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There are two things we know we can always trust Ina Garten‘s opinion on: food and love. After all, she’s been with her husband Jeffrey for more than 50 years, and she’s been cooking for almost as long. That means that while searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day menu to make our loved ones, we were hoping the Barefoot Contessa would have some advice, and sure enough, she finally shared this year’s Valentine’s Day menu that she’ll be making for herself and her beloved Jeffrey. As you might expect, the meal is equal parts elegant and cozy, and it ends with a totally dreamy, show-stopping dessert: homemade raspberry cheesecake.
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To start with, Garten’s Valentine’s Day menu opens with a round of Duke’s Cosmopolitans, made with lemon juice, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and vodka, from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.
Courtesy of Clarkson Potter.
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Dinner is three courses of simple but refined food: an arugula salad with Parmesan, a perfectly roasted rack of lamb rubbed with a mustard, balsamic, garlic, and rosemary blend, and orzo with roasted vegetables, feta, and pine nuts.
But the true star of the show is the raspberry cheesecake. It’s homemade, with a light vanilla and lemon flavor, and it’s made ultra-creamy thanks to the use of cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and additional egg yolks. There’s a classic graham cracker crust, and the topping is made from fresh raspberries and red fruit jelly (Garten suggests currant, raspberry, or strawberry jelly).
For the best presentation, you’ll want to use a springform pan for your cheesecake – if you use a pie plate, it will have sloped sides, and it can be harder to remove clean slices from the pan.
Courtesy of Nordic Ware.
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It’s a meal that takes time and care to prepare, but it’s not so complicated that only a fancy restaurant chef could execute it. And ending your meal on a sweet note on Valentine’s Day always makes the night feel a little more special. Leave it to Garten to come up with the perfect menu that includes a romantic finale anyone would be lucky to enjoy.
Before you go, check out the gallery below:
Watch: How to Make Gorgeous Chocolate-Covered Strawberries That Have a Sweet Surprise Inside
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