HispanicBusiness

Don't stress over last-minute gifts for Valentine's Day -- the very best gifts can be created right in front of your loved ones, then enjoyed together. We're talking, of course, about the many wonderful culinary creations with which you can impress your loved ones. Or, to spin the classic phrase, "the way to a person's heart is through his (or her) taste buds."


Liquid Refreshment
As a wonderful dining experience often starts with a cocktail, the first person we turned to for Valentine's advice was Master Mixologist Junior Merino, also known as The Liquid Chef. He offered several wonderful concoctions to HispanicBusiness.com readers once before, and he came through again with a cocktail that could make Cupid jealous, which he calls "X's & O's" -- or, for those not familiar with love-note shorthand, "Kisses & Hugs."

X's & O's
Ingredients: two sage leaves; 1/4-oz Monin pear syrup; 1/6 Asian pear; seven blueberries; 3/4-oz lime juice; 2 oz G'vine Nouaison. Steps: Muddle the first four ingredients, then add the lime juice, G'vine, ice, shake, and double-strain over ice into a tall glass. Garnish with blueberries and raspberries.

Another mixology whiz, Manny Hinojosa, offered up a refreshing drink recipe sure to help woo your special guy or gal. An award-winning mixologist, notably winner of the 2007 "Shake It Up: the Battle of the Mixologist competition in Las Vegas, Hinojosa is the brand ambassador for CORZO, a premium tequila. Naturally, tequila is the ingredient he prefers to use in his alchemy. Spending Valentine's Day with his special someone is a priority to him.

"I will be flying back from a business trip on Friday the 13th on the red-eye so I can be with my wife on Valentine's day," Hinojosa told us. He offered up a romantic recipe called "Rose Petals & CORZO Silver."

Rose Petals & CORZO Silver
First, make "rose petals simple syrup. Ingredients: two cups of water; 1/2 oz. of dry rose petals (rosa de castilla); one cup sugar; four dry hibiscus flowers. Directions: Bring to boil and let sit for 20 minutes. Place in glass container.

Then, create the cocktail. Ingredients: 1-1/2 oz. CORZO Silver; 1-1/2 oz. rose petals simple syrup; 1 oz. fresh lime juice; splash of Champagne. Directions: In a mixing glass add CORZO tequila, rose petal simple syrup, fresh squeeze lime juice, ice and shake, serve in a martini glass and finish with a splash of Champagne.


Through the Stomach

Chef Rene Ortiz is mired in work -- in fact, when we called him, he was testing menu items for his soon-to-open Austin, Texas-based restaurant, La Condesa. He is passionate about his goal to serve locally produced, indigenous foods.

"We are a restaurant that is certified as green," he told HispanicBusiness.com. At La Condesa, Ortiz and his chefs will grow ingredients on a rooftop garden. He'll be using a "head to tail" approach, where he uses every part of an animal, letting nothing go to waste.

Since the restaurant isn't slated to open until Feb. 20, Chef Ortiz says that he will be cooking solely for his family: wife Amy, "the baby basting away in her tummy," and son, Milo. The menu will include a "sweetheart ceviche," with Chilean merluza (or hake, as it's typically known in the U.S.), tomato, strawberry, pomegranate, lime, serrano pepper, and basil. He's also planning a "Taza Chocolate mole," with duck confit, gallo pinto, and duck breast, all prepared in a Dutch oven.

If cooking your own gourmet food is a little out of your comfort zone, there is still time to find a fine dining experience that will be a treat for your date -- and yourself. Chef Alex Garcia of Boca Restaurant in Los Angeles gave us a preview of his special Valentine's Day menu.

It's safe to leave your Valentine's fate in the hands of a master chef like Garcia, with appetizers like arepas con pato ("yellow corn cakes, duck two ways, dried cherry sauce) and ensalada de calamares ("crispy calamari, dominican honey, organic sprout salad"), or sure-fire entrees like pollo mojito ("mojito-lime chicken, sweet plantain mash, black bean sauce"), chuleta de puerco ("jerk pork chop, sweet potato puree, caramelized onions"), and salmón panela (panela sugar glazed salmon, west indian squash hash, coconut essence). Not to mention the dessert for two of pasion de chocolate (banana chocolate mousse tart, strawberry champagne sorbet, chocolate tower).

Only two days to go! Flowers are always a lovely idea, jewelry can be a big hit, and fine chocolates will make most people smile . . . but if you want an unforgettable Valentine's Day, a freshly prepared drink or gourmet meal, whether executed by you or an able third-party, may be your best bet for a night to remember.