Happy V.D.! - The Gay Gourmet!™

Well, My little ducklings I hope your day is going swimmingly and is full of chocolates, roses and Hallmark cards!

As for me all I got today was my taxes done! Oh and I was told I owe a lot of moolah to the city & state of NYC..no love for me! Ooo well except from @LaTimesFood via twitter who told me they love me! That was definitely the highlight of love today!

Anywho, I realized I forgot to include dessert on my hearts menu and if you haven't ravaged each other by the time you've eaten all that food and drank all that wine; here's a simple recipe that will make the evening perfect!

Tuxedo Strawberries (because why shouldn't you dress your food fancily? It is fashion week after all here in NYC)

*one small bag white chocolate chunks
*one small bag dark chocolate chips/chunks
*1lb med/large strawberries preferably with stems

1. In a heat dry heat-proof glass bowl pour white chocolate chips. (make sure the bowl is very dry at all times as water will seize the chocolate)

2. Rest bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. This is called a double boiler.

3. Stir chocolate and let melt

4. Once melted dip strawberries in White chocolate, scraping against side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

5. Let cool and transfer to refrigerator for about 20 mins, till white chocolate has hardened.

6. Repeat 1 thru 5 with dark chocolate except only coat the sides on the white-chocolate dipped strawberries to create the tux jacket.

7. If you really want to get fancy and give your strawberry a bow tie and buttons take parchment and make into a well pointed cone. Dip point into dark chocolate and make a bowtie and buttons like the photo below.

This photo is not mine & was pulled off Google images as I couldn't find the picture of my strawberries that my photographer took. ugh!

Easy and delicious!

Well, good luck my love muffins and let me know how it all goes down! I WANT DETAILS!!

Oh, lastly, as I was doing all of this Frank came in with a V.D. message for all of us...woah Frank.


Well Frank... I do feel your pain as today isn't easy for me either! Especially, after the income tax news I received today. But that's the glorious thing about my menu that even if you just are cooking for yourself the food is comforting and decadent! Food to warm the soul! Hang in there as I'm sure all of my fans as well are I am sending you lots of love on this day!


Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz

The Gay Gourmet!™



©2011 Michael Muñoz

V.D. Meal 3 - Heart Madness! - The Gay Gourmet!™

Okay.. so you've had a little bubbly, some Beeting Heart Chips & you've served your heart tart...now what?!?

Well I thought what about a little pasta? Everyone loves pasta, it's easy & delicious! But how does one make heart shaped pasta!

Who cares?!?! Cause The Ravioli Store in NY (Sold at Fairways Supermarkets) makes a most delicious Heart Shaped Ravioli! I bought Lobster Rav and tossed it in some lemon butter and capers and there is your course 3!

The List


*1 box Lobster Rav from The Ravioli Store (if you're not near NYC you can call them they are super nice and may be able to help you out!)
*1 TBS Butter
*1/2 of a lemon juiced
*1 Tsp capers
*Parmesan cheese and fresh pepper to taste


1. Boil pasta as per directions to Al Dente.

2. drain pasta when done

3. In a nonstick pan over med/high heat melt butter throw in ravioli and slightly brown

4. Once browned toss in capers and lemon juice

5. plate garnish with cheese and pepper


Voila!! So easy and impressive & I wont tell if you won't that you didn't make the pasta yourself! (I'm your dirty little secret!)



Deliciously LIving,

Michael Muñoz

The Gay Gourmet!™

©2011 Michael Muñoz

Starting Your Valentine's Right! Pt.2 - The Gay Gourmet!™

Now that you know what you'll be making for an appetizer (see V.D. Pt.1) I bet you're sitting there thinking well that's all good but I want to wine my date up a bit so that I'm sure to get lucky by the end of the night!

Well, I'm doing some wine research as we speak and that's to come in another section but if you want to serve a little snacky as you converse and nuzzle before dinner try these

Beeting Heart Chips with Horseradish Cream

*4 to 6 medium/small sized Golden & Red Beets (I like to use a combination of both)

*1 Tbs Olive Oil

*2 Tbs Horseradish

*1/3 Cup creme fraiche

*2 Heart shaped cookie cutters 1sm 1med

*Salt & pepper



1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Slice beets into 1/4in slices and punch out heart shapes from centers

3. Line cookie sheet with aluminum and toss Beet Hearts with Olive Oil & salt

4. Put in oven for about 25 mins or until crisp!

5. Whilst chips are baking combine horseradish with creme fraiche in a bowl salt and pepper to taste

6. pull chips out of the oven, let cool slightly and serve along side dip!

So easy & delicioso!!!



Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet!™

©2011 Michael Muñoz

V.D. & What You Need to Know! 1 - The Gay Gourmet!™

So you want to impress your wife, partner, boyfriend/girlfriend, dog or whomever on Valentine's Day? Well, you're in luck!! Last year when I had a beau of my own for a short while I made him what I call my Menu of Hearts! 5 Courses, all heart themed, for this miserable hallmark holiday we call Valentine's Day!

First a little Gourmet History Lesson...

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Thank You Wikipedia

Now that that interesting little tid bit is out of the way for the next 5 days or so I'm gonna take you through a recipe a day so that way you can impress you loved ones and make them think you are a culinary genius!

So without further adieu let us begin...


Goat Cheese Heart Tarts with Blackberry Jam over Mixed Greens!

The List

*medium sized heart shaped cookie cutter - mine is almost the size of my palm
*About 4oz or so of Soft Goat Cheese - Coach Farms is one of my fav's
*puff pastry dough - found in your local freezer section
*blackberry jam
*mixed greens - a good handful.. about 2 cups.
*1 lemon
*olive oil
*salt & pepper

1. defrost pastry dough & preheat oven to temperature as directed on the box.

2. on a very lightly floured cutting board (making sure cheese is cold) take goat
cheese and loosely press it into the cookie cutter till cutter is about half full
or desired thickness (some people, like me, love good hunk of goat cheese)

3. Unroll 1 section of pastry dough and lay goat cheese heart on top.

4. cut dough in a heart shape around heart leaving about 1/2in of dough space so that you can lift and cover the outer section of the goat cheese heart. put excess dough to the side.

5. now you should have a goat cheese heart sitting on top of a larger pastry dough heart. Pull and cover outer section of the goat cheese heart with the dough.

6. Repeat steps 1 -5 to create a second one of these as I am assuming you are cooking for two...It is valentines day after all!

7. Stick both heart tarts in the oven on a cookie sheet and cook till puff pastry is puffy and golden! There should be a time estimation on the pastry dough box.

8. While hearts are baking... juice lemon and combine with 2 tbs of olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.

9. Rinse mixed greens and dry either using a salad spinner or set on paper towels.

10. In an bowl toss the mixed greens & dressing.

11. Once Heart Tarts are done pull them out of the oven and let cool for about 5 mins. Once cool..take a tsp of blackberry jam and create a smaller jam heart inside exposed part of the heart tart!

Set on a plate along side a serving of salad and you have an impressive but super easy appetizer to impress your beau!

Yum Yum!

I even took a small heart shaped cookie cutter and baked a couple little puff pastry hearts for extra garnish! So Cute!



Deliciously Loving,

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet™

©2011 Michael Muñoz