Dates wrapped with bacon and stuffed with fontina. Photo: Brown Eyed Baker.

Fontina-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates. The description alone is enough to make one's mouth water.

It is probably a safe assessment to say that if you want to make everyone in the room like you (aside from vegetarians, of couse), this is exactly the kind of hors d'oeuvre you make for a party. And according to the Brown Eyed Baker, who made these, we're right. "This is quite possibly the most amazing appetizer I have ever made," she wrote. "I have never seen anything gobbled up by a crowd so quickly."

While this particular combination of fruit, cheese and meat is nothing short of culinary genius, let's be honest here: No matter what had been wrapped in that perfectly pink bacon, we'd have eaten it -- wouldn't you?

[Via Brown Eyed Baker]

Bacon-and-date-wrapped hot dogs. Photo: Fork This

Hot dogs are as ubiquitous as Ray Bans this summer, with all-beef franks gracing grills at backyard BBQs and gourmet versions making cameos on restaurant menus. But a hot dog coddled in bacon is a rare treat.

These bacon-wrapped dogs were captured by our friend Fork This at a Hot Dog Cookoff before being placed in buns and topped with crushed almonds. Though we have mixed feelings about the crushed-almond topping, these look good enough to eat straight off the grill.

Aptly called Dog Date Afternoon, the heart-attack-inducing treats sadly didn't take home top (or any) honors, but it's pretty likely there were none left for their maker to take home, either.

[Via Fork This]

During my visit in Dubai, I did what almost every tourist there does. I went to the lavish, semi-futuristic, Vegas inspired malls where you can not only go shopping, but also indoor skiing. While at the Wafi mall, an ancient Egyptian inspired building shaped like a pyramid, I made sure to stop into Wafi Gourmet, a Middle Eastern specialty food store. The selection of dates looked gorgeous.

Wafi Gourmet has a counter full of chocolate covered dates, dates stuffed with oranges, and dates stuffed with pistachios and dipped in chocolate. I started off with a tasting of their plan dates. Their juiciness, freshness, and intense sweetness satiated my palate. I couldn't imagine eating the ones covered in chocolate, but, I'm so glad I did!

Dates are one of the few fruits in Dubai that come from the United Arab of Emirates, and, at the moment, they're in season. At Wafi Gourmet, they sell a few different aged dates. Since I have a sweet tooth, the fresh ones were naturally my favorite. The ones that are aged are more savory. Currently, I'm on a quest to find the same succulent dates in NY. If you know where I can find them, please let me know.

If you prefer to stay in and cook, rather than to go out for romantic occasions, you might want to consider getting your date (and yes, it can still be a date if you're married to each other) involved in the kitchen with you if you don't already. The experience gives you more together time and makes the evening into an event, rather than just another meal. You can work together on any recipe from any cookbook, but Dinner Dates: A Cookbook for Couples Cooking Together gives you a good place to start because it is designed for this purpose. And if you tend to get a little protective of your space in the kitchen, it couldn't hurt to have the tasks divided up for you.

The "dates" are complete menus with both casual and more gourmet options. For example, "Fun with Fajitas" will get you margaritas, chicken and steak fajitas and ice cream sundaes, while the "Ultimate Valentine's Dinner" has french onion soup, filet mignon with herbed butter, and chocolate dipped strawberries and biscotti. There are a total of ten different dates, as well as information on prepping your kitchen and plenty of other foodie tips.

With only a few days left until Valentine's, we thought that it would be fun to take a look at the role that food can play in our relationships with a little mini series leading into February 14th.

The number of dates that take place at restaurants is not something that trend-watching companies devote resources to because they know, and you know, that it is a high proportion. First dates are especially likely to involve food, since it sets a common ground while you get to know each other. The real question is what makes a great date restaurant? How do all these restaurant daters decide where they want to go?

There are a few schools of thought here. The first one says to go for the atmosphere, somewhere that is either romantic or intimate in some way and that isn't so noisy that you have to shout all night. The second one says that you should go for the food, because if the dinner is exquisite it can only help your chances for getting a second date.

Sell by, best by, and use by are all labels that we commonly see on foods in the grocery store. They are on just about anything that is packaged, from milk and bagged produce to cookies and soda. Is there really a difference between the terms, and if so, what is it?

BusinessWeek actually has some of the answers for us. A "sell by" date is one that indicates to a store how long the product should be offered for sale, although such a product will almost always be good for at least a few days beyond that date. A "best by" date means that the flavor or texture of a food will begin to decline at that point. The "use by" date is the real expiration date. Beyond it, there is no guarantee that the food will be fresh and tasty or that it will retain all of the nutrients that it started out with. The overall quality of the product can begin to decrease and you're probably better of just starting again with a fresh bottle/can/bag.

The best strategy is to buy foods in small batches so you don't have to worry about expiration dates of any sort coming on too quickly, but keep the dates in mind as you shop for reference points, and choose products with further dates if you know you're not going to be consuming everything you buy in a short period of time.

Pizza?!?! He's taking you out to grab a slice of pizza?!?! Forget it. What kind of cheapskate/Peter Pan/unimaginative guy is he!??! Drop him!

Don't pretend like you haven't done it before -- judged a guy (or girl) before you've even met, based on where they want to go on the first date. Fancy expensive reservations-30-days-in-advance-only and you're impressed, right? KFC drive-thru and...well, you get the picture.

Though they don't have an opinion about pizza, AOL has put together a short feature about what his restaurant/cuisine choice could say about him. If you don't have the time to read through it, here's the lowdown:

• Tapas - "don't expect a commitment from this professional dabbler anytime soon"
• Seafood - "it's nice to spend time with somebody who believes money is no object, but if he never lets you forget it..."
• Pancake house - "a guy who knows what he wants, and exactly where to go to get it"
• Sushi - "an eclectic lifestyle, so he wants to try everything"
• Mexican - "hot and spicy guy is the kind that will dance the night away"
• Chinese - "he needs a little motivation"
• Steakhouse - "since he won't stray too far from the norm, he could be a huge bore"
• Italian - "you've got a serious romantic on your hands"
• Burgers and fries - "likes it straight, so he can save himself for the BMX race he's in"

Ever since we realized how easy these bacon-wrapped dates are to make, they've been a picnic staple. Sarah Gim has had other versions at restaurants in L.A., but there's really no reason not to make them at home. As with any recipe with very few ingredients, it's crucial to not skimp. Get moist, plump dates with no cracks in the skin and pit them yourself by making a small slit with a paring knife. I'm fond of medjool dates, and they're widely available and usually a pretty decent size. As for bacon, just try to avoid anything sliced too thickly, as it will be more difficult to wrap around the dates. For the version you see above, each date was wrapped in half a slice of bacon and baked in a foil lined sheet pan at 350º for about 15 minutes, or until the bacon rendered much of its fat and began to crisp up. By that time the dates will have softened into a sugary paste, perfectly suited to the salty crunch of the bacon. Sometimes toothpicks are necessary to hold the bacon in place. They make serving these gems easier on a picnic, too. As for stuffing them, I didn't. But you can. Slivers of garlic work great, as do almonds, or Parmesan cheese, says Sarah.

We're all familiar with dates - the dark brown, sticky sweet oblong fruit grown in Mediterranean climates that are often used in desserts. In Asia, there are something called red dates. These fruits, also kown as jujubes (in Korean, "dae-chu"), are somewhat rounder than the regular dates we're used to, not as sticky nor as sweet, and obviously, they are a brownish red.

The red date has medicinal value in Asian culture. Along with ginseng, Koreans add dae-chu to sahm-gyae tahng, which is a healthy, nourshing soup. Sometimes, red dates are considered an herb, believed to prolong, enhance, and harmonize the effect of other ingredients in medicinal formulas. Supposedly, red dates are a good cure for insomnia, work against the effects of aging, and help with fatigue, hypertension and malnutrition.

Lara Bars are blends of fruits, spices and nuts that make up a line of tasty, wholesome snack bars. Though they don't have any preservatives, nor are the cooked, their special packaging keeps these moist and chewy bars fresh for several months - and perfect for a snack on the go or a quick meal when you're traveling. My favorite flavors are Apple Pie and Cocoa Mole. Of course, if you can't get to the store, you can always make your own, just like Rae of bunnyfoot. She took dates and a few add-ins of her own to make an amazing homemade lara-type bar. I love the adaptability of her recipe, since you can add any nuts, spices or additional fruits that you like!

On Valentine's Day, more than 30% of all Americans will eat at a restaurant, making it the second most popular holiday for dining out, after Mother's Day. When numbers are broken down by age, it is not surprising to see that for people between the ages of 25 and 34, the numbers are much higher, with 41% of people dining at a restaurant on February 14. The highest numbers are among the 18-24 year olds, with 47% percent heading out to eat. Those who dine out will spend an average of $62 dollars on dinner, while possibly spending more on gifts such as chocolates and flowers. OpenTable.com is a great way to check for reservations are some of your favorite restaurants across the country and the world.

Though dining out can be fun and romantic, for some lovebirds there is nothing as romantic as a home-cooked meal shared across a table for two. Cooking together or cooking for a loved one can be a more romantic and thoughtful gift than a box of chocolates, for those who enjoy cooking.

I first made this dessert last spring and it's quickly become one of my favorites. It appeared in the March 2005 issue of Gourmet Magazine in an article about the London restaurant Moro.

Bring 2 cups of freshly made espresso (I use Bustello) to a boil with 1 teaspoon sugar, 20 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed, and 1 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken in half. Add coffee to two cups pitted Medjool dates in a heat-proof bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve dates and espresso syrup over Greek yogurt or plain yogurt that has drained in a paper-towel-lined sieve for one hour.

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]

AOC is a restaurant that had been on my "To-Dine" list from the moment opened in LA. However, it took me this long to finally get over there. The restaurant has a nice setup with bar-seating at either the wine bar or the cheese bar, and regular seating in a fairly small dining room. I enjoyed the meal, I enjoyed the cheese, and I enjoyed the wine. But the thing that made my head spin faster than the Rock Steady Crew was the tiny silver saucer of bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with parmesan cheese. Now that I'm comfortbale with bacon-wrapping, I want to make these at home.