What's Cookin'? with AHA: 30-min Valentine's Day dinner

By Anna Valmero INQUIRER.net How do I love thee? Let me cook the ways. In Filipino culture, every occasion is celebrated with food. This is true for Valentine’s day when couples flock to restaurants to have candle-lit dinners coupled with fine cuisine. But instead of braving traffic and the crowd during that day, there’s a better way of scoring a date without the need to go to a posh restaurant in Makati. Try cooking dinner for two this Valentines' day. Cooking a romantic dinner will surely make your night less stressful, as you avoid the late night traffic jams. This is also one way to make a lasting impression on a Valentines' day. Besides, this 30-minute meal is easy on the budget but not in style. In this latest episode, Chef Gene Cordova and Paul Samson of the American Hospitality Academy will teach us how to prepare a three-course dinner for Valentines' day. The meal is composed of cream of mushroom soup as appetizer, breaded pork scallopini with pasta as main course and chocolate-covered strawberry as dessert. Below are the recipes for this three-course dinner that is good for two people: Appetizer: Cream of Mushroom You will need: 20 grams of butter 20 grams of onion, chopped fine 35 grams of mushrooms, chopped 15 grams of flour 200 ml of warm milk 35 ml of heavy cream, hot salt and white pepper to taste For the garnish, prepare: 10 grams of mushrooms 5 grams of butter 1. Heat the butter in heavy saucepot over moderate heat. 2. Add the onions and mushrooms. Sweat the vegetables without letting them brown. 3. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook the roux for a few minutes but do not let it start to brown. Then, add warm milk to bring the soup to proper consistency. 4. Gradually beat in the stock. Bring to a boil, stirring with a whip as it thickens. 5. Simmer until vegetables are tender. 6. Skim the soup carefully. 7. Pass the soup through a food mill to puree it. 8. Pass the pureed soup through a fine china cup or through chesscloth. 9. Heat the soup again but do not let it boil. 10. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 11. When serving, add the cream. Add garnish, if desired. Main Course: Breaded Pork Scallopini with Angel Hair Pasta For this dish, prepare: 200 grams of pork loin (use chicken meat as substitute) 50 grams of bread crumbs 1 piece of egg 50 grams of all-purpose flour 1 small piece of red bell pepper 1 small piece of green bell pepper 1 small piece of yellow bell pepper 10 grams of capers, chopped 1 piece of lemon 50 grams of brocolli 150 grams of angel hair pasta 10 grams of parsley 2 cloves of garlic 125 ml of olive oil 60 grams of butter salt and pepper to taste 1. Pound pork with a mullet or using the butterfly method. 2. Do the standard breading procedure. 3. Pan fry pork until golden brown. 4. Set aside pork. 5. Cook pasta in boiling water with salt and oil. Drain excess water after cooking. Set aside. 6. Blanch broccoli. Set aside. 7. Saute pasta with olive oil, parsley and garlic. Place on the bottom of the plate. 8. Saute quickly the breaded pork with melted butter, garlic, capers and lemon juice. Put on a plate above the pasta. 9. Saute brocolli and all bell peppers. Garnish on top of the pork 10. Serve hot. Dessert: Chocolate covered strawberry Prepare the following: 200 grams of dark chocolate 50 grams of white cocolate 12 pieces of strawberry (any tropical fruit is a good substitute) 1. Melt dark chocolate using bain marie method. 2. On a separate bowl, melt white chocolate. 3. Prepare tray with wax paper. 4. Dip strawberry first in dark chocolate. 5. Let it set aside in the chiller for 5 minutes. 6. Drizzle the strawberry with white chocolate. 7. Serve chilled. Tip: In step 5 of preparing the appetizer, start boiling pasta (step 5 of main course). Then go back to preparing the appetizer. Don't forget to check the pasta every once in a while. Chef Gene said the three-course meal goes well with any white wine such as Chardonnay. Advance happy Valentine’s day everyone!