Host a Single and Loving It Valentine’s Day Party with Recipes for Party Food
Written by Chef Todd English & Kathryn M. D’Imperio Tuesday, 03 February 2009 00:28
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In case you haven’t noticed lately, Valentine’s Day isn’t just for lovers. Valentine’s Day is a wonderful excuse to pamper yourself or to celebrate with friends, indulging in things you might otherwise save for a special occasion. 
Celebrating a singles Valentine’s Day is a great way to have fun and join in the excitement of the feted February 14.
If you are single this Valentine’s Day, why not throw a Singles Party to celebrate and socialize with your pals? You can keep your Singles Party for just the girls, just the guys, or coed, depending on your preference. You can cook a gourmet meal, complete with appetizers, and then finish it off with dessert, music, dancing, cocktails, the works. Your imagination is your only limitation here, friends!
Your best bet would be to plan a little bit ahead of time and ask each of your guests to pick up a few ingredients at the store so that you can all cook together and then enjoy the fruits of your efforts. To follow are a number of special recipes from Celebrity Chef Todd English
How to Throw a Singles Party
If you and your pals want to celebrate being single on Valentine’s Day, why not?! It is the perfect occasion to recognize your status and availability, but more importantly your choice and your freedom. You can gather with your friends to throw a “Single and Loving It Party”, as recommended by Lavalife, a top Web site for online dating. Lavalife recommends gathering with friends and co-singles to throw a "Single and Lovin' it" Valentine's Day bash.
To make the most of your singles Valentine’s Day activity, consider creating some of Celebrity Chef Todd English's delicious recipes, including: Artichoke Guacamole, Fried Oysters, Shrimp Tacos, and the famous Olives Crab Cakes.
“I normally like to give my party guests a wide selection of small bites to enjoy while they socialize,” says Chef Todd English. “I like to put a twist on traditional favorites- such as my artichoke guacamole- to get the crowd buzzing. I make it a point to ensure that all the food is bite-size and not too messy.”
Consider these fabulous recipes from Celebrity Chef Todd English:
Artichoke Guacamole Recipe
Artichoke guacamole is best served as a condiment, scooped onto crostini or grilled chicken, steak, or salmon.
MAKES ABOUT 1 and 1/2 CUPS
6 large fresh, frozen, or canned artichoke bottoms, including stem except for ½ inch
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Place the artichoke bottoms in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the artichokes are very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. When they are cool enough to handle, finely chop the artichokes and place in a medium-size mixing bowl. Add the onion, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, sesame oil, scallions, cilantro, salt and pepper and gently mash with a fork.
Fried Oysters Recipe
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs or 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and
1 tablespoon stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup olive oil
24 oysters, freshly shucked (see above)
Beat the buttermilk, eggs, and mint together in a small bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the oil. When the oil is very hot, dip the oysters, a few at a time, in the egg mixture and then in the bread crumbs and gently place in the oil. Fry the oysters in batches, making sure the oil is hot prior to each addition, until they are golden brown, about 1 and 1/2 minutes per side. Drain well on paper towels. Serve immediately.
12 Shrimp Tacos Recipe
36 6/8 size shrimp (large)
12 cloves garlic peeled
3 cups olive oil
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
3 whole jalepenos
Puree all ingredients into a marinade. Pour over shrimp and refrigerate for 2 hours
2 heads iceberg lettuce
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Finely shred the lettuce and toss with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
12 flour tortillas
extra virgin olive oil to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle tortillas with oil, salt and pepper. Grill 1 minute on each side.
2 large heirloom tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Finely dice the tomatoes and toss with oil, salt and pepper
Cook shrimp 3 minutes per side. Assemble tortillas with 3 shrimp each, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, guacamole.
Crab Cakes and Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipes...
