Date Night at Home

Going out to spend some quality time with our significant other is something that many of us look forward to and is a great way to not only bring couples closer, but to step out for a moment from our busy lives. Why not bring date night home? We’re going to show you how to have date night right in the comfort of your own home with some delicious recipes from our alum chefs. For those of us who don’t like to cook, we have some great restaurants from our alum chefs where you can order some delicious takeout as well! 

Prepare A Full Course Meal

Prepare a full course meal with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert with some of yours and your partner’s favorite dishes. Below we have a great salad recipe that’s light and tasty as an appetizer and a grilled lambchop recipe that would pair beautifully with some red wine. (See our wine pairings piece to learn more.) Lastly, we have a delicious buckeye recipe because, lets face it, chocolate is the symbol of love!  

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Appetizer –  Chef Seamus Mullen
Fennel and Artichoke Salad with Grapefruit
Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 1 large artichoke
• 1 small fennel
• 4 tablespoons Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
• 1 grapefruit
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
• 1 ½ ounces ricotta salata, sliced and broken into shards
• Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the halves into a medium bowl, and drop in the rinds. Add cold water to a depth of 4 inches or so.
2. Pull the rough outer leaves off the artichoke. You do this first step by hand because you have more control that way. Turn the artichoke upside down and cut off all the dark green leaves with a sharp paring knife, turning the artichoke in your hand while you slice with the other. Turn it right side up, trim the stem to 1 inch, and run the knife up the stalk to remove all the darker green peel around the stem. As you cut, keep dipping the artichoke and knife in the acidulated water to prevent oxidation. Cut off and discard the purple flower at the top, then scoop and scrape out the furry choke in the center. Keep the remaining heart in the acidulated water.
3. Pick off and reserve the fronds from the top of the fennel. Run the fennel bulb and stems on a mandoline to create paper-thin slices, then mandoline the artichoke heart as well. Toss the fennel and artichoke slices in a large bowl with the dressing to prevent oxidation.
4. Trim the top and bottom of the grapefruit, then use a paring knife to cut off all the pith and peel. Reserve the peels. Holding the grapefruit over the fennel and artichokes, cut out the segments between the membranes, letting them drop into the bowl. Squeeze all the juice you can from the membranes, then discard. Gently toss and add more dressing to taste.
5. Divide the mixture among serving plates and top with the parsley, avocado, and ricotta salata. Zest some of the reserved grapefruit peel on top, then sprinkle with the reserved fennel fronds. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette -  Makes about 2/3 cup
See recipe on Chef Seamus’ Instagram.

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Entrée – Chef Ludo Lefebvre
Grilled Lamb Chops and Jardinière De Légumes
Ingredients:
Jardinière -

• 8 small carrots (spring, small carrots with different colors would look nice)
• 8 spring turnips
• 12 spring radishes
• 1/2 pound shelled peas
• 3 spring onions
• 8 Boston lettuce leaves
• 1/2 lemon
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• Salt
• Pepper

Lamb -

• 12 lamb chops, trimmed
• French Provencal Barbecue Seasoning (from Ludo Lefebvre's Essential spices collection)
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:
To make the Jardinière:

1. Peel the carrots and cut in 4 lengthwise.
2. Clean and brush the turnip and the radishes and cut in quarters.
3. Dice the onions.
4. Melt the butter in large saucepan or Dutch pan and add the onions and cook with no coloration for 2 minutes.
5. Add ½ cup of water then the carrots. Cover for 4 minutes. Then add the turnips and radishes.
6. Cover for 2 minutes.
7. At the last moment add the peas and lettuce leaves, a few drops of lemon juice. Salt and pepper. The water/butter looks like a sauce, a “liaison” for the vegetables.

To grill the lamb chops:

1. Grill to your taste the lamb chops. Add the spices, salt and pepper.
2. In France, we cook them “rosé”, pink but not red inside.
3. Serve a few tablespoons of jardinière and 3 lamb chops.

See recipe on Chef Ludo’s website. 

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Dessert – Chef Duff Goldman
Buckeyes
Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
• 1½ cups crunchy peanut butter*
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• Big ol’ pinch of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 pounds dark coating chocolate

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, peanut butter, corn syrup, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Don’t beat too much air into the mixture. Refrigerate the bowl for 20 minutes.
2. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Scoop out 1-inch balls of dough, use your clean hands to quickly roll them into smooth balls, and place them on the sheet.
3. Stick a toothpick in each ball and set the baking sheet in the fridge.
4. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a glass or metal bowl set over simmering water.
5. Holding it by the toothpick, set a ball into the chocolate, coating most but not all of it. You have to leave the buckeye poking out!
6. Shake off any extra chocolate into the bowl and place the buckeye back on the baking sheet. Repeat to coat the rest of the balls, then return the sheet to the fridge.
7. Keep the buckeyes cold and store them in a sealed container. You can stack them, but keep wax paper between the layers.

See recipe on Chef Duff’s website. 

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Set the Table

Whether you decide to eat in the kitchen, dining room, or take it outside – make the setting of choice as creative and dreamy as possible. Light some candles, dim the lights, and use your nicest tableware to make it feel romantic! 

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Get Dressed Up

For the ultimate wow factor, don’t forget to dress up in your nicest clothes! You’ll feel fantastic to finally be able to dress up again and your partner will not only be astonished by your wonderful set-up but also by how amazing you look. 

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Takeout Options

If cooking is not for you, no worries, leave it to the chefs! For those of us who don’t want to cook or simply don’t have the time, we have some great takeout options for our Los Angeles natives:​
Jar Restaurant – Chef Suzanne Tracht
M. Georgina – Chef Melissa Perello
Broken Spanish – Chef Ray Garcia
For dessert –
Valerie Confections – Chef Valerie Gordon

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Time to start planning your date night at home with some delicious meals! After all, the way to the heart is through the stomach.