Just a few of the cookies designed by Kim Carter of Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket. Photo by Rita J. Egan
During the pandemic, small business owners have been looking for ways to get customers’ attention. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, a local bakery is providing an option that stands out from the average box of chocolates.
Kim Carter, of Rolling Pin, holds one of the cookies she decorated. Photo by Rita J. Egan
When people first walk into Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket they’ll spy on the shelves colorful cookies wrapped in individual clear bags. The works of art are created by Kim Carter, the bakery’s decorator, who is currently busy preparing cookies for Valentine’s Day featuring cute couples, colorful lovebirds, adorable animals and more. Every holiday for about eight years, Carter said she comes up with novelty cookies for customers to purchase to give away as gifts and Feb. 14 is no different.
When Evelyn Haegele began working at the bakery a few months ago, she was floored by her new co-worker’s talents. Her cookies are “just incredible,” she said. “Each one is a work of art. I felt like, ‘Kim, you really deserve to be noticed.’”
Carter has been working for the bakery, which is owned by David Dombroff, for 13 of the nearly 27 years it has been open. The decorator said as each holiday approaches she looks for inspiration by searching on the internet. She said each cookie takes a different amount of time to create. Making the sweet treats involves a few steps, from first baking them to then cutting them into different shapes. She then creates backgrounds for each cookie by dipping it in a color she has chosen. After the background is ready, she creates the outline for the cookie and fills it in freehand.
Just a few of the cookies designed by Kim Carter of Rolling Pin bakery in East Setauket. Photo by Rita J. Egan
“It takes practice and there has to be the right consistency of the icing,” Carter said. “If not, it will be running or too soft or too hard to squeeze.”
In addition to cookies, Carter decorates cakes, too. Before she started working for Rolling Pin, she worked for various bakeries and has 20 years of experience in the field. Carter’s decorating talent is one that naturally came to her.
“Since I was a kid I just liked art,” she said. “Then, one day, I said, ‘Hey, I can decorate a cake. I see people doing it. I can do it.’”
Her favorite holiday cookies are the ones she makes for Easter, Halloween and Christmas, and the decorator said she feels bad during Father’s Day because it’s one of the holidays that’s difficult to come up with themes that would be fitting for a cookie.
The bakery also takes custom orders for parties and showers. Sometimes, Carter said, the shapes are unique, and she creates a temporary cookie cutter out of tin until she can find one to buy.
Haegele said her favorite cookies since she started working at the bakery are the Halloween and Christmas cookies, including one that was shaped like a snow globe with sugar that looked like glass.
“What she did was amazing,” Haegele said.
The Rolling Pin bakery is located at 1387 Route 25A, East Setauket.
AlyCat and Luna
Pet Parent: Cheryl Kurash, Stony Brook
Annabelle
Pet Parents: The Nofi Family, Rocky Point
April and Andy
Pet Parents: Carl Bongiorno and Lauren Hunter, East Setauket
B.B.
Pet Parents: The Yantz Family, Setauket
Bailey
Pet Parent: Marie Healy, Setauket
Bandit
Pet Parent: Carol Darmanin, Miller Place
Bean
Pet Parent: Pam Rice, Setauket
Bella
Pet Parents: Courtney and Alexa, Port Jefferson Station
Belladonna
Pet Parent: The Gerogianis Family, Setauket
Bentley
Pet Parents: Karen and Larry, Commack
Bentley
Pet Parent: Toni Lynn Mulhearn, Stony Brook
Bon Bon
Pet Parent: Leigh D'Angelo, Sound Beach
Brody
Pet Parents: Kevin and Christine Cleary, Smithtown
Brody
Pet Parent: Debbie O'Rourk, Rocky Point
Butch
The DeLaney Family, Stony Brook
Captain and Alaska
Pet Parent: Sarah Reed, St. James
Charlie
Pet Parent: The Lallys, Commack
Charlotte
Pet Parents: The Mandracchia Family, East Setauket
Chester
Pet Parents: Andrew Daniels, Smithtown
Chino
Pet Parent: Morgan Healy, Stony Brook
Chloe and Clover
Pet Parent: Elaine Brown, Wading River
Cocoa
Pet Parents: Dimaiuta Famiky, Miller Place
Curtis
Pet Parents: Sue and Pat, Setauket
Daisy
Pet Parent: Danny, Port Jefferson
Dolly
Pet Parent: Robert McDonald and Christopher Reisman, Rocky Point
Dusty
Pet Parent: The Gerogianis Family, Setauket
Eilish
Pet Parent: Ash Schupp, Rocky Point
Ellie
Pet Parents: Carol and Bill Wiebelt, Rocky Point
Emma
Pet Parents: The Wainwright Family, Rocky Point
Emmy
Pet Parent: Heather Miller, Stony Brook
Flower
Pet Parent: Joann Bell, Port Jefferson
Fluff
Pet Parent: Susan Pellegrino, Port Jefferson
Franklin
Pet Parent: Carl and Elizabeth Bongiorno, East Setauket
Ghost
Pet Prent: Kristen Bence, Port Jefferson
Gigi
Pet Parents: The Silverman Family, South Setauket
Guinness
Pet Parent: Danielle Werner, East Setauket
Guinness
Pet Parent: Tammy Collletti, East Setauket
Henry
Pet Parents; The Davey Family, Stony Brook
Holly
Pet Parent: The Grillo Family, Kings Park
Isadoro the Donkey
Pet Parents: Kerri and Tim Glynn, Setauket
Jagger
Pet Parent: Kathy Brown, Mount Sinai
Jake
Pet Parents: Courtney Becker and Patrick Healy, Port Jefferson
Joelsy Bear
Pet Parent: Kathleen Weisinger, Mount Sinai
Kamiko and Maylin
Pet Parents: Bob and Terri Arrigon, Setauket
Lady and Milo
Pet Parent: Judy Daniels, Smithtown
Lil Wien
Pet Parent: Margo Arceri, Setauket
Lilly
Pet Parents: Gail and Ken Walden, Lake Grove
Lola
Pet Parents: The Yantz Famiily, Setauket
Louie and Luna
Pet Parent: Donna Sciortino, Northport
Lucy
Pet Parents: The Hunter Family, East Setauket
Luna
Pet Parent: Jim Carpenter, Setauket
Mac
Pet Parent: Lisa Perry, Port Jefferson
Maggie Mae
Pet Parent: John Broven, East Setauket
Matilda Rose (Rosy)
Pet Parents: Sharon Doyle and David Welch, Stony Brook
Max
Pet Parent: Jen Croce, Coram
Max
Pet Parents: The Nofi Family, Rocky Point
Mickey
Pet Parents: Richard and Nancy Pav, Miller Place
Milo
Pet Parents: The Nofi Family, Rocky Point
Mojo
Pet Parent: Yonah Parline, Smithtown
Mooch
Pet Parents: Alan and Lenore Bence, South Setauket
Murry
Pet Parent: Myra Naseem, Smithtown
Mustard
Pet Parents: The Unander Family, Stony Brook
Nina
Pet Parents: The Dimaiuta Family, Miller Place
Odin
Pet Parent: Dawn Bucher, Rocky Point
Ollie
Pet Parent: Barbara Ann Navetta, East Setauket
Otis
Pet Parent: Pam Ray-Argandona, Stony Brook
Otis
Pet Parents: The Lally Family, Commack
Penne
Pet Parents: Gina and Mike Ferreira, Smithtown
Penny
Pet Parents: The Nofi Family, Rocky Point
Petals and Beanie
Pet Parent: Judy Daniels, Smithtown
Phoebe
Pet Parents: Marianne and Bob, Newfield, Setauket
Remy
Pet Parents: The Yantz Family, Setauket
Ripley
Pet Parent: Christopher Sanchez, Melville
Rocky and Apollo
Pet Parent: Ruthy Sanchez, Melville
Roscoe
Pet Parents: Carl and Elizabeth Bongiorno, East Setauket
Rocky
Pet Parents: The Sahin Family, East Setauket
Rudy
Pet Parents: The Yantz Family, Setauket
Scooter
Pet Parent: Michael LaGuardia, Port Jefferson
Stevie
Pet Parents: The Lombardi Family, Centereach
Tucker
Pet Parents: The Mandracchia Family, East Setauket
Zoe
Pet Parents: Bobby and Lilly, East Setauket
This year’s Love My Pet was a great success with over 90 adorable pet entries submitted from pet parents along the North Shore. While we couldn’t get all entries in print, they are all online here in alphabetical order for your enjoyment. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Maybe it is a Hallmark holiday, but with St. Valentine’s Day approaching, love is definitely in the air. Perhaps Chaucer started it with his poetry about Valentine’s Day in the 14th century. There have been many iterations since. At the least, it’s a time to reflect on the loves in our lives. And there are many. Let us count them together.
Saint Valentine’s Day has traditionally been associated with romantic love, as people—give each other material declarations of their affections. These start with cards, some of them originally composed and handwritten, others store bought and ceremoniously delivered. Red roses are the usual accompaniment and perhaps even generous amounts of chocolate. All of that helps to endure a cold winter’s day and night. It certainly helps the local economy.
So many other loves exist, some of them deeply in our hearts. The love we bear for our children makes for family bonding. It has been said that if children loved their parents as much as parents love their children, the human race would end because the children would never leave their homes. From the marvel at first sight of those tiny fingers and toes to the day we walk them down the aisle to start their own families, we love them, disregarding all the aggravations that happen in between. For most, this is an indissoluble love.
And yes, most of us truly love our parents, the mother who taught us to read, the father who taught us to swim. We go from thinking they are all-knowing demigods to wondering if they are the stupidest humans on earth, and ultimately to respecting them for all they have given us despite their various shortcomings. We are awed by their indestructible love for us and at the same time acknowledge that they are but human.
We have been impressed with the number of entries for our Love My Pet section that is running in the newspapers and on the website and social media this week. We certainly love our pets, maybe because they can’t talk. And they are unfailingly loyal and forgiving. Well, dogs, are. I’m not so sure about cats. In some cases, we regard them almost as our children.
A carpenter of undetermined ethnicity, who was doing some work in our house, once pointed to our golden retriever and proclaimed, “In my next life, I want to come back as an American dog.”
We love our true friends, those who are there to prop us up when we fall as well as those who share our good times. We can also genuinely love our teachers. A caring teacher can make a profound difference in the direction of a child’s life. For example, my sixth grade teacher, in an unexceptional neighborhood elementary school in New York City, stayed after hours, for a few weeks, to coach half-a-dozen of us so that we might pass a citywide test for an exceptional junior high school. Two of us did, and to this day I love that woman, though after that year, I never saw her again.
We can love members of our clergy, who are predictably there for us with advice at critical times and with solace at times of deep loss. Yes, that is their job, but some do their jobs beyond measure. We can love our doctors, who take an oath to watch over our health, but again, some are deeply caring. For these people, we are more than grateful. They love us, and we love them back.
We can love the natural world around us, a world that is filled with songbirds and butterflies, squirrels and foxes, wild turkeys and seagulls to delight the senses. We love the first sight of crocuses announcing the beginning of spring and the early flowering magnolia trees.
If we are lucky, we can truly love our jobs. For us, they are more than a source of livelihood, more even than a career. They are a calling. They propel us out of bed in the morning and often are the subject of our last thoughts as we go to sleep at night. They coax out the best in us and provide us with unique satisfaction.
Finally, we need to love our lives. Sometimes to do so takes re-contexting and perhaps re-adjustment. That love seems like a worthy goal.
Love always finds a way! Even in the midst of uncertain times singers can express affection over the internet. This year again the Harbormen Chorus has prepared a “Virtual Singing Valentine” to be delivered to those Special Sweethearts out there.
By digitally combining individual vocal renditions, their Director Rob Ozman was able to create a combined quartet effect to delight the viewer. For $35 they will email you a link which opens up to a classic, endearing Love Song for your Valentine, with your name attached. Please call Mr. Cupid soon (by Feb. 7 in time for Valentine’s Day delivery) to reserve your virtual presentation at 631-644-1029.
Valentine’s Day penny postcard circa 1909-1911. Image from Beverly C. Tyler's collection
By Beverly C. Tyler
The celebration of Feb. 14 began as an ancient Roman ceremony called the Feast of the Lupercalia. It was on the eve of the Feast of the Lupercalia in the year 270 that Valentinus, a Roman priest, was executed. According to an article in the Nuremberg Chronicle, published in December of 1493, “Valentinus was said to have performed valiant service in assisting Christian Martyrs during their persecution under Emperor Claudius II. Giving aid and comfort to Christians at that time was considered a crime, and for his actions Valentinus was clubbed, stoned and beheaded.” The Roman pagan festivals were spread over the world as the Romans conquered various lands.
Valentine’s Day penny postcard circa 1909-1911. Image from Beverly C. Tyler’s collection
In Britain during the middle ages, these customs were observed and Alban Butler describes that “to abolish the heathens’ lewd, superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls in honour of their goddess . . . several zealous pastors substituted the names of Saints on billets given on this day.” It is also thought that when the early Christian church reorganized the calendar of festival they substituted the names of Christian Saints for the pagan names and allocated Feb. 14 to St. Valentine.
The tradition of sending messages, gifts and expressions of love on Valentine’s Day goes back to at least the 15th century. In 1477, in Britain, John Paston wrote to his future wife, “Unto my ryght wele belovyd Voluntyn – John Paston Squyer.”
By the 17th century, Valentine’s Day was well established as an occasion for sending cards, notes or drawings to loved ones. An early British valentine dated 1684 was signed by Edward Sangon, Tower Hill, London. “Good morrow Vallentine, God send you ever to keep your promise and bee constant ever.”
In America the earliest valentines that are known date to the middle of the 18th century. These handmade greetings were often very artistically done and included a heart or a lover’s knot. They were folded, sealed and addressed without the use of an envelope. Until the 1840s, the postal rate was determined by the distance to be traveled and the number of sheets included, so an envelope would have doubled the cost.
In 1840 Nichols Smith Hawkins age 25 of Stony Brook sent a valentine to his paternal first cousin Mary Cordelia Bayles, age 18. The original does not exist, but her reply, written two days after Valentine’s Day, says a great deal. “Much Esteemed Friend – I now take this opportunity to write a few lines to you to let you know that I received your letter last evening. I was very happy to hear from you and to hear that you hadent forgot me and thought enough of me to send me a Valentine. I havent got anything now to present to you but I will not forget you as quick, as I can make it conveinant I will get something for you to remember me by.
“You wrote that you wanted me to make you happy by becoming yourn. I should like to comfort you but I must say that I cannot for particular reasons. It isn’t because I don’t respect you nor do I think that I ever shall find anyone that will do any better by me. I sincerely think that you will do as well by me as anyone. I am very sorry to hear that it would make you the most miserable wretch on earth if I refused you for I cannot give you any encouragement. I beg to be excused for keeping you in suspense so long and then deny you. Believe me my friend I wouldn’t if I thought of denying you of my heart and hand. I think just as much of you now as ever I did. I cannot forget a one that I do so highly respect. You will think it very strange then why I do refuse you. I will tell you although I am very sorry to say so it is on the account of the family. They do oppose me very much. They say so much that I half to refuse you. It is all on their account that I do refuse so good an offer. I sincerely hope that it will be for the best.”
We don’t know the members of Mary’s family who opposed her marriage to Nichols. Was it her parents who had died in 1836 and 1838 respectively, or the family members that Mary most likely went to live with when she became an orphan at age 16 or 17? Whatever the circumstances their love for each other continued to bloom.
Four days after replying to the Valentine letter, Mary again replied to a letter from Nichols. “Dear Cousin – I received your letter yesterday morning. I was very sorry to hear that you was so troubled in mind. I don’t doubt but what you do feel very bad for I think that I can judge you by my own feelings but we must get reconciled to our fate. . . Keep your mind from it as much as you can and be cheerful for I must tell you as I have told you before that I cannot relieve you by becoming your bride, therefore I beg and entreat on you not to think of me anymore as a companion through life for if you make yourself unhappy by it, you will make me the most miserable creature in the world to think that I made you so unhappy. . . I must now close my letter with my love to you. – This is from your most unhappy cousin M__________________ ”
At least two other letters, written the following year, were sent to Nichols from Mary. The letters continued to express the friendship that existed between them. The story does not end there. Mary’s letters are in the Three Village Historical Society archive collection.
On Feb. 11, 1849 (three days before Valentine’s Day), Nichols Smith Hawkins, age 34, married Mary Cordelia Bayles, age 27. Coincidentally, Nichols parents, William Hawkins and Mary Nichols were married on Valentine’s Day in 1813. Nichols and Mary raised three children who lived beyond childhood (two others died in 1865 within a month of each other). Nichols was a farmer and the family lived in Stony Brook. Mary died January 30, 1888 at the age of 66 and Nichols died February 10, 1903, at the age of 88. They are buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Stony Brook.
Valentines became fancier and more elaborate through the second half of the 19th century. After 1850 the valentine slowly became a more general greeting rather than a message sent to just one special person. The advent of the picture postal card in 1907, which allowed messages to be written on one half of the side reserved for the address, started a national craze that saw every holiday become a reason for sending a postcard and Valentine’s Day the occasion for a flood of one cent expressions of love.
Beverly C. Tyler is the Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit tvhs.org.
What would Valentine’s Day be without images of a golden-tressed boy armed with bow and arrows? The arrows represent feelings of love and desire, and they are aimed and cast at various individuals, causing them to fall deeply in love — or fall out of it.
In Roman mythology, the boy is known as Cupid and is the son of Venus, the goddess of love. Portrayed as a cherubic and mischievous toddler, this magical boy was purported to be the matchmaker of gods and mortals alike.
For students of Greek mythology, Cupid represents Eros, the Greek word for “desire.” He was the son of Aphrodite, Venus’ Hellenistic counterpart, and would play with the hearts of mortals and gods, sometimes leaving mayhem in his wake. In Greek mythology, Eros was more teenager than bubbly baby, and capitalized on his status as a heartthrob rather than the cherubic status of Roman mythology, according to Richard Martin, a Stanford University professor. While Cupid may have been an adorable imp, some historians say Eros had a darker side, going so far as to describe him as calculating and sinister — forcing the wrong people into lovelorn matches.
According to Museum Hack, while Cupid could make people fall in and out of love, he also was once in love himself. In this telling, Cupid is a young man when Venus learns that a mortal girl is born with such great beauty that others start to forget to worship Venus, adoring this girl instead. Upset about the misdirected adoration toward this mortal, Venus asks Cupid to have the girl, Psyche, fall in love with a monster. Cupid agrees, but once he sees Psyche he “accidentally” hits himself with one of his own golden arrows and falls in love with Psyche. The resulting match does not prove easy, and through a series of unfortunate events, Psyche must prove her love to Cupid and accomplish various tasks to win back his heart. Eventually, Psyche does and achieves goddess status.
Cupid has been portrayed both as a young man and child through Renaissance art and beyond. When Valentine’s Day became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, Cupid was linked to Valentine’s Day celebrations due to his matchmaking abilities. His popularity only continued in the early 20th century, when Hallmark began to manufacture Valentine’s Day cards featuring Cupid.
Cupid helped push people together in ancient mythology, and he can even be the catalyst for modern day matchmaking as well.
Building heart-healthy habits improves the likelihood we’ll be around for those we love
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
This February, we celebrate both Valentine’s Day, an opportunity to celebrate those we love, as well as American Heart Month, a chance for us to build awareness of heart-healthy habits.
The good news is that heart disease is on the decline due to a number of factors, including better awareness in lay and medical communities, improved medicines, earlier treatment of risk factors and lifestyle modifications. We are headed in the right direction, but we can do better. Heart disease is something that is eminently preventable.
Reducing our risks
Risk factors for heart disease include obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes. Unfortunately, both obesity and diabetes are on the rise. For patients with type 2 diabetes, 70 percent die of cardiovascular causes (1). However, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking have declined (2).
Inactivity and the standard American diet, rich in saturated fat and calories, also contribute to heart disease risk (3). The underlying culprit is atherosclerosis, fatty streaks in the arteries.
Another potential risk factor is a resting heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute (bpm). In one study, healthy men and women had 18 and 10 percent increased risks of dying from a heart attack, respectively, for every increase of 10 bpm over 80 (4). A normal resting heart rate is usually between 60 and 100 bpm. Thus, you don’t have to have a racing heart rate, just one that is high-normal. All of these risk factors can be overcome.
When medication helps reduce risk
Cholesterol and blood pressure medications have been credited to some extent with reducing the risk of heart disease. The compliance with blood pressure medications has increased over the last 10 years from 33 to 50 percent, according to the American Society of Hypertension.
In terms of lipids, statins have played a key role in primary prevention. Statins are effective at not only lowering lipid levels, including total cholesterol and LDL — the “bad” cholesterol — but also inflammation levels that contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Jupiter trial showed a 55 percent combined reduction in heart disease, stroke and mortality from cardiovascular disease in healthy patients — those with a slightly elevated level of inflammation and normal cholesterol profile — with statins.
The downside of statins is their side effects. Statins have been shown to increase the risk of diabetes in intensive dosing, compared to moderate dosing (5).
Unfortunately, many on statins also suffer from myopathy (muscle pain). I have had a number of patients who have complained of muscle pain and cramps. Their goal when they come to see me is to reduce and ultimately discontinue their statins by following a lifestyle modification plan involving diet and exercise. Lifestyle modification is a powerful ally.
Making lifestyle changes
The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a prospective (forward-looking) study, investigated 501 healthy men and their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The authors concluded that those who consumed five servings or more of fruits and vegetables daily with <12 percent saturated fat had a 76 percent reduction in their risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who did not (6). The authors theorized that eating more fruits and vegetables helped to displace saturated fats from the diet. These results are impressive and, to achieve them, they only required a modest change in diet.
The Nurses’ Health Study shows that these results are also seen in women, with lifestyle modification reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Many times, this is the first manifestation of heart disease in women. The authors looked at four parameters of lifestyle modification, including a Mediterranean-type diet, exercise, smoking and body mass index. There was a decrease in SCD that was dose-dependent, meaning the more factors incorporated, the greater the risk reduction. There was as much as a 92 percent decrease in SCD risk when all four parameters were followed (7). Thus, it is possible to almost eliminate the risk of SCD for women with lifestyle modifications.
Monitoring your risk of heart disease
To determine your progress, we use cardiac biomarkers, including inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index.
In a cohort study of high-risk participants and those with heart disease, patients implemented extensive lifestyle modification: a plant-based, whole foods diet accompanied by exercise and stress management. The results showed an improvement in biomarkers, as well as in cognitive function and overall quality of life. The best part is the results occurred over a very short period to time — three months from the start of the trial (8). Many patients I have seen have had similar results.
Ideally, if patient needs to use medications to treat risk factors for heart disease, it should be for the short term. For some patients, it may be appropriate to use medication and lifestyle changes together; for others, lifestyle modifications may be sufficient, as long as patients take an active role.
By focusing on developing heart-healthy habits, we can improve the likelihood that we – and those we love – will be around for a long time.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com.
Tom Caruso of Smithtown sent in this incredible photo just in time for Valentine’s Day. He writes, ‘I recently installed a bird feeder in my backyard and I’ve been able to photograph some very beautiful birds. None is as beautiful as this male Northern Cardinal. This regal bird was taking a break from dining at my feeder when I snapped this picture.My camera was able to capture an amazing amount of detail in his feathers.’
Hearts abound on February 14, and few symbols (and gifts) are more widely associated with a holiday than heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are with Valentine’s Day.
Chocolates became trendy in the mid-19th century when the first chocolate bar was made by British company J.S. Fry & Sons by combining cacao powder with sugar and cacao butter to make a rich, melt-in-your-mouth treat that was markedly different than the gritty and greasy drinking chocolate that was losing popularity in Europe. Within a few years, competitor Cadbury introduced the first box of chocolates. It was called the “Fancy Box” and it didn’t take long to become wildly popular.
The marriage of chocolate and heart-shaped boxes seemed a natural progression, but the National Valentine Collectors Association says that heart-shaped boxes actually predate chocolate boxes. Various heart-shaped vessels, including “betrothal pendants” and silver boxes in the shape of hearts, were popularized a century earlier. There even were heart-shaped porcelain boxes as well as ones for sewing.
Having already introduced a chocolate box, Richard Cadbury marketed the first Valentine’s Day box in 1861. It was filled with delicious chocolates, and later could be saved as a keepsake to store special notes or other mementos, according to the North American Packaging Association. Furthermore, the gift fit with Victorian sensibilities in that it was demurely suggestive, NPR reports. Its introduction coincided perfectly with Valentine’s Day, which also soared in popularity around the same time.
Giving chocolate on Valentine’s Day also proved popular in North America. The American chocolate company Hershey’s introduced its Hershey’s Kisses in 1907, and in 1912 the Whitman’s Sampler arrived. In the 1920s, Russell Stover unveiled their own heart-shaped boxes, which today still include the “Red Foil Heart” and the “Secret Lace Heart.” Russell Stover has since become the No. 1 boxed chocolate brand in the United States. Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes holding 58 million pounds of chocolate are sold each year and they have become a quintessential symbol of Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Can even a small silver lining be found in the cloud of the COVID-19 isolation? If you and your spouse or significant other are both working from home, you can do a Valentine’s Day brunch. And even if you’re alone, you can do one for yourself, because hey, ya gotta love yourself too. It can be anything from a thick deli sandwich to takeout from your favorite restaurant to whipping up something special at home. If you’re inclined to think the third choice could be fun, I’ve got some great menu items to suggest. I’m thinking a lobster salad with avocado on a croissant, a quiche Lorraine with browned onions or coconut-almond pancakes. Of course, a Bloody Mary, Mimosa or glass of champagne is a must, and to make the whole thing extra special, have your brunch in bed.
Lobster Salad with Avocado
YIELD: Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound lobster meat
1 celery rib, cleaned and finely chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 croissants, sliced open and lightly toasted and buttered
2 large leaves Boston lettuce, washed, drained
1/2 avocado, cut into 4 wedges, then brushed with lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl combine lobster, celery, scallion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Lay the croissant halves on two plates; spread lobster mixture on one half and top lengthwise with two avocado wedges, then lay lettuce on top of avocado. Place other croissant half on top and cut croissant in half. Serve with a tossed salad and potato chips.
Quiche Lorraine with Browned Onions
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry for an 9” pie
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled, fat reserved
1 onion, diced
1 cup diced Swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups half and half
Dash nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line pie plate with pastry and build and flute a substantial crust around rim; place aluminum foil over bottom of crust, then spread pie weights evenly over it. Bake 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, cook diced onion in bacon fat until nicely browned, about 8 to 10 minutes; remove to paper towels to drain. Remove crust from oven; remove pie weights and discard aluminum foil. Reduce oven heat to 375 F. Sprinkle bacon, onion, Swiss cheese and grated cheese evenly over inside of partially baked crust. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, nutmeg and salt and pepper; pour into crust over bacon, onion and cheeses.
Place pie plate on cookie sheet and place on middle rack of oven; bake until knife inserted near edge comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm with fruit salad or spinach salad.
Coconut-Almond Pancakes
YIELD: Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup milk
2 small or medium eggs
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Nonstick cooking spray
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread coconut and almonds on a baking sheet and toast till lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool; reserve baking sheet; reduce oven temperature to 200 F. In large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In medium bowl whisk together buttermilk, milk, eggs, coconut extract, honey and melted butter. Whisk into dry ingredients just until combined (don’t worry about a few lumps);let batter rest for 10 minutes. With heat on medium-high, heat a griddle until hot (a few drops of water should bounce when sprinkled); spray with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle 1/4 cup batter onto griddle and spread into 5” round; repeat procedure; flip once till golden brown on both sides; remove to baking sheet and put into oven to keep warm.
When ready to serve, stack pancakes with coconut and almonds sprinkled between them. Serve hot with maple syrup and sliced mangoes or oranges.