Lucy Waverman: Buffalo mozzarella with peperonata

Even if Valentine's Day is often regarded as a creation of the greeting-card industry, I do think it's a good excuse to celebrate relationships.

Chocolate, chilies, ginger, honey, pine nuts, figs, garlic, rosemary and others are considered to be aphrodisiacs.This Italian-themed menu includes many of them.

The starter is inspired by one I had at Locanda Verde, a dynamic New York restaurant, where executive chef Andrew Carmellini produces stylish, simple Italian food with heart.

Carmellini used burrata, a creamy Puglian mozzarella that is available in stores from time to time. If you can't get it, buffalo mozzarella is a great substitute. It's a rich, soft cheese from Italy's Campania region, where the buffalos eat grass that gives a special flavour to their milk. Look for DOC Campania status on the container for authenticity.

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup roasted chili peppers from a jar, diced

1/2 cup roasted red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 slices ciabatta bread, cut on the bias into long, thin slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, cut in half

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

6 leaves escarole

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 ball buffalo mozzarella or burrata

Method

Combine roasted chili peppers, red pepper and parsley for a kind of peperonata. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat a barbecue or broiler to high heat. Brush both sides of bread lightly with 1 tablespoon oil. Grill or broil for 30 seconds per side or until golden and crisp. Rub one side of each slice of bread with cut side of garlic clove. Reserve.

Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add rosemary and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until lightly crisp. Scrape out of pan and set aside.

To serve, place escarole on a plate and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Place a mound of peperonata next to escarole and add the ball of mozzarella to plate. Scatter with fried rosemary and serve with grilled garlic bread.