Valentine’s Day: Alone & Loving It

Ah, the pressure of Valentine’s Day is here again. This year, if you find yourself flying solo, turn your evening into one that will be the envy of friends paying high prices for a meal out. We’ve come up with a decadent list of specialty foods culled from our sofi Award Winners and Finalists  that will help you create a spread to pamper yourself—and anyone you may choose to invite over.—Denise Shoukas

Mt. Townsend Creamery's
TruffleStack

 
What’s more decadent than truffles? Mix them with sea salt and cheese and it’ll be love at first bite. Mt. Townsend Creamery’s TruffleStack, a soft-ripened, creamy, earthy cow’s milk cheese blends truffle and sea salt into the curd. Though delicious with bread or crackers or on its own, for a salty-sweet combination, pair it with grapes, apples or pears.

 
Price: $10/5 ounces
Website: store.mttownsendcreamery.com

 
La Panzanella Rosemary
Mini Croccantini

 
La Panzanella Rosemary Mini Croccantini are rustic and handmade and possess the rich Italian flavor of rosemary. In addition to being low-fat, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan, these crackers are made with no preservatives and have no trans fat. Available in Original, Black Pepper, Sesame, Garlic, and Whole Wheat.

 
Price: $4.95/6 ounces
Website: lapanzanella.com 

 
Creminelli Handcrafted
Wild Boar Salami

 
Feel free to go wild by slicing up some Creminelli Handcrafted Wild Boar Salami. Made from free-roaming Texas wild boar, combined with pork for a deep, piquant flavor without gaminess, it pairs well with fresh figs, dates, walnuts, fried polenta and a variety of cheeses.

 
Price: $15.99 per 7-8 ounce piece
Website: creminelli.com
   

 
Port Clyde Lobster Mac & Cheese

 
Sometimes it’s good to be easy, like this award winner: Port Clyde Lobster Mac & Cheese by Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company. Just pop it in the oven and it’s ready in 40 minutes. Combining Maine lobster chunks and shell pasta with a creamy Marscarpone-Cheddar cheese sauce that’s topped with panko bread crumbs, herbed butter, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese, creates what The New York Times has called “cashmere-quality comfort food.”

 
Price: $59/40-ounce casserole
Website: hancockgourmetlobster.com 

 
The King’s Cupboard
Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

 
No need to be bitter, when you have a jar of The King’s Cupboard Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce on hand. Drizzled over ice cream or pound cake, it will remind you of why life is so sweet. Based on a generations-old recipe, the creamy blend of rich chocolate and cocoa has received terrific reviews from Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine magazines.

 
Price: $7.95/10 ounces
Website: kingscupboard.com   

 
Hanna Mini Signature Chocolate
Box Burnt Caramel with
Hawaiian Sea Salt

 
Don’t feel burned by love. Instead, enjoy Knipschildt Chocolatier’s Hanna Mini Signature Chocolate Box Burnt Caramel with Hawaiian Sea Salt . Burnt caramel is molded in a 71 percent Ecuadorian single-bean dark chocolate and topped with pink Hawaiian sea salt. Available in 10 additional flavors.

 
Price: $9/1.9 ounces
Website: knipschildt.com

Denise Shoukas is a regular foodspring.com contributor and is the
author of foodspring’s food forager blog

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