Maple Grove Foodie Alice Tanghe’s Valentine’s Recipes

Two sweet recipes that can pave the way to your sweetheart's heart

By: Cyd Haynes | From the issue: February 2012

Photo: Anthony Brett Schreck

The bittersweet chocolate ganache fondue lets you mix the best of both worlds on Valentine's day with refreshing fruits and seductive sweets like chocolate and cream.

Thirty years ago, local food advocate, editor and author Alice Tanghe and her husband missed a flight home from their honeymoon in Quebec. They lingered a bit too long over a delicious crème brûlée in a French-style bistro. “OK, I may not have looked at the correct departure time,” Tanghe admits, “but it’s a good excuse, and it’s still one of our favorite desserts.” What could be more romantic?

Her love affair with food has lasted for more than 30 years of wedded bliss. She took on cooking family meals in her early elementary school years, while her mother worked the night shift as a nurse. That early exposure nurtured a true foodie who devours her collection of over 500 cookbooks as if they were novels.

When Tanghe is not reading, you might catch her cooking and promoting local food at the Maple Grove Farmers Market. She tested recipes for, edited, and wrote the Twin Cities restaurant profiles for the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook. She also published the food magazine Minnesota Palate for a couple of years.

Tanghe’s present writing is focused on another cookbook, with the working title: I’ll Put The Coffee On, an ode to the first invite from dearly departed neighbor Lela Hamlin over 20 years ago. They both loved to cook. “It will be part memoir and part cookbook,” she explains.

Tanghe believes in putting love into all her meals. “The best way to spend a weekend is cooking and sharing it with friends,” she assures. “Making a meal for someone says love. Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day!”

For more info or to purchase a copy of the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook, visit amazon.com.