Sweet blistered tomatoes, whole basil leaves, savory anchovies, bright lemon, and creamy stracciatella come together in a pasta that feels both rustic and refined. A layer of stracciatella beneath the fresh pasta and a generous dollop on top create a luxurious contrast to the warm fettuccine, while crispy breadcrumbs add texture and crunch.
Black Beluga Lentil Soup
🥣 🐳 🥣
Black Garlic, Black Vinegar
Black beluga lentils, aged black garlic, and Chinese black vinegar create a deeply savory soup with an intriguingly dark hue. Served with blackened rustic bread and a glass of Keenan Merlot, it makes for a dramatic and satisfying meal.
The ingredients work in harmony both visually and on the palate. Black beluga lentils provide an earthy foundation, while aged black garlic contributes mellow sweetness and deep umami notes. Dark soy sauce enhances the soup’s savory character and helps achieve its dramatic color, while Chinese black vinegar adds subtle complexity and a gentle lift.
Although delicious with the lentils left whole, the soup truly comes into its own when puréed until velvety smooth. The transformation creates a luxurious texture and deepens the color, allowing the flavors to meld into a cohesive whole. Finished with freshly ground black pepper, the soup gains a touch of warmth and spice that balances its savory depth.
Lunch at Estiatorio Milos was one of those meals where every dish felt simple at first glance, yet somehow absolutely perfect once it hit the table. A high-end Greek seafood restaurant located in The Venetian Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, founded by chef Costas Spiliadis, it is widely considered one of North America’s finest Greek dining establishments, known for its emphasis on pristine, fresh ingredients and authentic Mediterranean preparations.
We shared taramosalata with warm pita and crudité, a Greek salad with vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes and feta, slow-cooked gigantes, grilled jumbo prawns, chargrilled octopus with Santorini fava, sautéed diver scallops, and a beautiful sepia dish with fresh Mediterranean cuttlefish and black ink risotto.
The cuttlefish especially stayed with me afterward. I wanted to recreate that same Mediterranean combination of seafood, olive oil, lemon, and black rice at home, but since fresh cuttlefish wasn’t available, I decided to make my own version using grilled squid instead.
Grilled Squid with Black Rice, Two Ways
The squid turned out so tender and lightly smoky from the grill that I ended up making two variations. The first version was sliced into strips and paired with grilled chiles. For the second version, I sliced the grilled squid into rings and tossed it generously with fresh parsley and basil before serving it over black rice. To echo some of the briny depth of the restaurant’s black ink risotto, I cooked the rice in clam juice, which gave the dish an even deeper seafood flavor.
Squid worked beautifully here as a substitute for cuttlefish because the preparation is so simple and seafood-focused. While cuttlefish is slightly meatier and richer, grilled squid brings a similarly clean Mediterranean flavor and silky, succulent texture.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
🍋 🐓 🍲 🥕 🌿
With Carrots, Dill, and Parmesan
Bright with lemon and fresh dill, this comforting chicken dish falls somewhere between a hearty soup and a light stew. Everything comes together easily in one pot, making it a good choice for serving a crowd.
For our recent dinner party, we started with a goat cheese and vegetable salad dressed with an orange-balsamic vinaigrette—served alongside homemade artisan bread—then followed with the hot soup as a second course for a relaxed, satisfying meal. A chilled glass of Petit Chablis Domaine L. Chatelain 2024 was a perfect match, its crisp citrus and mineral notes complementing the lemony broth and fresh dill.
Valentine’s Day calls for something a little special—unique, beautiful, and just indulgent enough to feel like a celebration. This Chicken Truffle Soup is exactly that kind of dish. Served steaming hot beneath a golden, flaky crust, it feels luxurious and romantic.
What makes this recipe especially appealing is that it delivers true truffle character without requiring an extravagant splurge. By using sliced black truffles from a jar, a touch of truffle oil, and truffle salt, you get depth, aroma, and richness in every bite. And of course, if you’re lucky enough to have access to fresh black truffles, by all means use them—they will only elevate the dish further. Either way, this soup proves that a memorable Valentine’s dinner doesn’t have to be complicated or costly to feel truly special.
