Recchiuti Valentine Box Classics
Do you know which Recchiuti flavor is your sweetheart’s favorite? Is it the sassy Ginger Heart, the addictive Fleur de Sel Caramel, the romantic Lavender Vanilla or the super-sexy Force Noir? Finding out the answer can be more fun than anything in a Cosmo quiz. Send a 16 or 32 piece Valentine Box and see for yourself.

Food From the Heart
The third annual Food From the Heart at the Ferry Building Marketplace kicks off on Friday, February 10 with a benefit for Slow Food from 5pm to 8pm. The public is invited to stroll the candlelight Grand Nave where the merchants and restaurateurs of the Marketplace will offer seasonal hors d'oeuvres for $2.00 each and Slow Food will pour wine ($5.00 per glass) from several wine bars. There will be tango and salsa dancing, music to serenade the senses, and lovely offerings of food. The entire Marketplace will be open until 8pm for Valentine shopping.

Feb 3: 6:30-9pm. Prep Kitchen Essentials (Long Beach, CA)

Feb 8: 6:30-8:30pm. Sur La Table (Berkeley, CA)

Feb 9: 6:30-8:30 pm. Sur la Table (Los Gatos, CA) Class & Signing

Feb 10: 12-2pm. Fog City News (San Francisco, CA)

Feb 10: 5-8pm. Food From the Heart

Feb 13: 2-3:30pm. Neiman Marcus (San Francisco, CA)

Mar 21: 10am-12pm. Baker’s Dozen at Foreign Cinema (San Francisco, CA)

Mar 28-31: IACP (Seattle, WA)

Apr 7-9: Chopping Block (Chicago, IL)

Apr 11: 2-4pm. Commonwealth Club (San Francisco, CA)

Apr 19: Rita Flora Wine Bar (Los Angeles, CA)

Apr 29: Kitchen in the Vineyards (Napa, CA)

Yield: ~ 45 meringues

Tartine (www.TartineBakery.com) is a ridiculously good, ridiculously popular bakery in San Francisco’s Dolores Park area. There’s a que (often out the door!) all day long and new bakery offerings can be the stuff of foodie blog gossip for weeks. Believe the hype. Nothing compares to their Morning Buns, Pain au Chocolat, Croque Monsieur or Cacao Nib Rocher. Parking can be tough, so be patient OR try making Michael’s version of their Cacao Nib Rochers (meringues) at home.

4		Extra-Large Egg Whites
1-2/3 C		Confectioner’s Sugar
1 C		Granulated Sugar
1 C		Cacao Nibs, slightly ground

Method
Pre-heat oven to 275 ºF.

Place a mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the water. Place the egg whites and both sugars in the bowl. Whisk until the mixture reaches 120°F. Remove from heat and beat with a mixer equipped with a whisk attachment. Beat for 5 minutes on high speed. Beat for an additional 5 minutes on a lower speed until the mixture is stiff. Remove from the mixer and using a spatula, fold in the cacao nibs until just incorporated. Using a tablespoon, scoop golf ball (or larger) sized dollops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the rochers are dry and crunchy. After cooling, store in an airtight container.