Ingredients:

80 g chopped capers
80 g chopped cornichons
25 ml strong mustard
80 ml vegetable oil
1 oz brandy
2 ml Tabasco sauce
8 ml Worcestershire sauce
Fresh-ground black pepper
2 egg yolks
10 ml lukewarm water
1 onion, finely chopped
Marinated ginger, finely chopped (to taste)
Smoked salmon, chopped (to taste)*
Fillet of skinless Atlantic salmon**

*Roughly 1/3 smoked salmon and 2/3 fresh salmon.
**For an appetizer, aim for around 75g to 100g of salmon per person.
For a main dish, aim for 150g to 200g per person.

Preparing the sauce:

• Mix the capers, cornichons, mustard, brandy, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, water and egg yolks.
• Gently stir in the vegetable oil and beat the mixture to create an emulsion.
• Add the finely chopped marinated ginger and the smoked salmon.
• Add the chopped onion only at the end; the sauce will keep for a week in the fridge without the onion.

Note: This sauce recipe provides a base which you can combine with salmon to taste. It provides enough for around four portions.

Preparing the fresh salmon:

• With a knife, remove the brownish parts of the salmon and the bones, if necessary.
• Dice the fillet, place it in a bowl and mix it with the sauce.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.

Duck is something that you rarely cook at home, which makes it an excellent choice for special occasions. And this recipe, with its aromatic spices, exotic mushrooms and chocolate, is particularly good for Valentine's Day. The preparation is very simple, but requires a bit of advance planning, as the breast must be lightly cured overnight. This step is important, since it tenderizes the meat and allows the sensuous spices to permeate it. The aromas released during cooking are irresistible!

Serves two

Ingredients:

1 duck magret (fatty breast with skin, from Moulard or other type of duck)
1 medium-sized sweet potato
2 cups mixed mushrooms, e.g., black trumpet, hedgehog, shiitake, oyster, king oyster, cauliflower, porcini
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken or veal stock
1 tsp cocoa nibs (optional, but they provide an exotic crunch to the mushrooms, not to mention an energy boost!)
1 cup baby spinach
1 tsp fresh-minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 finely chopped shallot
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Method:

• One day before you plan to cook the meal, clean the breast by trimming any excess fat (there should be ¼ inches left on top) and scoring the fatty side with hatch marks. Liberally sprinkle the flesh side with the five-spice powder and salt, cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
• The following day, rinse the excess salt off under cool water and pat dry with a clean towel.
• Place the sweet potato in an oven heated to 375°F and bake until tender when pierced by a fork (about 45-60 minutes). Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then peel.
• If using dried mushrooms, soak in hot water for 20 minutes to rehydrate. Remove from liquid and pat dry.
• Place the duck breast skin down in a heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably cast-iron) on medium heat and cook slowly until amber brown and most of the fat has rendered off. Regularly strain the fat to keep the breast from "deep frying." Turn the breast onto the flesh side for a moment to sear in the juice, then turn off the heat and leave the breast skin down in the still-warm pan.
• As the breast is cooking, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil or some of the rendered duck fat to a large saucepan on high heat and sauté the mushrooms. While they're cooking, add the garlic, ginger and shallot. Season with salt and deglaze with red wine, reduce until almost dry, then add the stock and reduce by half. At this point, check the seasoning and set aside until ready to serve.
• Cut the sweet potato into two medallions and warm in the oven. Reheat the mushrooms, add the spinach and cocoa nibs and melt the chocolate into the mixture. The chocolate will thicken the sauce.
• Slice the duck breast into ½ -inch pieces and arrange on two plates. Add the sweet potato, then spoon the mushroom sauce over the duck and sweet potato.

Ingredients:

4 organic eggs
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup of flour
¾ cup of melted dark chocolate
½ cup of soft melted butter

Coat the moulds with:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cocoa

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.
• Mix the eggs and the sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer.
• Sprinkle sieved flour on the whitened eggs and mix for 1 minute at low speed.
• Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler with the soft butter, mixing well to obtain a smooth consistency.
• Add the chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs/flour mixture.
• Mix at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Coat 8 moulds in a 6 cm-wide muffin tray with butter and flour.
• Place 4 tbsps of paste in each mould.
• Cook in the oven for 9 minutes at 425°F. The gâteaux are ready when the outside is cooked and the centre is still soft.

Presentation of gâteaux fondants:

• Upon removal from the oven, sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with Laurie Raphaël wild forest strawberries or other berries.
• Serve right away with vanilla ice cream and a cocoa tuile dentelle.

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From $100
Offer valid until February 29, 2008.

Restaurant Laurie Raphaël at Hotel Le Germain Montreal is attracting a sophisticated crowd these days, so naturally Trend G wanted to let you know all about it.

From the moment you arrive, you'll find yourself in an environment that's "made in Quebec" - from the dishes to the decor. The highly contemporary setting, created by designer Jean-Pierre Viau, is imbued with Quebecois charm.

Local flavour
The restaurant offers a warm, relaxed ambience, attentive service, an exceptional wine list and, above all, authentic dishes from Daniel Vézina's kitchen. To make the most of the menu during one meal, guests can sample a selection of Quebec regional specialties in appetizer format.

Interview with Geneviève Grandbois, whose flavoured chocolates are renowned for their quality and delicacy.

Trend G - What does Valentine's Day represent for your business in terms of sales?
Geneviève Grandbois - Sales of chocolates for Valentine's Day represent about 10% of our annual sales. Christmas time is still our most important season.

Trend G - Are any of your products particularly in demand from customers for Valentine's Day?
Geneviève Grandbois - A number of products inflame our customers' passion in February, including our Carré des Amoureux, which comes in a cute metallic box; our Éclats de Caramel à la Fleur de Sel, crunchy caramel with mild chocolate and a touch of cinnamon; as well as our Cœurs au Piment, made from dark chocolate spiced with Espelette pepper. And those with a serious sweet tooth always rush to pick up some of our caramel spread.

Chocolats Geneviève Grandbois has a number of outlets in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec. To find out more about them, visit their website: www.chocolatsgg.com

Interview with Ingrid Läderach Steven, owner of Swiss-Master Chocolatier, whose products are well known in Toronto and made in Switzerland by master chocolatiers. Swiss-Master is Hotel Le Germain Toronto's chocolate supplier.

Trend G - Your sales must surely go up for Valentine's Day, but by how much?
Ingrid Läderach Steven - We probably make about 25% of our annual sales on Valentine's Day. It's interesting to note that women stop by the store well ahead of time, while men wait till the last minute! And so when the day arrives, there are usually long line-ups at the door...

Trend G - Which of your products are most popular in February?
Ingrid Läderach Steven - Everyone's looking for something red or a product that's connected with Valentine's Day. That means our heart-shaped truffles are a big hit - they come in gift boxes ranging from six to 72 pieces! And I'm always touched to see children coming into the boutique to buy a pink lollipop for their mother...

Swiss-Master Chocolatier
2538 Bayview Avenue
Toronto
(416) 444-8802
www.swissmaster.com