Show Me the Playbook

“Do you know the name of the large black bean?” I asked our waiter, shoving my arm into my winter jacket’s sleeve. BS and I had finished ourRancho Gordothree bean salad atFlatbush Farm, a Brooklyn restaurant focusing on humanely raised animals and vegetables, and we were steps away from the door. But I had to ask. It was the best bean salad I’ve ever had.

A warm and tender polenta base, as smooth as hummus, provided the backdrop to lovingly cooked beans. Soft but not mushy, like the pillows in a furniture showroom.

The waiter, having taken an American Apparel ad too seriously, sported perfectly cuffed trousers showing just the right amount of white sock. ”I can find out for you,” he answered back.

He walked behind the bar and pulled out a binder, or what Flatbush Farm refers to as its playbook. Along with the slim binder, filled with printed pages and handwritten notes, the waiter brought out a glass with a variety of dried beans. Feeling his way around the beans, he simultaneously flipped through the binder’s pages.

“Scarlet Runner Bean,” he answered.

We thanked the waiter and walked out.“Holy crap that was cool,” I blurted out as the door closed behind us.“He just whipped out a book and told me exactly what kind of bean was in that salad. He didn’t have to ask the chef or anything. Do you think other restaurants have that kind of book? I’ve never seen it before.”

“Maybe you should start to ask to see the playbook everywhere you go,” BS replied.

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Artsy Guess the Photo of the Day

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Top Chef All-Stars Exit Interview: Episode 10

Top Chef All-Stars is really getting down to the nitty-gritty, with just seven chef-testants left this week. But one of them ended the episode about as happy ascookie monster at a make-your-own-salad party. We find out what went wrong, after the jump.

In the biggest shocker of the season so far, Carla and Tiffany survived, but Angelo Sosawas told to pack his knives and leave.

ES: How exhausted are you after doing two seasons of Top Chef back-to-back?
Angelo Sosa: I think I did close to 80 challenges, but Top Chef All-Stars broke me. It broke me in the most amazing way. It kept pushing me beyond limits that I didn’t even know I had. When I was told to pack my knives and leave, I just really had a sense of gratitude that I got to cook with these amazing chefs in front of millions of people.

In season seven you were kind of the villain, but in this one you came across as more likable.
To be honest with you I think I was misunderstood in the first season. Cooking with the All-Stars, who are all amazing chefs, I just felt more in my place. I felt like I was able to form kinships. I was able to let my guard down and just cook.

Why did everyone decide to cook soup in the last challenge?
We had two hours to cook and basically set up our own kitchen. I’d never been to a Super Target before and I didn’t know what to expect, but I figured they wouldn’t have filet mignon, salmon and caviar. So I was trying to think of dishes that could come together quickly.

We saw Mike Isabella tell you that your soup needed to be salted and then you lost because it was too salty. Did he set you up?
I tasted Mike’s dishes five to 10 times, as he did mine. What you saw was only a sliver of it. At the end of the day, I conceived the birth of this dish, I put it out there, and I’m smart enough to make my own decisions.

Tiffany cracked at judges’ table and broke down. She seemed to think she was going home— did you?
I don’t really play that game. I have my own standards and hold myself accountable for my own dish. That’s it.

The last few guys to get kicked off have seemed to think the ladies don’t deserve to still be there. What do you think?
Let me put it this way— I never once questioned the judges’ decision. They really love food and they know what they’re doing. If the three girls are still there, then they deserve to be there.

What’s up next for you?
I’m a partner in Sosa Consulting Group, we manage and strategize restaurant concepts, and I’m opening up a new concept in midtown Manhattan very shortly called Social Eatz. It’s going to be American comfort food with Asian accents. For example, I know a lot of people loved eating sloppy joes growing, so I’m going to do a sloppy ho chi mihn that has an Asian kick and is super yummy.

Who is the best chef left?
I have the highest respect, as a person, as a chef, as an innovator, forRichard Blais. I’ve never cooked with anyone at his level.

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Fart Without Fear

We don’t hype a lot of cookbooks here at ES because, well, they’re all so boring. In fact, if I get one more press release along the lines ofLearn to Cook Family Favorite in 20 Minutes or Less!I’m going to barf all over my laptop. But once in a blue moon we get one that actually sounds like our style. Clearly,Fart Without Fearfalls into that category.

Now this is not your run of the mill anti-farting cookbook. FWF is not here to tell you to forgo theblack bean nachosor themacaroni and cheese pizza. Come on, we wouldn’t do that to you. Nor do they share instructions on how to make these fatty foods flatulent-free. We all know that’s not possible. No, this is much more complex that that. Instead, Fart Without Fear promises a more attainable goal— 70 comfort food recipes that the book’s authors swear result only in the less offensive kind of farting, i.e. weeding out the ingredients that result in“badflatulence (a. k .a. smelly farts, silent but deadlies, air biscuits, backdoor trumpets, poots, etc.)” They promise their recipes will show readers how to:

Reduce the pungent, eye-tearing, sulfur-laden farts from recipes for breakfarts, loaded lunches, oop soups, sneaky snacks, appetooters, side splitters, dangerous dinners, and deadly desserts…Decide which ones to prepare using the authors’ very own scientifically based and politically incorrect rating system, the Original Boston Baked Bean Odor Index.

Finally, a cookbook that actually wants to help.

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banana cream pie cupcakes recipe

After all thechocolate and beer dessertsof last few posts, I thought I would lighten it up some and make something non-chocolate. You know, get back to basics like pie or cupcakes— better yet let’s just fuse the two for somebanana cream pie cupcakes.

Let me say, it’s like finding nirvana between the pleats! On your way, you’ll find a vanilla cupcake stuffed with some banana cream filing and topped with some good ol’ fashion whip cream. To round it all out I rimmed the whip cream with some crumbledcoconut and pecan graham cracker crustand then drizzled it with some caramel sauce— and done! Enjoy.

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

Preparation: Line cupcake pan with liners. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 2 cups of unbleachedall-purpose flour
• 1½ cup granulatedsugar
• 1/2 t baking powder
• ¼ tbaking soda
• ¼ teaspoonsalt
• 1½ cupsunsalted butter, softened
• 3 largeeggs
• 1½ tablespoonsvanilla extract
• ¾ cupsour cream
• ½ cupmilk

1. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium high speed until mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add in salt and beat until combined. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add in vanilla and beat until combined.

2. Turn off mixer. Combine sour cream and milk until smooth. Using a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon, add in sour cream mixture and flour mixture, alternating in thirds. Fold in each rotation, beginning with the sour cream and ending with the flour mixture, mixing each rotation until just combined.

3. Fill cupcake liner two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes.

Banana Cream Pie Filling

• 1½bananas, plus 1/2 banana for divided use
• 1 cupmilk
• 1 cupheavy cream
• ¼ cupcorn starch
• ½ cupsugar, plus 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoonvanilla
• ¼kosher salt

1. Place all ingredients in food processor bowl or blender and process to combine. Pour mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture starts to bubble, making sure to constantly whisk. Continue to cook mixture until it thickens, about 5– 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Whip Cream Frosting

2 cups ofwhip cream

1 tablespoongranulated sugar

1 teaspoonvanilla extract

Place whip cream, sugar and vanilla in a chilled bowl. Using a whisk or a hand mixer beat whip cream on low until it starts to bubble. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until cream almost doubles in size and is smooth and creamy.

Assembly

1. Using a serrated melon baller or knife, dig out a well in the middle of each cupcake and fill with banana cream filling. Frost with whip cream to preference. Rim frosting withcoconut and pecan graham cracker mixtureby placing crumbs in your hand and pressing it into the sides. Finish by drizzlingcaramel sauceon top.

And, a…hem, please get your chompers and biceps ready for next week’s post as it’s going to be a hand to mouth addiction you won’t be able to stop— just say’n!

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gado gado recipe

It is a question I’ve had to answer again and again.  If it doesn’t come up the first time meeting me (what tipped you off— the obviously thrift store jeans or the decrepit Earth shoes?) I know it still dwells in my new friend’s/coworker’s/grocery store checker’s mind. Maybe they open my fridge for another beer and encounter a meat drawer full of cheese. Perhaps they suspiciously eye my container of leftover tofu pad Thai.  Whatever sparks it, I always know it’s lurking below the surface like Jaws, if Jaws ate black beans instead of people. “Are you a vegetarian?”

The answer, strictly speaking, is no. The answer, compared to most Americans, is basically, yes. I first heard the termflexitariana few years back, and I actually suppressed a gag reflex.  Sorry ES, I know they once received a nomination foreater of the year, but I am not ready to unite my eating habits with the soy hemp pomegranate latte crowd. At a recent foodie gala thing, I overheard someone say, “I don’t know what I’m going to eat when I go home because this is my first Thanksgiving as a pescatarian.”  Cue aforementioned gag reflex, and accompanying eye roll.  I mean, come on, you could practically cut the sanctimony with a fillet knife.  Blech.

So, my answer, like most real ones, is, it’s complicated.  I like happy meat from happy cows and you likely won’t find any animal parts in my fridge unless my husband has a hankering for sausage on his homemade deep dish pizza.  One coworker dubbed all of my leftovers “nut-berry casserole.” But…I believe in hospitality, both giving and receiving, so I will eat (and enjoy) any lovingly prepared food, animal or otherwise.  Don’t knock the West Virginia pickled hot dog ‘til you’ve tried it.  And if the only place to watch the Illini game is Buffalo Wild Wings, bring on the hot and spicy wing platter.

I don’t think telling you how great vegetarianism is will convert you any more than telling you how often I go to church is going to make you a Christian.  But St. Camillus does have a fabulous 10:30 mass if you ever care to join me, and if you come for lunch afterward, I dare you to leave any nut-berry casserole, I mean Gado Gado, on your plate.

Gado Gado (A dish so nice they named it twice)

Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook

Gado Gado is the best kind of dish— similar tobi bam bap, you can make it a million different ways.  Basically, there are three parts:  the rice, the toppings and the peanut sauce.

The rice:

Make two cups cooked rice, adding 1 t turmeric to the rice as it is cooking to give it a lovely yellow color.

The toppings:

Choose from the following (my recommendations) or whatever else is around:

Hard boiled eggs

Tofu

Cooked spinach

Tart apples

Raw carrots

Barely cooked green beans (still crunchy)

Shredded cabbage

Sauteed onions

Boiled red potatoes (with skins)

The peanut sauce:

1 c. good quality peanut butter (no Skippy unless you are desperate)

1 heaping T grated fresh ginger

1 cloves minced garlic

3 T brown sugar

1 1/2 c. hot water

4 T cider vinegar

2 T soy sauce

1 t or more salt, to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste

Puree in food processor.  Cook briefly on low heat in a small saucepan to thicken.

You can lay it all out on a lovely platter to impress your guests.  Serve in bowls by layering rice, then toppings, then sauce.

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Resist the Jerky at Seattle Farmers’Markets

If you want to understand a new city don’t go on that dumb duck tour. Instead, find a farmers’ market.

Ask questions of the vendors. Sample local food, it’s better than any other breakfast.

A cheese made in the temperate Pacific Northwest will taste different than a cheese made from cows raised in searing heat. Each state has different rules on selling alcohol, so wine, cider and mead sips can be found at Seattle markets.

You can even find alcohol (although not as much as NyQuil) in the ancient Asian tea, Kombucha.

Really bring home a piece of your vacation with an edible souvenir. Find unique beans or grains (such as, wheat berries-red hard or triticale berries), or simply ones that can’t be found at your markets.

An apple from a nearby orchard makes a perfect plane snack. A sturdy cheese can stand a few hours of flying (and will pass a security test.) Apple-smoked fleur de sel will remind you of your trip long after you’ve landed.

And while you will be tempted to buy a package of salmon jerky, resist. Chewy fish is unappetizing. Nibble on the smoked stuff instead.

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Top Chef All-Stars Exit Interview: Episode 9

I don’t care if Jimmy Fallon is some douchey talk show host now. I will always love him for always breaking character on Saturday Night Live. Fallon celebrated his birthday Top Chef style by tasting and judging dishes from our beloved crew of All-Stars.

Be ready to wipe your tears. A true character packed their knives this week.

(ed. note– Fabio was driving on the freeway to the airport during this call, and that, compacted with his strong accent lent itself to a fairly incomprehensible interview. Here’s my best interpretation of the Italian’s thoughts on getting the boot.)

You’ve been a very popular character with the Top Chef fans and family. What’s it like to be a part of the organization?
Fabio Viviani:It’s done much for me. It’s good exposure. We’re all looking for exposure, it’s the number one reason why we signed on. Bloggers need exposure…so does Top Chef, NBC, even Colicchio likes exposure. He doesn’t do this because he likes to judge a bunch of pirates.

Have you ever made a hamburger before?
No, no need for it. So now I guess I’m learning. I went to Richard and said “Blais, how do you make your burger?” I made what he told me to do. It doesn’t matter. Burger is a burger.

It was discussed last night that Richard keeps helping people out. What do you think of that?
Blais will do anything to win this competition. I don’t think he would go out of his way. He did help me out. I think Mike Isabella is a great guy. I think Angelo is a camel toe. He wears his pants a little too tight for my taste.

What do you think of Top Chef All-Stars? What was your favorite challenge?
Best of the best. Challenges harder, judges are tougher. Except for Gail, she’s always a sweetheart. Besides Restaurant Wars, it was the dim sum. Welcome to the land of opportunity, dim sum style!

There was a sort of back and forth with you and Anthony Bourdain. What do you think of him now?
I LOVE, put it in capitals, I LOVE him. He’s a fuck nut. I love him. He just said his one liner about the wrong guy. I talk to him after, I talk to his wife, they’re good people.

(Photo: Bravo)

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Feed Us Back: sliced bananas and parsley on top

- You ESers has a field day with our favorite new unitasker,the bananza.debbie koenig:

I love that it’s a “hand-held” banana slicer. Obvs so much more convenient than those bulky room-sized ones.

Britannia, however, is not making fun:

I kinda want one, don’t judge.

- Andkitchen geekstands up forparsley as a garnish:

Used to be right there with you on the parsley garnish; but I’ve mellowed a bit. I’m anti curly-parsley and bad parsley but I think fresh flat leaf has its place. Garnish breaks down just like ingredients in the recipe, complementing or contrasting. Your current recipe and Rocco’s example go with the complementing camp. I often use parsley and/or cilantro in dishes that have neither to provide a fresh herb contrast to whatever dish I’m serving. Think about osso bucco and tell me gremolata is out of place as a garnish cutting the richness of the dish.

Finally,flickr user arenamontanasdeserves a huge round of applause for somehow providing the perfect photo for this post.

Thanks for simmering with us— see ya next week!

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salted hazelnut creme brulee recipe

I have a confession to make that may cause me to forfeit all my ES street cred……… I am not a huge fan of  desserts.  I admit I  have found myself tempted to join the dark (chocolate) side after some of the recent recipes our new contributorSweet Fiendprovided, but typically the interest is just passing. Cakes, cookies, brownies etc… they just don’t do it for me. Some pears and honey or a digestif are much more my style. I also have never really had much interest in baking, with its need for precise measurements and specific recipes. These problems put me in a tough situation last week but my loss may be your gain as Valentine’s Day nears.

Wifey and I have gotten into the habit ofregularly cooking a multi-course romantic meal, where we alternate who is responsible for each part. Last week, it was my turn to come up with a dessert to satisfy her substantial sweet tooth and I  could not think of anything, so I started thumbing through an old cookbook and came acrosscreme bruleeandpot de creme.  I had made both before, back when I first realized that Easy Mac was not really  cooking. The beauty of these dishes is that once you get the basic ingredients and technique down, it is easy to play with the flavors as much as you want. Even I can’t resist a rich and silken dessert, where the end product is a lot more impressive than the steps to make it. While this was a perfect solution for us on a cold Sunday in January, it may also be the perfect fit for you and your Valentine.  Also, it doesn’t hurt that you can make it beforehand and focus on a different sort of dessert.

Salted Hazelnut Creme Brulee

4 ounceshazelnuts, 4 largeegg yolks, 1 largeegg,2 1/2 cupsheavy cream, 2 tablespoonsFrangelico

1. Toast hazlenuts by heating them for a few minutes in a skillet over medium heat. Remove and let cool slightly before grinding in a food processor until fine.

2. Slowly bring your cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil over, or just leave a wooden spoon resting in the pot so that the trapped steam can escape along the handle.

3. After steam is rising from the cream, stir in the hazelnuts, bring back to a boil, and remove from the heat to cool to room temperature.

4. At this point, begin preheating the oven to 325 degrees and boiling some water on the stove.  While they start heating up, whisk together the egg and egg yolks until smooth. Slowly add the slightly cooled cream mixture, stirring throughout and then do the same with the Frangelico.

5. Depending on your preference you can skip this step but I worked the mixture through a strainer into a large bowl to remove the pieces of hazelnut  so there would be no grit in the final dish.

6. The mixture smelled amazing already but I resisted the urge to chug it all and instead put a damp kitchen towel on the bottom of a deep baking dish and set 4 ramekins on it so they wouldn’t slide around. Fill ramekins with hazelnut-egg-cream mixture.

7. Pour your boiling water into the baking dish so that it is about halfway up the ramekins. Cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil and set in your preheated oven. These will cook for about 30 minutes or until the center is not quite set, but make sure you don’t overbake. Also be careful removing the ramekins from the water to let them cool.

8. Pop these in the refrigerator for a few hours to chill and then remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

Right now you already have a velvety hazelnut pot de creme, but thekid in all of us wants even more sugarand the adult in us knows how to make that happen.

9. Sprinkle a 50/50 mix of Guarende sea salt and coarse sugar on top before popping the ramekins under the broiler.

You can serve these with homemade whipped cream, berries or chocolate sauce if you like but I suggest you save those for later and just serve your creme brulee with ahefty dose of Barry White.

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kuri squash soup recipe from the fifth floor restaurant in san francisco

It’s that time of year when all of us farmers’ market junkies are literally begging the growers to show up with something besides squash and potatoes. Keep heart, folks— another month and we’ll be in the clear. In the meantime, why not make it a winter cooking mission to try using every type of squash they have at the far mar? One in particular I’ve always passed up is thekuri squash— those round, orangey-red ones that look something like a mini-pumpkin with gross, rough edges.

Chef David Bazrigan, who just recently took over the kitchen at San Francisco’sFifth Floor restaurant, sent over this suprisingly simple recipe for turning those ugly little buggers into a beautiful kuri squash soup. Full recipe— and a bonus photo gallery of Chef Bazrigan’s food— after the jump.

Kuri Squash Soup Recipe
feeds 6

2kuri squashhalved and roasted, cooled then scoop out meat
1/2onionsliced
5 ggarlicsliced
1 1/2 Tbutter
1/2 pintwhite wine
2 quartschicken stock
2.5 grams eachcumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, toasted and ground
1/2 pintheavy cream
Salt and pepperto taste

Cook onion and garlic in butter, covered on low heat for 10 minutes(until soft), add wine, reduce by half. Add squash, spices and stock, cook for 30 minutes. Add cream, blend, strain season to taste. If too thick add more stock or water to desired consistency.

Plus— a few more photos from Fifth Floor’s new menu. I’ve included some explanatory links for all you non San Franciscans who aren’t used to cooking with fresh-picked flowers and whatnot.

Heirlomchicorieswith compressedpersimmon, pomegranate, Pt. Reyes blue cheese, apple, hazelnuts,vadouvan, and Chardonnay vinaigrette.

Brillat-Savarinravioli with roasted hedgehog mushrooms, sage, brown butter, walnut pesto and winter greens.

Butter poached Maine lobster with white beets, radishes, meyer lemon, braised baby savoy cabbage,nigella seedsand fines herbs.

Fifth Floor Restaurant
12 Fourth Street
San Francisco
415.348.1555
www.fifthfloorestaurant.com

(Photos: Eric Wolfinger)

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50 Ways to Feed Your Lover

Here at ES we know it’s not always just about what you eat— it’s how you eat it, too. And never is that more important than on Valentine’s Day. So we’re embracing our inner love child and suggesting 50 ways (some naughty, some nice) to feed your lover this V-Day.

From breakfast in bed to beer in your bosom, enjoy our most loving countdown to date— and click on the photos for fuller explanations.

50. Giant Gummy Bear on a Stick
Practicing your oral skills has never been so sweet.

49. Electric Cookie Press
With one-hand operation and consistent flow of icing every time, the possibilities are endless.

48. Bialetti Pizza Chopper
Works great for slicing thin crust, deep dish, or unfaithful lovers.“Simply grasp the handle at opposite ends and rock the blade back and forth to create portions in the desired size.”

47. Hillary Clinton Nutcracker
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is busting more than balls in Washington these days. See what she can do with a pecan.

46. Jigsaw Cookie Cutter
Sometimes love is complicated, but isn’t it great when it feels like a perfect fit?

45. Musical Cake Slice
Dream of being serenaded by your loved one? You can have your cake and eat it, too, while listening to an electronic version of“The Wedding March” or other tunes.

44. Rooster Apron
This not-so-subtle kitchen frock is sure to send the message of what’s for dessert.

43. Nun Salt& Pepper Shakers
Don’t let that Catholic guilt get you down. Shake out your sexual repression at your next meal.

42. The Ex– Unique Knife Holder
Re-enactFatal Attractionin the comfort of your own home.

41. Rainbow Kitchen Utensils
We love our gays more than the U.S. military, and what better way to represent pride than with rainbow kitchen utensils?

40. Flask Bra
For the girl on the go.

39. Fisticup Brass Knuckle Mug
P. Diddy will have nothin’ on you when you offer yo’ bitch a cup of morning brew with some props, yo.

38. Bacon Wallet
Take your date out in style when you pull out this meat-lover’s pocketbook.

37. Denture Bottle Opener
The one time when using your teeth is a good thing.

36. Radio Toaster
Pining over a lost love? Listen to Delilah while preparing your morning toast.

35. Sophisticated Adult Bib
Nothing says sexy more than a black vinyl velcro bib with sequins.

34. Port-a-Pint Folding Beer Glass
Chivalry is not dead. Just pull this out the next time you want to make a move at the end of a barbecue.

33. Food Pod
Culinary contraception never looked so good.

32. Rolling Pin Glove
Doing your best Michael Jackson while zesting a lemon will be sure to win over the ladies.

31. Portion Control Bowl
Your type“A” loved one will bliss out knowing exactly how much is going down the hatch.

30. Inflatable Turkey
Want to impress your loved one but don’t have any kitchen skills? A couple of lung-fulls of hot air will do the trick.

29. Whiskey Stones
Coals in your stocking at Christmas and rocks in your cocktail for Valentine’s Day. WTF?

28. Breakfast Floss
Want to make breakfast in bed but can’t fry an egg? Here’s the perfect solution, and calorie-free too.

27. Beer Pong Costume
You may be too old for the“I’m so drunk, let’s fuck” crowd, but at least you can pretend.

26. Smart Cookie Fortune Teller
Is true love in your future? Now you can find out without the cardboard aftertaste.

25. Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit
Do you think Wylie Dufresne is hot? Seduce your own lover: molecular gastronomy-style. Mutton chops required.

24. Juvenile Delinquent Mints
Now your date can have fresh breath even if he’s from the wrong side of the tracks.

23. Donation to the Food Bank For New York City
Love a stranger by supporting one of the largest emergency food programs in the country.

22. Cotton Candy Maker
Candy hearts are so 5th grade. Class it up with some pink fluff instead.

21. Twirling Spaghetti Fork
Re-enactLady and the Trampand save your energy for after dinner.

20. Fridge Patrol
If you think a few extra pounds are coming between you and your true love, here’s your answer.

19. Quick Milk Magic Straws
And you thought cocaine was a fun way to get the night going.

18. Automatic Composter
Oedipal complex with Mother Earth? Here’s your solution.

17. Cathy’s Cookbook
If the perpetually single comic heroine Cathy can hook a man, so can you by following one of her easy recipes.

16. Cheese Curds
They look a lot better on a buffet than on your thighs.

15. Rotating Drink Dispenser
Feeling Tom Cruiseishand can’t decide on your sexuality or what to drink? We’ve got you covered.

14. NibMor Chocolate
You can go the classic route even if your  sweetheart is a raw vegan.

13. Good Commons
Take your loved one on a foodie destination to one of the premier boutique retreat centers in the Northeast.

12. Nulo Pet Food
Is Fido or Whiskers your one true love? Spoil them with this all-natural product from foodies who are revolutionizing how we feed our pets.

11. Pansy Can
More romantic than cracking a Bud Light (sunshine not included).

10. Long Island Bluepoint Oysters
Long known to be an aphrodisiac, now you can have them delivered to your door.

9. Chocolate-Opoly
For couples who sleep in two single beds.

8. Corn Stripper
Add a boa and you’ll be the next Gypsy Rose Lee.

7. Silly Feet Baking Cups
For the foot-fetish baker in your life.

6. Baby Food Maker
Be careful what you wish for, or you may end up cooking for three.

5. Stay Fresh Containers
Unless you’re in Italy, stinky isn’t sexy— for you or your food.

4. Slow Cooker
Sometimes it’s best to take it slow.

3. Chocolate Shooter
Take a bump, courtesy of Dominique Persoone and The Chocolate Line.

2. Inner Truth Message Mugs
Total honesty is the hardest part of a relationship. Let your coffee mug do it for you.

1. Apple Pro Peeler
Adam and Eve may have never left the Garden of Eden…

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