
Valentine’s Day…it’s only a week away. As much as we enjoy restaurants, I find it much more romantic to stay at home, snuggled in to keep the February cold at bay. Being a blogger, I tend to celebrate the holidays a week or so before so that I can write about them. My friends and family are very amused by this but Steve is so excited because some of the girls from the dining club are coming over tonight and he will be hosting.
For Special Dinners I tend to plan the menu keeping my husband, the carnivore, in mind. He loves steak and, being a native of Annapolis Maryland, nothing is closer to his heart than Crab Cakes. Steve takes pride in cooking the things he excels at. Celebrating an early Valentine’s Day with his girls is a true gift to him. There is nothing like having a variation of Surf and Turf for a special dinner!
As always, I did my shopping at our local Whole Foods and they have on roses on special for Valentines. I couldn’t resist the deep pink so I divided them so Steve could give a vase to each of his girlfriends, of course I got some too! Beautiful, aren’t they?
Make sure you take advantage of Whole Foods special Sales for Valentines Day. Dinner is so special when it’s made with love! Chose special discounts on Boneless Rib Eye Steaks, to Lobster Tails, Heart Shaped Ravioli and Cheeses in the gourmet section. Sales start today and run through Tuesday February 14th. Click Here for a PDF of the sales flyer.
The evening of the dinner Steve and I get to work. It’s fun to be in the kitchen together. We divide the duties, he prepares the Steak and Crab Cakes, I take care of the salad, Brussels sprouts with mustard sauce, slice the radishes and plate the cookies for dessert . We set the table and when the girls arrive we are ready to go!
Appetizer
Toasted Almonds with Truffle
Sliced Radishes with Butter and Salt
First Course
Crab Cake
with Tartar Sauce
Tenuta Olim Bauda “Gavi di Gavi” 2014, Piedmont, Italy
Second Course
New York Strip Steak
Over Brussels Sprouts in Mustard Sauce
Small Gully “Mr. Black’s Concoction” 2012, Barossa Valley
Cheese Course
Salad of Butter Lettuces
with Champagne Vinaigrette and a Soft Cheese
Dessert
Assorted Cookies
Coffee and Tea
Part of the fun of planning a special dinner is paring the wines to the meal. One of the pleasures of shopping at Whole foods is having Bin 201 right across the street. I wheeled my cart over there ant they recommended the perfect wines for our special dinner. Here are the tasting notes on our selections:
Tenuta Olim Bauda “Gavi di Gavi” 2014, Piedmont, Italy
Gavi was Italy’s first white wine to gain international repute and is still considered one of the top-ranking Italian whites today. Made exclusively from the Cortese grape, a variety which has a heritage dating back to the 1600s, this is a wine that reflects its terroir. It is noted for its bone-dry character and crisp, flinty and fresh acidity, coming from the mineral-rich soils of the area. Olim Bauda’s aromatic nose has prominent floral notes, while the medium-bodied palate is soft but well balanced, with delicate tones of limes and a touch of minerality.
Small Gully “Mr. Black’s Concoction” 2012, Barossa Valley
A CĂ´te-RĂ´tie inspired blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Viognier, “Mr. Black’s Concoction” is mouth-filling and terrifically extroverted with bold, brambly dark fruit. The fruit is selected quite late in the growing season to coincide with the picking of the small parcel of Viognier. The addition of the floral white wine contributes to the rich aromatics of the wine without diluting the power of the Shiraz.

Crab Cakes
Steve prides himself on making the best crab cakes. The secret is the searching out the beat jumbo lump crabmeat and enhancing it simply - mayonnaise, mustard, seasonings and a bit of filler to hold the Crab cakes together. We believe the best ingredients, prepared simply, give the best results.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jumbo Lump Crab meat
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 Teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning plus more to taste*
- 1 tablespoon chopped Parsley plus more for garnish
- Juice of ½ Lemon 2 Tablespoons +/-
- 4 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
- ÂĽ Cup soft Bread Crumbs or crushed Ritz Crackers plus more as needed
Instructions
-
Place the crabmeat into a bowl and gently, with your hands, remove any bits of shell or cartilage taking care not to break up any of the lumps.
-
In a small bowl mix the egg with the mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Old Bay, parsley, lemon juice, mayonnaise together and the bread crumbs or crushed crackers. Gently mix this into the crab meat, taste and add more old Bay, mayonnaise or breadcrumbs, if needed.
-
Divide the mixture into four or six crab cakes and broil under a broiler. Watch the crab cakes closely and immediately remove them from the oven when browned. Plate the crab cakes and garnish with a bit of chopped parsley, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Resist the impulse to add more Old Bay unless you taste it first. The Old bay is spicy and salty and it’s meant to enhance the flavor of the crab, not overpower it. Gluten Free variation: Substitute almond meal for the bread crumbs/crackers.
I am grateful for the Annapolis Whole Foods who provided all of the amazing cheese for the creation of this post. I’m a devoted Whole Foods shopper but any opinions or findings you read here are solely my own. Â
As always, I am most grateful for you, my community and will always do my best to serve you in introducing products that you will find the most useful, amazing, helpful, to keep you sane in the kitchen, at home and on the streets.
This is an absolutely mouthwatering menu — I love those crab cakes. I’m from the Tidewater region originally, and crab cakes have been a staple on our table for years! I know about celebrating holidays “before they happen” too. Back in September, we were eating Christmas cookies and cranberry sauce! LOL!
Hi Lisa, The life of bloggers… our tree was up in October. Too funny. Enjoy the weekend!
Like you, I much prefer to eat a romantic dinner at home rather than go out in the dark and cold to eat at very crowded restaurants. This menu is just perfect for Valentine’s Day. And I love your wine suggestions – especially the Barossa Valley Shiraz/Viognier – perfect with steak.
The wines were amazing! I went back for some more of Mr. Black’s Concoction (the Shiraz blend) and they were out of it…I had to order more.
Wow you’re hubby is too lucky! Have you told him that lately! What a beautiful Valentine’s Day dinner!
You are so sweet. He knows he’s got it good but he would never admit it!
LOVE crabcakes and this Valentine’s day menu sounds fabulous!! Whole Foods is great!
Thanks Christina! I have to admit I’m addicted to my Whole Foods. I’m so lucky they are only a mile or so away.
Oh My! What a lovely dinner. I love crab cakes but have never made them for my family. I think your recipe makes them sound easy. I love that you shared the perfect wines with the courses.
Thanks Cynthia! If you try the Crab Cakes let me know how they turn out.
Everything looks so delicious. The food looks easy to make. I would love to try the crab cakes and steak with brussel sprouts in Mustard Sauce. Whole Foods is the place to find the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner and dessert and make for my hubby.
Hi Francisca! We do prefer to stay in. I hope you try the recipes. If you do let me know how they turn out.
This all sounds so good. WE always cook at home for valentines. Its so much easier!
I agree! Thanks Neely.
That wine is right up my alley! I miss living near a Whole Foods! One thing I loved was that they had a chilling machine you could stick your wine bottle in and, a few minutes later, it was as cold as if it had been sitting in the fridge all day!
Ahhh – we live in Maryland and they don’t allow wine to be sold in grocery stores so our Whole Foods is dry. The good news is that there is an awesome wine shop right next door!
Me and hubby will be spending time together at home on Valentine’s day. Thanks for the recipe for crab cakes. I will make these for him.
Wonderful! let me know how they turn out.
Omg so much yummy food!!! I’m a total foodie and a total carnivore so good food for any holiday is a must!
Thanks Courtney!
Very nice! usually make baked ziti or stuffed shells for Valentines Day dinner as we always have our kids with us 🙂
Pasta is always a favorite! I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day!
Spending time in the kitchen together can be a lot of fun, especially when you are both preparing a romantic meal together. The wine is an important part of that meal.
Yes, it is fun to work together in the kitchen then share the meal. Thanks for stopping by!
Valentines day is always so special and I cant wait for what it has in store for this year. I am in love with those delicious dinner ideas and it should be so much fun to try all of them!
I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!