Time to party…
Today we share our latest Retro Foodie photo shoot–a decadent Valentine’s Day party featuring an assortment of chocolate and cheese! The inspiration: heart-themed paper straws found at none other than Target. Their bold simplicity inspired the palette and style of this fête. A simple red heart cut from poster board serves as a classic backdrop, while a metallic vase filled with daisies sets an ’80s tone. Let’s talk about the food…
A Valentine’s Day cheese and chocolate plate
What could be more decadent than chocolate and cheese?! Top each plate with a silver napkin, along with one cinnamon heart candy for a bold pop of color. Wine and bubbly are ideal drinks for this party, and I also enjoy having a non-alcoholic option on hand. My go-to punch these days: a mixture of soda (such as the citrusy San Pellegrino selections), carbonated water, fresh juice and mint. For the batch below, I used fresh-squeezed clementine juice, and I also garnished the punch with clementine slices.
Valentine’s Day citrus punch
Don’t forget the party straws…
Heart party straws
I used a mixture of goat and BellaVitano cheeses for the heart-themed cheese plate. I love finding new ways to serve goat cheese. If you’ve been following my Retro Foodie series, you know that my go-to appetizer is goat cheese rolled in pink peppercorns and sumac. This time I molded the cheese into a heart shape before dipping into the rosy mixture (below, far right). On the far left is goat cheese seasoned with fresh lemon juice, 0live oil and pepper. A bell pepper slice formed a natural heart that served as the perfect topping. In the middle we have the BellaVitano, drizzled with dried cherries for a bit of tangy flavor…
A Valentine’s Day cheese plate…
And now the chocolate! At the top of the plate below is the Papau New Guinea dark chocolate bar from Mast Brothers. Not only is the flavor amazing, the packaging is irresistible (more in the montage near the end of the post). I also purchased chocolate-covered orange peel candies from my local Central Market store. The Toffee-ettes are from See’s Candy. Don’t forget the red and white sugar sprinkles for an easy garnish!
A Valentine’s Day chocolate plate with sugar sprinkles
Here are some highlights from the shoot…
Mirror80 wishes you the Happiest of Valentine’s Days. Sure, this holiday has gotten a wee bit too commercial, yet I can’t help but be drawn to the ’80s-style motifs that I keep running into, from the sprinkles to the hearts. Plus, you’ve gotta love a good excuse to enjoy some delicious foodie finds! If this year’s Valentine’s Day isn’t about the romance, share it with friends. Do something fun. You deserve it!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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