As far as holiday’s go (real or made up), Valentine’s Day is pretty lousy. If you’re single, it’s eye-rolling. If you’re with someone, it’s tedious. And once you hit a certain age, say 11, the idea of secret admirers giving you a teddy bear is just creepy. But there was this one Valentine’s Day I can’t shake. I was hooked on a girl and wanted to show her that I wasn’t just any dude who would take her to some “romantic” bistro. So I decided to cook.
We’d start with oysters on the half shell. I know: oysters, how cliché. But being able to enjoy raw oysters (And Waffle House! And the Grateful Dead! And bourbon!) is non-negotiable when it comes to enjoying life. A curried squash soup would follow, and then a rack of lamb served with my mom’s potato gratin recipe. Then: dessert, also known as the way to 99.9% of people’s hearts. I sought Julia Child’s help, and, as always, she delivered. Her Mousseline au Chocolat tasted so complex that you would have thought I’d spent days on it, even though it took all of 30 minutes. (In the recipe below it says to chill for two hours, but you can get away with 20-30 minutes.) My date fell in love with it and, I like to think, also with me. She’s now my wife and 15 years and two daughters later, I have a ridiculous holiday and chocolate mousse to thank.
