Recipe for love: Try this tempting menu for two

To make the Tortino
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into 1/8-inch julienne strips. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and pour 2 quarts of cold water over them. Stir the potatoes with your hands, the water will appear milky. Drain the potatoes into a colander, rinse them of any starch, repeating the process until the water around the potatoes is absolutely clear. Drain, and roll up in towels until very dry.

2. Preheat a Teflon omelet or crepe pan over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons of clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil and raise the heat slightly. Spread half of the potatoes in the bottom of the pan in a even layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread remaining potatoes and season with salt and pepper once again. The pan will appear very full, but as the potatoes cook, they will settle into the pan. Press down on the potatoes to ensure even contact with the bottom of the pan. Cook this side for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. When the edges are golden browned and the aroma is that of a roasted potato, flip potato cake in one motion or use two long spatulas to turn it. Cook this side for another 8 to 10 minutes.

4. When well browned, slide the potato cake onto a cutting board and slice it into portions or serve whole. Garnish potato cake with whipped Mascarpone, 2 to 3 slices of lobster, a dollop of caviar, and sprinklings of fresh chives (see below).

1. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium to high heat; add shallots and mushrooms and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine until wine is almost dry, then add the heavy cream and reduce until cream is thick and half of its original volume. Add in spinach and bread crumbs, mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 550°. Spoon spinach filling over the top of each shucked oyster, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons per oyster. Place filled shells on a bed of rock salt on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and broil for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts and browns slightly. Serve immediately and garnish with lemon wedges.

To make the seafood filling:
1.In a 10 to 12-inch sauté pan, heat extra virgin olive oil over high heat. When smoking, add garlic and cook until light golden brown. Add vegetables and mushrooms, cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Fold in fresh herbs, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix thoroughly, then carefully fold in cooked seafood so as not to break fish pieces. Taste for seasoning and adjust. If filling seems to be a little dry to the taste, add fresh heavy cream to moisten; be careful to add only a tablespoon at a time.

To make the cannelloni:
1. Divide pasta dough into 4 pieces. Roll each one into the thinnest setting on a pasta machine. Lay sheets on a lightly floured surface. Cut sheets into 4 x 6-inch rectangles. Drop the cut pasta sheets into boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cooked sheets to ice bath; remove, lay flat on kitchen towels to dry.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Place about 3 tablespoons of seafood filling along the length of a pasta sheet; roll pasta around filling to form a cigar shape. Repeat for remaining pasta sheets.

4. Spoon half of tomato sauce across bottom of large baking dish in an even, thin layer. Arrange the cannelloni, seam side down, side by side in a single layer. Top with remaining tomato sauce and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Sauce should be bubbling and edges of pasta should be crispy and light brown. Serve from baking dish.

To butterfly shrimp:
1. Slice down the length of each shrimp along the center line of the back, cutting as deeply as possible without going all the way through. Remove any exposed vein, wash and open shrimp to lie flat.

To make the crab stuffing:
1.Mix mayonnaise, fresh herbs, dijon mustard, Tabasco and Worcheshire sauce together and set aside.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil until almost smoking. Add garlic, onions, celery, peppers and cook until tender, but still crisp. Remove from heat and place in a bowl; let cool. When cool, fold in mayo mixture and crabmeat. Mix thoroughly then add Panko bread crumbs. Stuffing should hold its shape, should not be too loose or too stiff.

3. Place shrimp on buttered or olive oil sprayed cookie sheet. Preheat oven 475° to 500°. Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of crabmeat stuffing on each shrimp, pat down slightly so stuffing is no higher than 3/4-inch and evenly distributed over length of shrimp. When all are stuffed, bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until stuffing is golden brown.

To make the champagne herb sauce:
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat and cook shallots until soft. Add champagne and reduce until liquid is almost gone. Add clam juice and reduce by half, then add heavy cream and reduce again by half. Just before shrimp are done, add herbs and remaining butter. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

1. Melt chocolate over low heat. Add milk, sugar, flour and cream and heat gently for 1 minute. Pour the sugared coffee in a champagne glass. Add the warm chocolate mixture and top with whipped cream.