Have a Valentine’s Day date at home

Spending Valentine’s Day at home can be liberating. Dodge the Valentine’s Day rush and, instead, spend this day showing love to the most important person or people in your life in your own home. Make this day special by cooking local favorites and, since wine makes food taste better, pair them with your favorite bottle.
No fuss and easy to make, chicken kelaguen is perfect with white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for white meat with herbs or spices just like the kelaguen and is perfect in warm climate region such as the CNMI. Chardonnay matches the tanginess that come from the lemon sauce of this dish.

Chicken Kelaguen
Recipe by Annie Merfalen

1 small rotisserie chicken
6 stalks green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon powder plus 3 tablespoons water (or use the juice of 1 large lemon)
2 teaspoons salt (more or less, to taste)
Hot pepper, optional
Freshly grated coconut (unsweetened), optional

1. Debone the chicken; shred or cut into small pieces (you can use a food processor to roughly chop the chicken).
2. Thinly slice the green onions then add it to the chicken.
3. Add the lemon powder, water, salt and pepper to the bowl of chicken; mix to combine. Taste; adjust seasoning if required.
4. Stir in the optional grated coconut.
5. Serve with sweet flour titiyas

Special occasions on island always entails doing barbecue. Whether it is beef or pork, only red wine will do. Cabernet is a perfect match. If you spice up your dish with a finadine sauce, then go for Zinfandel, Shiraz or Malbec wines.

BBQ Short Ribs
By Reuben Olivas

1 cup of Kikkoman soy sauce
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 1 onion sliced very thin
6 cloves of garlic minced
Black pepper to taste
Beef short ribs, depending on the number of persons; generally 1/2 lb per person.

• Mix the ingredients either by hand or blender.
• Pour marinade over ribs in a container and coat well.
• Place covered container in the refrigerator or cooler for at least two hours or overnight.
• Grill the ribs, basting them with the marinade to keep them moist.
• Because these ribs are thin, they will not take too long to cook. These are juicy and delicious right off.

Have pika-pika like shrimp patties while having a romantic conversation and wash it down with a sparkling wine because anything fried goes well with it. If you’d like a dipping sauce to add more flavor to your patties, pair it with a Sauvignon or Pinot Blanc.

Shrimp Patties
Recipe by Annie and Hannah Merfalen

1 cup thinly sliced green beans
2 cups peas
1 cup chopped onions
3 cups corn kernels
4 cups shrimp, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cans evaporated milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
5 tablespoons dashida seasoning
1 teaspoon Accent
1 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

1.Heat the oil in a large frying pan. To test the heat, use the tip of a wooden spoon and dip it into the oil. If little bubbles start to form around the wood, then the oil is hot and ready.
2. While you’re waiting for the oil to heat up, mix all of the ingredients (except for the vegetable oil, of course) in a large bowl.
3. Drop batter by the spoonful—about 1½ tablespoons each—into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
4. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Ready for dessert? Golfan Apai Lemmai goes well with Riesling or Chardonnay. These types of wine are high in acidity that it will cut through the sweetness of this dish.

Golfan Apai Lemmai
Recipe by Dr. Judy Flores

1 large (3 to 5 lb) breadfruit
2 coconuts (milk extracted or a 12-ounce can of coconut milk may be substituted)
½ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar (optional)
Water

1. Peel the breadfruit and cut into serving-sized pieces. Place in pot large enough to fit everything, with space on top to allow for boiling the coconut milk to bubble up.
2. Mix coconut milk and salt to taste, and add sugar if desired. Pour over the vegetables, so that everything is covered, but visible.
3. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and drop heat to low. When the mixture is åppan and the vegetables are firm but soft, the dish is ready to serve.