Love Bites: Champagne Sundays

Sundays are meant for champagne!

What better way to welcome the start of a new week and possibly a new relationship than by raising a glass at brunch and toasting the day with your potential mate.

Try these simply luscious recipes that are sure to keep them wanting more.

If the date is still going at five, keep the champagne flowing and order pizza for dinner, no pepperoni or onions. You may want to remain kissable.

Cheers!

– Cheryl xo

Main: Tiny crab-and-asparagus custards

Serves: 2      Preparation time: 10 minutes      Cooking time: I5-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 dwarf green asparagus, or 6 large green asparagus tips
• 2 sprigs chervil
• ¾ cup (20 cl) light cream
• ½ cup(10 cI) of milk
• 3 eggs
• salt, pepper
• 1 small can crabmeat [/column]

Preheat oven to 350°F (l80°C). Wash the asparagus and poach in boiling salted water tor 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Wash and drain the chervil, reserve 2 whole sprigs for the garnish, chop the rest. In a bowl. mix together the cream, milk, eggs, and chopped, chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the water from the can of crabmeat and divide the contents between two ovenproof porcelain ramekins, add the asparagus, then cover with the custard mixture. Put the ramekins in a pan of hot water (the water should come hallway up the sides of the ramekins) and bake until the point of a sharp knife inserted into the custard comes out clean; the timing will depend on how large the ramekins are. Garnish each ramekin with a sprig of chervil and serve.

Canned crabmeat works well in this recipe, but vacuum-packed fresh crabmeat is even better, if you can obtain it. It contains less moisture and is more flavorful.

Side: Fresh figs, bresaola, and mascarpone

Serves: 2      Preparation time: 10 minutes     Cooking time: none

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh figs
• 4 slices bresaola ham
• 2 tablespoons marscapone
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• chopped chives
• ½ teaspoon crushed mixed peppercorns

Wash and drain the figs. Divide into quarters without cutting through the base of the fruit. Place a slice of bresaola on a serving plate, top with a cut fig, and end with a second slice of bresaola. Do the same on a second plate. Garnish each serving with a tablespoon of mascarpone, then sprinkle on the chopped chives and crushed mixed peppercorns. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at once.

For a more substantial dish, use a large slice of toasted country bread as a base for the other Ingredients.

Dessert: Champagne cocktail with raspberries

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 3 minutes
Cooking Tine: none

Ingredients: 

• 6 fresh raspberries
• ½ bottle chilled dry (brut) Champagne

Wash the raspberries and drain them on paper towel. Pour the Champagne into flutes, add the raspberries, and serve at once.

For additional flavor. splash a little raspberry liqueur into the bottom of the flutes before adding the Champagne.