By Amanda and Ben Page

These days, it seems as if every restaurant puts together a special Valentine’s Day menu, replete with red-hued items and cute names. We usually wouldn't shun a tasting menu opportunity, but most Valentine's Day menus come off as mediocre and repetitive. And besides, the “romance” loses its appeal when you’re surrounded by 75 other diners who are all indulging in the same thing you are.

Whether you love or loathe the holiday, you shouldn't deny yourself a delectable meal. So, this year, we've written Valentine's Day-inspired recipes to make at home for you and your special someone and for another couple you might invite over (though our recipes are easily divisible for an intimate dinner for two). We didn't want to stray too far from the spirit of the holiday, and that’s why we created a meal based on some of our favorite food aphrodisiacs. We started with raw oysters on the half shell with a balsamic vinegar-marinated strawberry topping. We paired this starter with glasses of NV Besserat de Bellefon Brut Rosé Champagne, which sports soft bubbles and strawberry undertones. For the main event, we did a roasted beef eye round encrusted with ground chilies and coffee, which we served with a roasted garlic celeriac purée and peach brûleé. With this course, we poured a 1998 Cascina Adelaide Barolo.

Shopping List
8 dried ancho chilies
¼ cup of whole coffee beans
1 tsp. whole cloves
2 heads of garlic
2 lbs. beef eye round (Depending on your preference, you may upgrade this cut to a New York strip or a filet, though the cooking time will vary.)
2 medium heads of celeriac
2 peaches
1 pt. of strawberries
balsamic vinegar
16 oysters
granulated sugar
butter
olive oil

Recipes

Oysters
1. Small-dice strawberries and marinate with 1½ Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp. of sugar.
2. Shuck oysters and keep cold until ready to serve. When you are ready to serve, place desired amount of strawberry topping on each oyster and eat immediately.

Main Course
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Peel 2 heads of garlic.
3. In a small oven-safe bowl, submerge garlic cloves in olive oil. Cover bowl with foil and roast in oven for about 45 mins.
4. Peel and rough-chop celeriac.
5. Bring salted water to a boil on the stove. Place celeriac in in salted boiling water, and boil until pieces are soft and cooked all the way through.
6. In a coffee grinder, grind chilies, coffee beans, and cloves. Season the beef with salt and pepper and then coat with chili coffee mixture. Let the beef rest for about 20 minutes.
7. Cut peaches in half and remove the pits.

FINISHING
8. Heat a pan large enough to fit the whole piece of beef, to medium-high heat. Sear all sides of the beef, and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, checking the internal temperature every 10 minutes. We recommend pulling the beef at 125 degrees and letting it rest for 10 minutes.
9. Strain the water from the celeriac, and purée the celeriac and roasted garlic in a food processor until smooth. (For a fine consistency, push through a fine sieve.) Add 4 Tbsp. butter, and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Heat a small sauté pan, and add 1 tsp. of olive oil. Place the peaches in the pan, flesh-side down. Cook until the flesh in nicely browned.
11. Slice beef and serve.