 wooden spoon, a medium broth pan, a ladle Warm the broth: In a medium saucepan, heat the stock to a boil and immediately set the heat on low to simmer, so the stock stays warm while you cook the risotto. Cook the shallot: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a wide thick bottom pan over low heat. Add the minced shallot; cook for 5 minutes or until softened and barely golden. Season. Add the rice: Turn the heat up slightly; add the rice to the pan stirring it briskly with a wooden spoon to coat the grains with the oil and melted butter. Sauté stirring for 2-3 minutes until there is a slightly nutty aroma. The rice should be translucent. Do not let the rice turn gold or brown. Add the wine: Add the Prosecco or wine and cook while stirring until the liquid is fully absorbed. When it is fully absorbed/reduced you can begin adding the broth. Add the broth: Add a ladle of hot stock to the rice and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed (almost disappears). When the rice appears almost dry, add another ladle of stock, and repeat the process. Stir only when you add the stock, not constantly. Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, for 15 minutes. Add the pears: Add the diced pears; cook another 5-10 minutes or until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, without being crunchy. Finish the risotto: Off the heat, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the grated cheese, and parsley. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Divide into serving dishes, decorated with a slice or two of pear and freshly cracked pepper.
|
