SEASONS - PRESIDENT'S DAY - HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS AMERICAN HOLIDAY?

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Just a few days after we have stuffed ourselves with chocolate and wined and dined and flowered our lovers; we come to President’s Day.  

What is this day all about, and how did we begin to celebrate it?

It all started back in the 1880’s when people began to celebrate the birthday of our first President, George Washington.  His birthday is actually on February 22^nd,  and that was the official date of celebration. 
   

In 1996 congress decided that federal workers should move many of their yearly holidays to Mondays no matter how the date fell on the calendar.   

They implemented this with the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill.  This would give federal workers more long weekends with several days in a row off from work.  Most companies who allowed such holidays for their workers also followed suit and used the same calendar days.  

Hence, George Washington’s Birthday Holiday was moved to the third Monday in February, no matter the date on the calendar. 

It was noted during the debate over this bill that many states were

unofficially celebrating the birth date of Abraham Lincoln on February 12^th.    Before the new bill passed there was extensive discussion about combining both dates in honor of both great men, and calling it President’s Day.  

This brought up the question asked by many; would we still be honoring just George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on this day, or would we be honoring all of our American Presidents? 

Nothing was ever resolved about this, and the official holiday stayed the same:  George Washington’s Birthday.  It was simply moved to another date and combined with the weekend. 

Some retail merchants wanting to profit from the events being held in and around Washington on this date began to call it President’s Day anyway.  They did commercials and promotions showing both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and even other presidents.  It seems now that the people of the country have unofficially changed the whole holiday to honor all presidents that have served, but the official standing still has it that we are celebrating George Washington’s birthday. 

This is yet another great proof that when the people desire something enough, they usually get their way whether it is officially declared the law of the land or not.   It seems the people desire to be profitable and have sales!

Ask any American walking down the street what day it is and they will say President’s Day.  Ask them what they are celebrating and they will tell you this holiday is in honor of all the great men who have held the office of President of The United States!  They might also give you a look that indicates you might not be from the same planet before they hurry on to the next sales promotion.

 Go figure! 

Should we even care?

 

How will you celebrate this day?

As for myself, I’m stuck in the category of those workers with an employer that does not even recognize this day as an official holiday.  It will be like any other working day for me, perhaps with a newscast or two that is accidentally overheard about the speeches that will be given in Washington, or maybe a child or grandchild coming home from school and asking that obvious question:  “Why do we celebrate President’s Day?”

Should we lie to them or tell the truth?  

Exactly what is the truth anyway?  

It obviously has not been taught in public schools much lately.  Has an untruth become the reality; thus the truth?  Perhaps this is a subject we should let our children ponder.   Just give them the cold hard facts and let them decide what to do with them.  Perhaps the schools just have too much fear of  the voice of the majority?  So is the truth now what the people are doing and thinking today, or is the truth what the law actually says? 

You tell me!  Poor teachers!

This is such a pleasant little problem compared to deciding how to properly teach sex education, religion and political views........Let's just count our blessings for little distractions and the new opportunity for a lesson on thinking for yourself.   Until the children of America decide the proper course and take it for themselves, let's just allow them to ponder this one for a while longer before we move on to the next hurdle of no clarity and unreality that our children must learn to face growing up in our society.  

Perhaps they will even actually learn to think for themselves!  

Is that still allowed?

PEN ART - A WINTER LOVE STORY

It is traditional to tell the story of Eshter during the time of Purim.  Have you ever pondered this beautiful love story?  Here it is for everyone to read only a few weeks before we come to the celebration of Purim.  It would be good to re-read it on that day and firmly plant it's happenings inside your mind's eye; for many say the message is very prophetic.  Read it for yourself and decide:

THE STORY OF ESTHER AND THE KING

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Once upon a time in the great land of Persia there lived a king named Achashveyrosh.   Please don't worry if you are unable to pronounce his name the Jewish way, just say Xerxes instead, which is the Persian translation.  Xerxes is a lot easier to roll off the tongue.  There were actually three generations of kings named Xerxes, and Achashveyrosh was one of these three.

Of course every king has a beautiful queen, and Xerxes had Vashti.

In the third year of his reign Xerxes threw quite a lavish party. It lasted for 180 days.  The food was abundant and the wine flowed freely.  The crowd that the king invited to come grew in progression.  First he invited all the people of his court, then he invited all the dignitaries of the area, then he opened wide the doors of the palace to all the people of the capitol city of Shushan.

Xerxes wanted the beautiful Vashti to appear before him at the feast so that he could show off her excellent beauty.  For some reason, and there are many different theories about her reasons, Vashti refused to come before the king.  This blatant, public refusal made the king very angry.  His subjects and chief advisors did not make matters any easier for the king.  The advisor, named Haman, insisted that the Queen's refusal to the King meant disaster to every household in the kingdom.  She was setting a very wrong example for the other wives.  If the King could not even control the actions of the Queen, how on earth could any of his subjects keep order in their own homes?  One has to wonder about the motives of Haman even this early in the story.  Was he jealous of the queen's power over the king?  Did he fear being found out by her?  No matter; what was done was done.  Haman kept insisting that this was a terrible problem, and he suggested that the King set a good example for the kingdom and do away with Vashti.  Giving in to the peer pressure of his subjects, the King ordered that Vashti be banished from the kingdom.  Some even believe that she was put to death.

When the party was over and the King was sober,  he deeply regretted his hasty decision.  Now he was a very lonely King with no one beautiful to gaze upon.  As a matter of fact, he had to look at the ugly faces of his royal staff day in and day out.  He missed the beautiful Vashti.  The greedy ambitious Haman probably noticed this and wondered if he had made a grave mistake.  Perhaps the king would turn on him because of this lonely state which the King was in.  As he watched the king mope around the palace a plan was formed to change the situation before it had time to get out of Haman's control.  The king was quickly advised and convinced that he should search the kingdom high and low for the most beautiful girl in the land and make her his new queen.  Scouts who were experts on beauty were sent out to the far corners of the city to gather all the most beautiful young maidens and bring them to be prepared to meet the king. 

The king had an employee named Mordecai.  Mordecai was a Jew, but the King had not really paid any attention to this fact.   Mordecai had stayed in Babylon instead of returning to Jerusalem as part of the remnant of the Jewish people who had taken advantage of the decree from King Cyrus which released them from captivity.   Mordecai had stayed in Babylon and he had been blessed in the land of Persia.  He was prosperous in the employment of the King, and he had used his prosperity to raise up his beautiful niece.  Many historians have wondered whether he was also secretly using his prosperity in the land to secretly fund the return of more exiles to the homeland.   

Mordecai had adopted his uncle's daughter.  She was named Hadassah.  This Jewish name

meant "myrtle."  It was the Jewish tradition in those days for the myrtle flower to be worn on the head of a bride at a wedding feast.  The Jewish women loved the myrtle flower, and Hadassah's mother and father had given her this lovely name probably hoping that it would bring her favor with God. 

While living with Mordecai in the land of Persia, she was called Esther. Esther was the Persian translation of Hadassah.  Most Persian names were perversions of Jewish names and picked to honor pagan gods.  However, the Persian name despite its perversions did mean "a star."  It was said that Esther was as beautiful as the morning star and legend has it that Mordecai often quoted Psalm 22 to her, which was instructed by David to be used as The Chief Musician played a song called The Hind of The Morning, which is just another way of describing The Glory of God and the hope that it brings.  

Esther was raised up to put her hope and trust in God and to wait for the Messiah that David gave prophecy to in this Psalm written one thousand years before the Messiah was born.  I like to believe that the words of David and the Messianic psalm were often sung from the lips of this beautiful young maiden as she went about the chores of her daily life in the House of Mordecai. 

Esther's mother and father had been assassinated by cruel men who were Agagites, the hateful descendants of King Agag.  These men hated the Jews.  They were a cold, hateful and murderous people who considered it an honor to kill anyone of Jewish descent.  Haman, from Xerxes court, was also an Agagite.  Esther's father's name was Abihail.  He was a Benjamite.  The Benjamites were hated more than any other tribe by the Agagites.  It was this tragic hatred that brought Esther to be an orphan and eventually find her home with Mordecai. God is continually working for good in all things, even tragedy.

Mordecai loved Esther as if she were born to him.   He was careful to raise her well.  Mordecai was known in the gates and among the Jews left in Persia for his excellent knowledge of the scriptures.  Esther had been taught the scriptures from the day she came to live with Mordecai.  She was raised to honor and keep the commandments of God.  These things were reflected in her demeanor, in her dress, in her diet, in her daily habits in every way.  She was devoted to prayer and seeking God's will in all that she did.  In Mordecai's house they lived as devout Jews, but Mordecai did not flaunt his Jewishness in the court of the Persian King where he did his work.  He simply used his prosperity to the glory of God and went humbly about his days. 

One day Esther's quiet life in the house of Mordecai was disrupted by the King's beauty experts scouting the land for the most beautiful virgins for the King.  They had seen Esther in the streets, and they had noticed her great beauty.  They had followed her home, and Mordecai was quickly informed that she had a great destiny to fulfill at the palace.  She seemed to have no choice in the matter.  As they took the trembling Esther away Mordecai only had time to whisper one word of caution to her; "do not reveal your true identity to these people, do not tell them of your Jewish heritage."  He was probably thinking of her safety, knowing the evil Agagites, such as Haman, who worked in the court of the King.  Mordecai had learned to protect himself from these men, but Esther was innocent of such hatred.  He quickly advised her, and she was gone.  The house of Mordecai must have felt very lonely that night.

 

Before Esther could imagine what was happening to her she was whisked off to live among the other concubines of the King.  She was to spend months preparing to meet her day of destiny.  There was a whole staff of servants who were masters of beauty preparations for the women of the King's court.  Esther was given a choice of what she would like to adorn herself with when her time came to go to the King.  She very wisely passed on the gaudy bangles and babbles the other girls were grabbing.  She asked her advisor what would please the King.  He was amazed, as this was such a wise question which no other maiden had ever even thought to ask.  He immediately recognized the fact that Esther was special, different, one who could handle the life of royalty.  He chose a simple necklace for her.  It turned out to be the one that her parents had given her at birth which made a reflection of The Star of David when held to the light, one that had been taken from her when her parents were murdered.  Esther was amazed at this, but she said nothing.  By some miracle her very own necklace had made its way to the treasury of the King and by chance or destiny; this will forever remain a mystery; it had made its way back to the possession of Esther.  

She did not reveal this secret to anyone, but she took the necklace and cherished it and wore it close to her heart everyday after.  She returned to days and days and days of beauty preparations.  The King's advisers  tried to get her to eat the King's rich food, but she refused, preferring to maintain her simple kosher diet of fruit and vegetables and to abstain from forbidden foods.  She was able to hide in the chambers of the palace for a long time, then one night she was called to the King's chambers. 

Legend has it that the King compared everyone to the portrait of Vashti hanging across from his couch. When each new maiden arrived he would have them stand in front of it.  He compared their beauty to Vasti's and no one could ever equal or surpass it.  No one that is, until Esther.  

When Esther stood before the King he did not even notice Vashti's portrait, for Esther's beauty was far more beautiful and she took his breath away.  The portrait of Vashti was removed and never returned after the King laid eyes on Esther.  He fell instantly in love with her and soon asked her to be his queen.

So the little Jewish girl became the Queen of Persia, all the while remembering Mordecai's advice and never revealing her nationality.  Esther retired to a quiet life in the court of the Queen, going into the King's chambers whenever he chose to summon her.  Mordecai visited her whenever he could. 

One day Mordecai was sitting in the King's gates when he overheard an evil plot of the king's chamberlains to assassinate the king.  He quickly went to Esther and told her of this plot in order to save the life of the king.  Because Esther was quick to take Mordecai's vigilant message to the King, the plot was foiled.  Mordecai's service and loyalty were duly recorded in the king's royal diary, called The Chronicles of The King. 
   
Soon the selection of a new queen, and the heroic deeds of Mordecai were forgotten by the kingdom.  The talk of the kingdom was all about Haman.  The wicked man had been very successful and he had gained much power in the kingdom.  The king had appointed him to be Prime Minister of Persia.  Haman decided, since he had been given such a rise in power, that everyone should bow to him.  Most did bow, but Mordecai, knowing Haman's wicked heart, refused to bow to him.  This made Haman very angry and he quickly went to the King, knowing that Mordecai was a Jew, and asked the King to authorize a royal decree to annihilate the Jews from the land.  Haman cast lots to determine the day this was to happen.  It was decreed to be Adar 13 of the coming year.  On this day all Jews were to be executed and wiped off the map of every province and every nation of the earth. 

Mordecai, hearing the evil intentions of Haman sent a message to Queen Esther.  He told her the plot of Haman and asked her to go to the King on behalf of the Jews. The time had come for Esther to reveal her identity.

Esther had not been called to the side of the King for at least a month.  She was terrified to receive the news of this horrid plot from Mordecai.  There was a strictly enforced rule that no one could see the king uninvited, not even the Queen.  Being a woman of faith and prayer, Esther fasted and prayed for three days.  She asked the servants who waited on her to fast and pray with her.  Then she bravely gathered her courage and set out to see the King. 

In an amazing act, totally unexpected by the court, the King not only spared Esther's life, but offered her up to half the kingdom to express her wishes to him.  

All she asked initially was that the King and Haman join her for dinner.  Of course they did, and the King once again inquired of his Bride to know her wishes.  Her only reply was to tell him that she was planning another banquet and she wished for him to attend and to bring Haman along with him.  Deeply curious by now, and intrigued by this little string of events, the King once again agreed.

Haman was feeling so important!  Being invited to a private banquet of the King and Queen twice in one week!  Who else had ever been given such an honor?  He swelled with pride.  He bragged in the streets of his great position in the kingdom.  He went home and told his family how powerful he was and how rich and famous they were in the land. 

After the second banquet, in which Esther requested just one more audience to reveal her request to the King, Haman could not contain himself.  He was invited once again!  His head was as big as a house, and he could barely hold his three cornered hat on his head because of his swelling pride.  He hurried home to do some more bragging, but on the way he met Mordecai in the street.

Of course, Mordecai did not bow to him and Haman's anger outweighed his pride.  In his rage he decided to build a gallows with which to hang Mordecai.  He planned to speak to the King about this the very next morning.  He wanted to get Mordecai out of his way for good so he could go on and enjoy the rest of his day while he banqueted with the King and Esther again.

Pride always comes before a fall, and Haman was no exception to the rule.  

That night the King could not sleep.  Since he would be awake anyway, he ordered the Book of Chronicles that documented his reign to be brought in and read to him until he found himself sleepy.  It just so happened that the reader turned to the page that documented the day that Mordecai exposed a plot to assassinate the King.  This reminded the king that the good man, Mordecai,  had not been rewarded for his good deed.  The King determined to set the record straight.  No good deed to the King should ever go unrewarded. 

As Haman arrived the next morning anxious to get on with the murder of Mordecai, the King asked him a question.  "What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?"  Haman's pride went into overtime and he mistakenly thought the king was referring to him.  

Haman loved to be honored publicly, so he quickly answered that such a man should be brought a royal robe that the King himself had worn, and a horse that the King himself had ridden, and a royal crest should be placed upon this man's head, then one of the King's most trusted nobles should robe the man and lead him on the horse through the city streets proclaiming before him that "this is what is done for the man the King delights to honor!"

The King loved this idea!  

Imagine the horror of Haman as the King commanded him to get the robe and the horse and do just as he had described for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the King's gate!
 
 Haman was between a rock and hard place.  He had to obey the king's commandment.  So he got Mordecai ready and lead him around the city proclaiming, "This is what is done for the man the King delights to honor."  It was a bad day for Haman, but things got progressively worse as the evening came.

It was time for the banquet with the King and Esther.  At a crucial point in the banquet Esther did share her request with the King.  First she declared that she was Jewish.  Next she begged the king to spare her people.  One of the attendants of the King told him of the gallows that Haman had built to have Mordecai hanged upon.  All of this made the King furious with Haman.  He ordered that Haman be hanged on his own gallows.

Esther's people were saved.  

The King could not reverse his decree, but he allowed the Jews to defend themselves.  

The King replaced Haman with Mordecai as Prime Minister, and Esther lived happily ever after in the kingdom surrounded by those that she loved.

MONDAY NIGHT MENUS - A VALENTINE'S MEAL TO SHARE

MAKING COOKING AT HOME EASIER



COOKING FOR YOUR VALENTINE
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Are you looking for a great new menu to try out for Valentine's Day this year?  

Why not go for "togetherness" on this one and cook your Valentine's meal for one another together?  

Don't you know that those who cook together stay in love longer?

This meal is not very easy to cook (one reason it is so special) so you can laugh at each other's mistakes as you go along!  Doing the cooking together takes the pressure off for perfection.

MAIN DISH:  OSSO BOCO WITH GREMOLATA
SIDE DISH:  RISOTTO ALLA MILANEST
DESSERT:  SEVEN SINS CHOCOLATE CAKE

OSSO BUCO WITH GREMOLATA

(This is a recipe from "Fine Cooking".  You may wish to view more of their great recipes at www.finecooking.com.)

This is the world’s best make-ahead dish—it tastes amazing on the second day. 

Ingredients:

·         6 (1-1/4 inch-thick) veal shanks

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

·         1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 tablespoon unsalted butter

·         3 cups finely diced yellow onion (about 2 medium onions)

·         1 cup finely diced celery (about 2 stalks)

·         3/4 cup finely diced carrots (about 2 small carrots)

·         1 tsp. dried oregano

·         3/4 cup dry white wine

·         2 Tbs. tomato paste

·         1 (28-oz. can) Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped, juices reserved

·         1 cup low-salt chicken broth, more if needed

·         1 large sprig of thyme

·         1 bay leaf

·         1 tablespoon arrowroot mixed with 2 teaspoons of  broth or water

For the Gremolata:

·         3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         2 large cloves garlic, minced

·         1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest

·         2 anchovy fillets, minced

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Tie the veal shanks around the middle with kitchen string (if they’re not tied already) and season them with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a dish. Dredge the shanks very lightly in flour, thoroughly shaking off the excess.

Have ready a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer (9x13-inch works well). In a large heavy skillet, heat 3 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Put three veal shanks in the pan and sear until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the shanks to the roasting pan. Repeat with the remaining three shanks.

Carefully pour off the fat in the pan and wipe it out with paper towels (it’s fine if the browned bits remain in the pan bottom; just wipe away the used oil). Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, carrot, oregano, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and cook, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon, until the wine is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes

Stir in the tomato paste. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, thyme, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, and pour the contents of the pan over the shanks. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Braise the veal in the oven until fork-tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, checking the liquid occasionally. If it has cooked down, add enough broth to keep the level about halfway up the shanks. To check for doneness, pierce a shank with a fork. The meat should pull apart easily. Taste a morsel—it should feel soft and tender. Do not overcook, or the veal will fall apart.

Gently brush most of the vegetable bits off the shanks. With a wide, flat metal spatula, carefully transfer the veal shanks to a dish. Strain the pan juices through a medium-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids with a spatula to extract as much sauce as you can. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture and cook briefly to thicken. If you’re working ahead, stop here (see Make-ahead Tips for reheating).

Make the gremolata:

Just before finishing the sauce and serving, combine the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and anchovies. Add two Tbs. of the gremolata to the sauce. Remove the strings from the shanks. Serve the osso buco topped with the sauce and a small sprinkling of the remaining gremolata.

Make Ahead Tips

To make the osso buco ahead, braise the veal and strain and thicken the sauce with arrowroot. Wipe the roasting pan clean, return the shanks to the pan, and pour the sauce over the shanks. Let them cool at room temperature for an hour, cover well, and refrigerate for up to two days. To reheat, cover the pan with foil and set in a 325°F oven until the shanks are hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a dish, then make the gremolata, adding it to the sauce and sprinkling it over the shanks.

RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

(This recipe comes from SAVEUR MAGAZINE, September 7, 2012 Edition, which featured several great ways to use saffron rice in cooking)

INGREDIENTS
6 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. saffron threads
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 small yellow onions, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 oz. raw bone marrow (optional)
½ cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat stock and saffron in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat; keep warm. Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add rice; cook until lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add wine; cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup warm stock; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue adding stock, ½ cup at a time, and cooking until absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender and creamy, about 16 minutes total. Stir in marrow, if using, and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. 

Seven Sins Chocolate Cake

   Sinful deserts are a MUST for Valentine's Day tables.  I found this decadent dessert in 

   The SprinkleBakes Cookbook.

Yield: 15+ servings                                                                         I recommend making this cake over the course of two days. The devils' food cake and  pastry creams can be  made on the first day, and the frosting, drizzle and assembly  can be completed on day two. Devil's food cake: This is my favorite devils' food cake recipe adapted from a Rose Levy Beranbaum recipe.  This double layer  cake gets torted and filled with three types of pastry cream.  Tip: Instead of picking up a torted cake piece with your hands, slide it onto a large plate.  This will keep the  cake from breaking into pieces and makes it easy to slide the piece back  onto the filled cake. 1 oz. fine quality unsweetened baker's chocolate, chopped evenly 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup hot coffee  (can use hot water or decaf coffee if caffeine sensitive) 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/4 cup sour cream 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, tightly packed 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 16 tbsp (2 US sticks) unsalted butter, softened Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable shortening and  line with a circle of parchment paper. Grease paper and flour; tap out excess and set pan  aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk the chocolate, cocoa and hot coffee (or water) until smooth.   Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, sour cream, half the chocolate mixture  and vanilla until just combined.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle  attachment, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt on low for 30 seconds.  Add the softened butter and the remaining chocolate mixture.  Mix on low speed until  the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the mixer off between additions, add the egg  mixture in two parts, starting on medium-low speed and gradually increasing to medium.  Beat on medium speed for 45 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients   and strengthen the structure. The batter will be fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface  evenly with a small offset spatula.  Bake for 30-40 minutes (check at 30). Cake is done  when a toothpick tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed in  the middle.  Let the baked cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn  cake out onto a wire rack sprayed with cooking oil.  Let cool completely. Trio of pastry creams: Adapted from the SprinkleBakes book. Tip:  Be sure to temper eggs carefully! If you goof a little and pastry cream turns out  lumpy, pass it through a fine sieve before refrigerating. 2.5 oz. dark chocolate 2.5 oz. white chocolate 2.5 oz. milk chocolate ¼ cup cornstarch 2 cups evaporated milk 2 eggs 4 egg yolks ¾ cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tbsp. whiskey 3 tbsp. dulce de leche (find this canned in the ethnic food aisle) 1-2 tsp. espresso powder (to taste).   Have ready three small bowls (2 cup size), wiped spotless of any moisture.  Chop the  chocolate evenly and place each type of chocolate in a separate bowl.  Set aside.  In a small  bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup of the milk. Beat the whole eggs, then the yolks, one  at a time, into the cornstarch mixture.  In a saucepan, combine the remaining milk and the  sugar; bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  While whisking the egg mixture, slowly pour  1/3 of the boiling milk into it, to temper the eggs.  Return the remaining milk in the saucepan  to medium-low heat.  Pour the hot egg mixture into the saucepan in a thin stream, whisking,  so as to not scramble the eggs.  Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to  boil.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot pastry cream over the chopped chocolate,  dividing evenly between the three bowls.  Let stand for 2 minutes, and then stir each bowl  until mixture is well incorporated.  Mix 1 tbsp. butter in each of the bowls.  When butter has  melted and is thoroughly combined, fold in 2 tbsp. whiskey into the dark chocolate pastry  cream; 3 tbsp. dulce de leche into the white chocolate pastry cream;  1-2 tsp. espresso  powder into the milk chocolate pastry cream.  Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the  surfaces of each type of pastry cream so they do not form a skin. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use. Milk chocolate marshmallow frosting: 12 tbsp (1-1/2 US sticks) unsalted butter, softened 2-2/3 cups powdered sugar 6 oz. milk chocolate melted and slightly cooled 7 oz. marshmallow cream With a hand mixer or standing mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat butter for 3  minutes until fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated.  Add melted  chocolate and beat until fluffy. Add marshmallow cream and beat until frosting has lightened  in color and all ingredients are well combined.  Scrape down bowl and mix again.  Transfer  3/4 cup to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped for later use. Fill and frost the cakes: Cut each cake in half horizontally (this is called "torting"); pipe a line of frosting around the  edge of the first cake piece. This makes a reservoir in which to hold the pastry cream (this is  extra insurance, sometimes pastry cream is lax if not well refrigerated). Spread the pastry  cream inside the icing and top with another cake piece.  Pipe an icing line as before and fill  white chocolate dulce de leche cream; repeat with the next cake piece and milk chocolate  mocha cream.  Top with the final cake layer and frost the entire cake.  You may choose to  crumb coat the cake and refrigerate, then do a final smooth coat of icing (recommended). Dark chocolate drizzle: Note: This portion should not be made ahead. The chocolate thickens quickly and needs to  be applied to the cake 10-15 minutes after making it. 4 oz. dark chocolate chopped evenly 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup light corn syrup 2 tsp. vanilla Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a 4-cup measure, heat cream until very hot  but not boiling (about 45 seconds for me, but all microwaves vary); you can also do this in  a saucepan over medium heat if you don't have a microwave.  Pour hot cream over chocolate  and let stand for 2 minutes.  Whisk until all chocolate is completely melted and mixture is  consistent.  Whisk in corn syrup and vanilla.  Let mixture stand until slightly thickened  - about 10-15 minutes.  Pour over cake; allow the mixture to run down the sides of the  cake in fingers. Final flourishes: Chocolate shavings Your choice of chocolate pieces. Remaining 3/4 cup frosting in piping bag/zip-top bag Pipe frosting in mounds around the outer edge on top of the cake.  Sprinkle-on chocolate  shavings.  Use any finishing chocolate for garnish you wish. Important! Keep this cake refrigerated, but be sure to bring it to room  temperature before serving.  Pastry creams and frosting flavors are  fully developed at room temperature. Okay - so the dessert is a bit complicated, but isn't your sweetheart worth all the  trouble?   Happy Valentine's Day everyone!