Valentine’s Elixir

Expecting

oysters, foie gras, and caviar to carry you to Valentine’s Day ecstasy

is like waiting for Santa to come down the chimney on Christmas Eve.

Worse: If you’re not used to eating these rich, luxe comestibles, you

may find them working their way through your gastrointestinal tract

faster than fat Santa free-falling down that chute. Sorry, but the

truth isn’t always pretty.

On the other hand, that’s not to say

that you can’t have a romantic dinner. Dim the lights. Put on music.

Cook a light, satisfying meal that finishes with a decadent dessert.

Then cap things off with fragrant, stimulating sambuca liqueur, with

its’ full, round, intoxicating star anise flavor. There are lots of

distinctive brands on the market, but bang-for-the-buck I like Sambuca Averna

— especially their Liquirizia flavor, which adds a zesty licorice kick

to the star anise. Averna likewise makes a basic sambuca, as well as

one laced with citrus. The bottles retail for $28.99.

Serve

sambuca neat or on the rocks — adding ice spins the transparent spirit

into pearly opalescence, and as it does so you can quote this line from

Shakespeare:

“Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy.”

I can’t emphasize enough how much more effective this will be than a dozen Malpeques.