Sauteed Blood Oranges on Roast Duck

Blood oranges are such a gorgeous color! My neighbor dropped a bag of these gems on my doorstep the other day and I just had to make something. So, I picked up a duck from Whole Foods and created a belated Valentine's Day dinner for my husband. The oranges are sauteed in brown sugar and butter with a nice bit of salt to really make all the flavors pop. I served it with black sticky rice and it was superbly completed with a Trefethen Chardonnay.

Sauteed Blood Oranges on Roast Duck

1 (5lb.) whole duck
1 blood orange, cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 blood oranges, peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Thaw duck overnight in refrigerator or in cold water. Allow duck to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before prep and roasting for best results of evenly cooked meat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove plastic wrapping on duck. Remove neck, liver, and gizzards from body cavity. Cut duck along the breast bone to open it up but don't cut through the backbone. Rinse duck, thoroughly cleaning skin and underside, and pat dry. Place duck flat, skin side up, in a roasting pan and prick skin with a fork trying not to pierce the meat underneath.

Squeeze the juice of the 1 orange that is cut in half over the duck. Sprinkle the olive oil and then 1/2 teaspoon of salt over duck.

Cook duck for about 1 hour, removing fat from pan as it accumulates every 15 minutes using a baster. Duck is done when skin is golden brown and a fork inserted into breast yields juice that is light rosy pink for medium rare or clear for more well done meat.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Add sliced orange rounds and cook, gently swirling the oranges, for about 5 minutes. Oranges should caramelize a little and their juice will make a nice light sauce in the pan; remove from heat.

Carve duck into 2 servings and for each one: Cut off leg and thigh as one piece, cut off wing, remove breast meat as a whole from bone and then slice on the diagonal. Arrange pieces on individual plates and place sauteed blood orange slices on top. Spoon blood orange juice over the duck and serve warm.

Makes 2 servings

Photo credit: Jeanne Benedict

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

I designed these chic cupcakes for those who want to whip up a little something lucious, sweet, and sparkly to give to their loved ones on Valentine's Day. Most of the cupcake wraps are made out of scrapbook paper or plush fabric backed by cardstock with rhinestone stickers or brads decorating them.

Victorian Red Velvet Valentine's Day Cupcake

Plush Pink with Rhinestone Buckle Valentine's Day Cupcake

Disco Valentine's Day Cupcake

Red and Pink Layered Valentine's Day Cupcake

Rhinestone Heart on Black Valentine's Day Cupcake

Photo Credit: Jeanne Benedict

Roses with Rhinestone Love Vase on Valentine's Day

I designed this sexy glam arrangement for those who want to create some DIY flowers on Valentine's Day. Here's how to make them:

1. Prep a large glass cylinder by making a Scotch tape "net" at the top opening to hold floral foam. Attach a piece of tape, sticky side down so the tape ends adhere to the rim, and extend it across the opening to the other side; adhere end to that side of the rim. Repeat the process in a grid pattern making sure that the tape strips are long enough that they sag a bit so they can hold a piece of floral foam.

2. Soak a floral foam disk sized to @1-inch thick by the diameter of your vase opening to fit inside the top. Set the floral foam into the tape net.

3. Put a few pieces of double-sided tape on the outside of the vase at the top and bottom to hold the ribbon in place. Wrap black grosgrain ribbon around the top and bottom of the vase.

4. Attach rhinestone letter stickers on the middle of the vase to spell "LOVE" or whatever you like. (I purchased the stickers at Michael's Arts and Crafts Store.)

5. Use a pitcher or spouted vessel to pour water into the vase.

6. Cut red rose stems to 1-inch lengths and insert them into the floral foam. Voila!

Photo Credit: John Sparano

Valentine's Day Bento Box

I love making Bento Boxes for special occasions. This idea came to me the other day as a unique kid's lunch idea for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day Bento Box

1. Tint sushi rice (recipe follows) blue with food coloring. Fill Bento Box with rice.

2. Find a simple Cupid drawing online or sketch one and cut it out to use as a pattern. Place the pattern on bologna and cut out his body and face. I cut out the legs separately to give Cupid a bit more pizazz.

3. Cut Cupid's hair out of Cheddar cheese and his wings and diaper out of Provolone cheese.

4. Create Cupid's mouth using a red pepper. Use a straw to punch out tiny cheese circles for his eyes and use black sesame seeds for his pupils or seaweed, which is what I used for his nose.

5. Use a mini heart-shaped cookie cutter to create the hearts on the Gouda cheese and arrange them in the box.

6. Slice a sugar snap pea pod into strips and make the bow and use a red pepper and Cheddar cheese for his arrow.

7. A red pepper strip makes a great banner and Spaghettios are what I used to spell "VALENTINE."

Sushi Rice

2 cups short grain rice
2 cups cold water
1/2 rice wine vinegar

Soak rice in a bowl of cold water. With clean hands, gently stir rice until water becomes cloudy. Strain rice in a sieve and set aside in sieve for 30 minutes to drain excess water.

Place rice in a medium pot and add water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until rice steams, about 5-8 minutes. Turn heat to high and cook for 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes more, until you hear a crackling sound. Do not lift lid during cooking process. Turn off heat and allow rice to stand covered for 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a bamboo paddle or a wide wooden spoon. Cover and let stand another 15 minutes.

Spread rice along the bottom and up the sides of a large non-metallic bowl or platter. Sprinkle vinegar over rice, quickly tossing rice with wooden paddle to incorporate vinegar. Fan rice with a paper fan or piece of cardboard for about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean damp towel until rice cools to room temperature. Prepare sushi as soon as rice cools for maximum results. Do not store rice in the refrigerator as chilled rice loses its stickiness.

Makes about 4 cups

Photo Credit: Jeanne Benedict

Valentine's Day Candy

Here are some pix from the article I just wrote for Celebrations.com about

Homemade Valentine's Day Candy (recipes)

Photo Credit: Jeanne Benedict