Julie Cohn

I used to think I had better things to do with my time than worry about finding ways to cut costs, but in order to minimize our growing grocery expenses, I was forced to find ways to save (and make) a little extra money. Here is an example of the cost difference: $275 per month including taxes – Cable tv, home phone service with long-distance service, high-speed internet (No premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, or Showtime) Grocery store sales and digital coupons are some of the best easy ways to save money. Most local grocery stores have a rewards program where you can sign up to save money, get special digital coupons, and earn fuel points.

Are you familiar with a London Fog Latte, a hot tea beverage made with earl grey tea, honey, vanilla, lavender, and foamed milk? This London Fog Scones recipe is basically a London Fog tea Latte made into a delicate little scone. We like buttermilk for the light tanginess it adds to the scone, but if you are not a fan of buttermilk or don’t have any handy, you can use heavy cream instead, but you must use the baking powder if you don’t use the buttermilk. London Fog Tea: I use Harney & Sons London Fog loose tea (see below the recipe) because it already has the honey and lavender flavors inside.

And while I absolutely advocate for supporting small local restaurants, as a home chef, I also wanted to offer some great options for those who want to create their own gourmet dinner at home. You can create a gourmet dinner for (or with) your love for Valentine’s Day or any time you want a romantic dinner for two. Tip:  Make your own raspberry glaze to drizzle on the torte by blending 3-4 teaspoons of raspberry jam with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. The Prats + Symington’s Prazo de Roriz is a Douro Valley red wine blend, perfect for pairing with roasted and grilled beef dishes.

A cross between fudge and a cake, this flourless chocolate espresso torte is beyond decadent — bittersweet chocolate melted into butter and folded into a foamy pillow of eggs, with just a kiss of espresso and cinnamon to send your taste buds soaring into outer space. To be clear, this dessert is very rich, not something to eat every day, but for a special occasion like a birthday or Valentine’s Day dessert, this is the piece de resistance. A basic flourless torte has three main ingredients: eggs, butter, and chocolate. This flourless chocolate espresso torte recipe adds a few other ingredients that enhance the flavor of the chocolate to create an extravagant chocolate explosion in your mouth!