Here something you could do ahead for dessert. I have made them a few times and they are delicious. The recipe makes 3 dozen cupcakes, I froze them with no problem. Just make sure you use chipotle powder and not chili powder!

Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes

1 cup Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup boiling water
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp chipotle powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp canned chipotles in adobe sauce, pureed
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcake trays with baking cups (36)
3. Puree canned chipotles and set aside.
4. Boil water. Transfer 3/4 cup of boiling water to bowl. Stir in cocoa until dissolved to form chocolate mixture and set aside.
5. With a wire whisk, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and chipotle powder in a separate bowl and set aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar, butter and eggs until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix well.
7. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in two additions, ending with flour mixture. Beat until combined with each addition.
8. Add pureed chipotles and beat until combined.
9. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake trays,
10. Bake for 13-15 minutes and cool completely.

Chili Chocolate Ganache
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3 oz. chocolate with chili pepper (I used Lindt Chili)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1. Combine chocolates and heavy cream in medium bowl.
2. Microwave on high in 30 sec intervals. Stir in between.
3. Gradually add sugar and whisk mixture until smooth.
4. Let cool.
5. Pour into squeeze bottle.

Dinner party?
Beef borgnon. Spelled wrong but you know what I mean....salad, just a basic tossed mixed greens, with perhaps some toasted nuts chilling in the fridg. Nice loaf of sour dough ready to be warmed, Cheeses on a tray coming to room temp and in the refrig a lovely cake, layered with pastry cream with fresh berries ready to top each slice.
The bar at the ready, wine ready to be opened to breath as soon as you walk in....and pizza for the kids on order.
I think Marilyn Merlot did it!
Linda C

LindaC, I disagree, I think the Schnapps guy did it. Never trust a guy who wears lederhosen!

Stacy, it sounds like a lot of fun. I also think a nice loaf of homemade bread and maybe an impressive multi-layer chocolate cake could be made ahead.

The Beef Bourguignon sounds good, or you want to go in another direction you could always make something like a white lasagna (or red lasagna if you like, it could be more "Valentine's Day" like). Tiramisu for dessert could also be made ahead, as could a salad and garlic bread.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Annie

My money's on Papa Vito!

Perhaps Chicken Divan? You can even prep it ahead and freeze it.

Chicken Divan
Serves 6-8
This is great for dinner parties, functions or casserole dinners

1 3 lb chicken, cooked, boned and cut into bite sized pieces
1 head of broccoli, broken into florets and cooked
2 cups white sauce*
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream
3 tbsp sherry
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan cheese

Choose a shallow oven-proof dish suitable for serving from. Arrange cooked broccoli over the bottom of the dish, then scatter the cooked chicken evenly over the broccoli. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the top, covering well. Again sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. May be refrigerated at this point. Place in 400F oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling. If it has been refrigerated this will take longer. Serve immediately.

*To make white sauce, place 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan or micro-safe dish and melt on stove top or in microwave. Add 4 tbsp plain flour, mix well. Away from heat, whisk in 2 cups of milk, then return to heat and gently bring to boil. (Microwave in 3-minute bursts, whisk well between zaps.) Cook until thick. Season to taste.

I serve it with rice, generally. You could also add a side salad or some other vegetable.

For starters you could have a soup in the crock pot all ready to go.

What about a Michael Chiarello recipe? He does that Entertaining Napa Style show and the recipes Ive made of his were wonderful. These are NOT T&T, but they sure sound good! BTW - I would probably make Boeuf Bourgignon too, but these are just a couple of options to consider. Or you could make a cassoulet or jambalaya or paella type thing.

Sounds like you are all going to have a blast and I'm leaning towards Timy Bubbles - you cant trust those bubbly ones LOL!

Alexa

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Forever Roasted Pork
: FROM: The Tra Vigne Cookbook-Signed
As Seen On: Wine Festa

I call this "Forever Roasted Pork" because it takes (almost) forever to roast, about eight hours. The meat is well seasoned and cooked in a slow oven until it is so tender it shreds. Once its done, I challenge you not to stand at the kitchen counter and pick.

This is also my favorite thing to cook at home as it makes the entire house smell fantastic!

Ingredients
Serves: 6

2 medium onions, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup water
4 pounds pork leg or shoulder, at room temperature
About 1/4 cup Fennel Spice (make it, or buy it)

Directions
Thinly slice the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 1 minute. Add the sage and cook until the onions cease throwing off water, about 3 minutes. Add the water, cover, and cook until the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and saute until the onions are very soft and the pan is dry again, about 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Peel back the pork skin and spread the onions directly on the fat layer. Fold the skin back over the onions and tie closed with kitchen string. Season well all over with the fennel spice.

Arrange the meat on a rack in a roasting pan (or using the Cocorico, see below) and cook until the meat is very tender, 6 to 8 hours. It is ready when it pulls away easily if picked at with a pair of tongs. It is often easiest to cook the meat overnight, or put it in the oven in the morning and let it cook all day. It does not need to be attended.

On the Cocorico
You can also roast the pork using our Cocorico! Prepare the meat as instructed above but donÂt add the onions before tieing the meat ÂyouÂll add them later, and can prepare the onions while the roast is cooking. After tieing the meat with kitchen string and seasoning it with Fennel Spice Rub, set the roast on the Cocorico by "skewering" it over the cone through the side of the roast that you cut to butterfly it for seasoning. Add 3/4 cup water to bottom of pan and place cocorico and roast in the oven. Cook time will decrease by about 1 hour because the it will cook from the inside too!

While the pork is roasting on the cocorico, prepare the onions as instructed above, sliced about 1/4" thick. In last hour of cooking, skim off the fat that is in the bottom of the cocorico. Place onions in bottom of cocorico with the pork for the last hour of cooking.

Variations: This dish can be simplified or made more elaborate depending on your taste. You can omit the onions and simply season the meat with the fennel spice. You can roast aromatic vegetables until caramelized and add them to the bottom of the roasting pan. Or you can add another layer of flavor to the onions: mince fresh rosemary and fruits such as oranges, kumquats, Meyer lemons, apples, pears, or quince, and cook with the onions.

Tips
DonÂt rush! If the meat cooks too fast, it will dry out and be tasteless.
Try it on the Cocorico too (see notes in recipe, above)!
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Fennel Spiced "Forever" Roasted Lamb

I call this "Forever Roasted Lamb" because it takes (almost) forever to roast , about eight hours. The meat is well seasoned and cooked in a slow oven until it is so tender it shreds. Once itÂs done, I challenge you not to stand at the kitchen counter and nibble.

Ingredients
Serves: 6 to 8

2 medium onions, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Gray salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup water
4 pounds leg of lamb, at room temperature
About 1/4 cup Fennel Spice (Make it or Buy it)

Directions
Thinly slice the onions with a sharp chefÂs knife. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 1 minute. Add the sage and cook until the onions cease throwing off water, about 3 minutes. Add the water, cover, and cook until the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and saute until the onions are very soft and the pan is dry again, about 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Season meat well all over with the fennel spice. Spread the onions directly on the fat layer or outside of the leg of lamb.

Arrange the meat on a rack in a roasting pan and cook until the meat is very tender, 6 to 8 hours. It is ready when it pulls away easily if picked at with a pair of tongs. It is often easiest to cook the meat overnight, or put it in the oven in the morning and let it cook all day. It does not need to be attended.

Variations: This dish can be simplified or made more elaborate depending on your taste. You can omit the onions and simply season the meat with the fennel spice. You can roast aromatic vegetables until caramelized and add them to the bottom of the roasting pan. Or you can add another layer of flavor to the onions: mince fresh rosemary and fruits such as oranges, kumquats, Meyer lemons, apples, pears, or quince, and cook with the onions, or make a paste of garlic and fresh or dried chilies and add to the onions.
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Thanks everyone. Beef B - however you spell it - sounds good, but the more I think of it, I think I made that another year. Sheesh. I should have written it down.

OH, those cupcakes sound delicious! And if they have the same effect as in the movie - well...

Linda, your description of the evening sounds heavenly...love the assorted cheese idea.

hmmm, annie, lasagne - for some reason I hadn't thought of that...that's a possibility.

Alexa, I like the "idea" of the chicken - but for some reason I run into a mental roadblock as it brings me back to my pre-CF days when I would combine frozen broccoli, chicken breasts and cover with CofM soup......it just "cheapens" the whole elegance of it...

but I DO love the idea of the soup in the crockpot! What kind?

While I'm not a fan of lamb, that pork sounds tempting - and would fit my timetable nicely.

How about Coq ua vin or Stoganoff ? Roasted Red Pepper soup has a Valentine appeal and can be made as early as the day ahead.

Oh, and my money is on Ralph Rottingrape....you can't trust the quiet ones!

Hell Hath no Fury Like a Woman Scorned.

So I'm putting my money on "Tiny Bubbles." That sex kitten is the one who raises an eyebrow of suspicion with me.

Stacy, all of the above recipes sound good to me. And I was thinking, since the crime was committed in Napa Valley, a good dessert (OR, palate cleanser) would be Grape Sorbet. I have a recipe for it, if you don't.

The way I would serve it, would be on a platter, using a small ice cream scoop, then placing them close together, to resemble a bunch of grapes. And kept frozen until the event.

Sol

oh Sharon, your roasted red pepper soup sounds perfect.

And sol, no I don't - but I LOVE that idea! And I'd love your recipe please? Or should I look for it on your blog? Your serving idea is - of course - perfect too. What do you think - mint leaves for garnish?

No Tiny Bubbles, I haven't put it on my blog yet, but I'll type it up for you next.

Sol

I was thinking of having a dinner party in Feb. I have hosted murder mystery parties before and we all had a great time.. Is your theme game one you made up or did you buy it, if so, name and place where you purchased it. Sounds great for Valentines. As for food the Coq au Vin or maybe a nice pork roast. With the holidays just passing it seems a lot beef & seafood has been served.

sol, I love the presentation of that grape sorbet, if Stacy does that, I want pictures!

I'll second the red pepper soup. We had that when we visited Sharon and Clive and I loved it.

Annie

Heart shaped pink meringues filled with your homemade ice cream for dessert.

Yes, please post pictures, of the whole event, if possible.

Concord Grape Sorbet

3 pounds Concord grapes
¼ cup granulated sugar
1¼ cups simple syrup, or to taste
1½ tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice, optional

For Simple Syrup:

1½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup water

Combine sugar and water in as saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Store at room temperature.

For Sorbet:

Combine grapes with sugar and lemon juice (if using) in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Purée the macerated grapes and their juices in a FP. Strain through a fine sieve, and combine with simple syrup to taste.
Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Stacy, if you want to skip the macerating step, you could also cook the grapes, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan, until grapes begin to disintegrate. But then, you would have to chill the mixture for several hours in the fridge. Or, a faster way: put it in the freezer, until completely chilled.
Just don't forget it's there, and come back to a solid mass of grapes.

Sol

The reason I suggested boeuf bourgnon was because it's a wine dinner and that dish contains a lot of wine...get it? LOL!
But Coc au vin would work too....

Two Chicken ideas for you. The Chicken Dijon could be made while your guests are cocktailing, the Chicken Florentine can be made in advance and put in the oven when you get home. Both are very tasty and impressive.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS FLORENTINE

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Tablespoons Butter
6 Ounces Fresh Mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 Medium Onion, coarsely chopped
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Tablespoon Fennel Seed
6 Ounces Chopped Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a heavy bottomed skillet, sauté the Mushrooms and Onions in the Butter until the Mushrooms are cooked and the Onions have turned clear, but not browned. Add the Fennel Seed. Squeeze as much water as possible from the Spinach and add to the Mushrooms. Stir until heated through, and taste for Salt and Pepper. Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 o F. Place the Chicken Breasts, one at a time, in a plastic bag and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until the Breasts are very thin but not to the point where they have holes in them. Repeat with all four Chicken Breasts. Place one fourth of the Spinach mixture on each Chicken Breast, spread to the edges and carefully roll up. Secure with wooden toothpicks if desired. Repeat with all four Breasts. Sprinkle the Breasts with a little Paprika for color. Place the Breasts in a baking pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the tops have become golden brown. Remove the Breasts to a serving platter and pour the baking juices over the top. Serves four

CHICKEN DIJON

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream or Half & Half
3 Tablespoons Dijon-style Mustard
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil to frying temperature. Pat the Chicken Breasts dry and sauté on both sides until golden brown. Reduce heat and cover, frying until breasts are completely cooked and juices runs clear. Season with Salt and Pepper. Remove from pan.

Reduce Heat. To the drippings remaining in the pan add the cream, and stir to incorporate. Add the mustard, and stir to finish the sauce. Heat until the sauce is bubbly, but not boiling. Pour the sauce over the Chicken. Serve at once.

I love the party idea, and I love the suggestions that have been made. Just for fun, I Googled "mystery recipes," and frighteningly enough, I got a lot of returns.

The first suggests this menu:

Mystery Soup (contains, among other things, pumpkin and mushrooms)
Death by Chocolate Cake
Murderous Meatballs
Heart Attack in a Crock Pot (cheese dip)
Killer Cheese Dip (HOT!)

Now, personally, I don't think of soup, cake, meatballs and two cheese dips as exactly a menu, but it could be fun to give the dishes mysterious names :)

gardener - it was a Christmas gift actually. It's from Bepuzzled and it's called Murder Mystery Party. A Taste for Wine and Murder. I've never done one like this before - but it comes with the invitations and descriptions and costume ideas for each suspect. I'll let you know what everyone thinks!

They have LOTS of fun looking ones at their website - including Panic at the Prom for teens! Murder at Mardi Gras, and Lethal Luau...FUN! I am going to bookmark the site for future reference.

How far ahead can you make meringues? That sounds adorable and elegant.

sol, thanks so much for printing that up. I LOVE it.

oh yeah. Linda. Now I do. LOL.

chicken, chicken chicken...I'm leaning towards chicken.

great ideas and recipe!

slowlane - very interesting! I wouldn't have thought to google it...I like the naming idea too.

You've given me lots to think about.

The "party planner" that came with the game, has menu and music ideas too with recipes. They give you a few different menu ideas and the dinner ones is homemade monterey jack and parmesan cheese crackers, california avocado salad, grilled cornish game hens w/ sun dried tomato pesto, sugar snap peas and carrots vinaigrette, fresh herbed orzo, pears poached in red wine, chocolate biscotti, and cappucino.

I guess they don't realize that it's February in Western NY and I ain't grillin ANYTHING! (well, it WILL be Feb.)

DH & I hosted several of these Murder Mystery parties in the 80's & were invited to lots of others (didn't know they were still being made) & they were always great fun.

Some of the things I remember about these parties:
If you serve heavy appetizers & lots of wine during the game, your guests will be smashed by dinner & won't even notice what you're serving, much less appreciate it. Maybe you could serve very formal/fancy hors o'derves through out the evening & finish with dessert & coffee.

If you live in the city, don't be surprised if strangers follow the costumed characters into your home, thinking (wishfully) it's the address for a party they're attending. This happened to us when a couple, following a woman who was dressed as a flamboyantly attired flapper, walked in, took off their coats, & were morified when they turned around & realized they were in the wrong house!

I always make the meringues the day before. Traced a plastic heart on a piece of foil and just spread the meringue inside the shape (I used a plastic valentine candy box) and just brought the edges up higher to make a heart-shaped meringue dish for the ice cream....there really very easy to make and I love them.

Dottie

Stacy, this chicken dish is really good and is only about 30 minutes from start to serve. You could serve it over rice or orzo that you prepare in advance and just warm up.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken
From Fresh Market-Grand Rapids, MI

4 boneless, chicken breast halves
Salt & pepper to taste
3T all purpose flour
2T olive oil
1T onion, finely chopped
1/4 c white Bordeaux wine (you could use any white wine)
1T fresh tarragon, chopped
1/4 c chicken broth
3T butter
1/4 c heavy cream

Season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper, dredge in flour. Set aside chicken and remaining flour.

In large sauté pan, heat olive oil over mediumh igh heat. Brown the chicken 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm.

Add onion to pan and cook 1 minute. Pour wine into pan and increase heat to high. Deglaze pan by cooking until almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium low and add reserved flour, stirring to form a thick roux. Stir in tarragon and broth. Return chicken to pan and cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken to plates, add butter and cram to pan and heat through. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

oh I don't know how I missed your posts, Linda and Dottie. Thanks so much for offering more help!

Guess what? I got a note home today that the concert is actually THIS weekend and not next. That does change things a bit as I don't have to plan on being gone all day while my dinner cooks itself.

sigh. Now I'm confused again...

First, I have to say you sure do host some fun parties Stacy. I was thinking a beef wellington might be easy enough and make a nice presentation at the table. I've got Tyler Florence's recipe on file for my next dinner party. I can link to it if your interested in checking it out.

Have fun and don't stress out too much!!

David

well, unfortunately I've been watching for concord grapes since the posting and there are none to be had...sigh.

antiquesilver, that is too funny about the parties! (and also about serving enough wine before dinner - LOL!)

Linda, those dishes look very elegant. I am saving that seafood lasagna one - mayb for our anniversary next week.

David, thanks! We do have fun with these friends! I made beef wellington the very first time we all got together...(but then again, it may have been safe to serve again...they may not have remembered as that was the year of the "chocolatini's"....the word still sends shudders down our friend Tom's spine - LOL!)