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The Food Channel®, as well as a quick preview of what’s coming soon to our menu. The latest recipes, the hottest trends—it’s a quick and tasty buffet you can scan at a glance.

Valentine Escapes

The lovers’ holiday is upon us, and what better time for a romantic dinner out? The Food Channel sets the mood by featuring some of our favorite places to dine with one’s sweetheart. Among our romantic recommendations are the Valentine’s package at the Moonrise Hotel and adjoining Eclipse Restaurant in St. Louis; the DUO Restaurant and Lounge in New York (with an affordable NYC Valentine’s Day Menu); the Odyssey and the Spirit of Chicago offer Valentine’s dinner cruises off Chicago’s Navy Pier; or how about a Valentine’s visit with the famous ducks at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis? We offer all the particulars in our “Escapes” feature story.

Mad Men Mixology…and more

We are simply mad over this new cookbook inspired by the hit TV series “Mad Men,” gearing up for its fifth season which premieres next month on AMC. The saga of Don Draper and his ‘60’s-era advertising colleagues features a lot of drinking, to be sure, but The “Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook” is filled with both classic cocktail and food recipes. If you’re at all nostalgic for the elegance of that era, you’re going to want to check out our review of the book, which we describe as “a mix of history and culture, as reflected in the food and people of those times.”

“Dine Like a Mad Man” Sweepstakes

Be sure to enter the “Dine Like a Mad Man Sweepstakes,” with more than $1,200 in prizes, including dinners at some of New York’s finest restaurants. Click here to learn how to enter.

V-Day Recipes, Especially for Lovers
		We’re offering a wealth of recipes for the romantically-inclined this month, including sexy cocktail concoctions like The Forbidden Kiss. Created by New York’s DUO Restaurant and Lounge, this one will quickly get you in the mood.
White Chocolate Martini Decadent, rich, over the top, and DANGEROUSLY Delicious! Perfect for those who simply adore chocolate.	Sweetheart Sipping Hot Chocolate This simple recipe for two consenting adults is similar in its richness to a great espresso drink.	Heart Shaped Fries Here’s a recipe for a “typical male” who craves meat and potatoes. Pair it with Steakburgers for a Valentine’s meal he’ll love you for.
Get the very latest on what’s happening and what’s going to happen. • Poll: Americans More Willing to Eat Weird • DASH Diet Tops List of 2012’s Best Diets • LG Unveils the Fridge of the Future
Surfing The Channel
	VIDEO: Valentine’s Day at Urban Union, Chicago Restaurateur Jason Chan and Chef Michael Shrader take us on a tour of their recently opened restaurant, Urban Union, which is quickly becoming Chicago’s newest hot spot. The chef imagines what would be his ideal Valentine’s Day dinner, which includes classic aphrodisiacs champagne, oysters, chocolate…and oven-roasted octopus?
	Predictions for 2012 from Gareth Jones The “Blue Collar Gastronomist” weighs in with a foodie forecast from his unique UK perspective. Among his predictions: Organic food will continue a downwards spiral; Chicken, potatoes and salad leaves will be better; Tomatoes will not only become sweet, meaty, rich and full of flavor, but “some enterprising retailer will at last figure that refrigeration is the enemy of taste.”
	VIDEO: How to Make a Brandy Alexander (“Mad Men” style) The ice cream chain has plans to develop approximately 50 Baskin-Robbins restaurants in Vietnam during the next few years.
	VIDEO: Path to a Chef Ever wonder how a chef got his or her start? This video series asks the question to some of America’s best chefs.
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