Tonight:
-4°c
Chocolates to die for
St Valentine was a Roman priest who got himself martyred in the third century. There are several theories concerning his elevation to patron saint of lovers but everyone knows that his real role should be patron saint of chocolate.
At any gift-giving opportunity it is hard to oppose the allure of chocolate and Valentine's is no exception.
Prestat is chocolatier to the Queen and has launched a small (80g) but beautiful heart-shaped, pink and gold box of chocs (right, £8.95). Prestat Shop, 14 Princess Arcade, SW1 (020 7494 3372, www.prestat.co.uk)
Have faith in cheeses
Let this be the year that you say it with cheese! At La Fromagerie they have a splendid range of heart-shaped cheeses.
There are the gentle, English, fresh goats' milk cheeses from Innes which are fetchingly topped with pink peppercorns (200g £6.50), the Coeur Neufchatel which comes in three sizes (30g £2.10; 90g £2.10; 150g £3.65) and if all this delicate, billing and cooing stuff seems a bit tame, how about the much punchier Coeur d'Arras? A washed rind cows' milk cheese from Picardy (200g £8.60). La Fromagerie, 26 Moxon Street, W1 (020 7935 0341, www.lafromagerie.co.uk)
Courtship lollipop
If in the Foodhall at Harvey Nichols look out for the very pink, and very heart-shaped, lollipops from the Purbeck Chocolate Company.
They are made from Venezuelan chocolate and dried raspberries and despite their modest price tag - £2.95 each - they are suitably self-indulgent.
By way of refreshment, turn to the quarter bottles of Harvey Nichols pink champagne - roughly a glass and a half for £10.25. Harvey Nichols Foodmarket, Sloane Street, SW1 (020 7235 5000, www.harveynichols.com)
