Last week my husband and I were dithering over Valentine’s Day plans. We were having a busy work week and decided to forego dinner out (the restaurants which sounded most appealing were just too far away) on Thursday and figure on a movie and dinner over the weekend sometime. I felt sort of guilty for not having something nicer on tap for my sweetheart, but a scan through our local paper’s food section provided sudden inspiration.

After reading about an upcoming couples’ cooking class titled “Chocolate Obsessions,” I went online and signed us up for the class, held this past Tuesday. Taught by Chef Sandy Dowling, the class promised chocolate incorporated into every course of the meal Sandy would be preparing — and which the participants would then enjoy. And enjoy we certainly did!

We arrived just at full dark at The Willows, a beautiful bed and breakfast owned and operated by Sandy and her husband, Joe. We could see the lights of the entire Rogue Valley spread below us and could imagine the stunning views of Mt. McLoughlin that the large windows of the main rooms would command to the east. The mansion was built in the first decade of the 20th century as the centerpiece of 1,000-plus-acre orchard “ranch,” and has been restored and remodeled to provide its guests with all the amenities they could want in a graceful and beautiful building. We decided it would make a lovely spot for a special anniversary or birthday getaway, even if it lies only a dozen miles from home.

Our class of 12 couples were seated at three tables in the main salon, and we began the evening with a chocolate martini (in chocolate-rimmed glasses) and zingy Savory Chocolate-Chipotle Wafers. Throughout the evening, Sandy demonstrated the preparation highlights for each course while providing us with a little history and lots of tips and comments about chocolate and the ingredients which marry with it (such as salt and savory flavors). We moved on to a salad of light greens served with a wonderful dressing, which incorporated chocolate syrup, and chocolate-covered cranberries. That was followed by a melt-in-your-mouth entrée of Chocolate-Chipotle Short Ribs with Chocolate Mashed Root Vegetables, and we finished with two — or was it three? — desserts. Sandy said her goal was to have us at chocolate overload by the end of the evening, and she succeeded! We also enjoyed a variety of wines with each course (only one of which was a “choco-wine”), so by the end of the evening there was a buzz of conversation around and between each of the tables.

We are delighted at finding this treasure so close to home, and we’re already perusing the list of upcoming classes at Sandy’s cooking school so as to indulge in another entertaining and enlightening evening sometime soon. And I’m looking forward to the warmer months, when I’ll have the chance to wander the gardens and grounds of The Willows and take in that amazing view in the daylight.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor