Valentine’s Day, that day for lovers, looms in just a fortnight, and walking across Central Park last week in the full moonlight made me all too aware, yet again, that at this late date the odds are slim that someone will be showering me with roses or chocolates, let alone both.

But, Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers—it’s a day for love, and we all get to play. No doubt all of us who’ve been coupled on February 14 can recount some disappointments when this special day rolls around. (A boyfriend once became irate that, despite my having slaved all day baking a chocolate bouche, complete with bitter-sweet Belgian chocolate that entailed slogging through sleet and snow across the park to Zabar’s to find it, I was still drying my hair when he arrived. But, I digress.)

Still while it seems that every mouse click in the first two weeks of February turns up hearts, that’s not all that St. Valentine had in mind. In ancient Rome, besides being a day for lovers, the middle of February also marked the official beginning of spring, and after the frigid days we’ve just experienced, is there anyone out there, male or female, single or coupled, not eager to celebrate spring?

Here are some suggestions for celebrating this special day, shared by savvy New York women:

Give your own party. Last year, a bevy of beautiful ladies banded together and threw a bash, and we each brought someone (male) and something (either food or drink). My contribution: three attractive guys, four dozen heart-shaped, pink-frosted, home-baked cookies, the tiny treatise Romance for Dummies as a hostess gift, and a determination to talk to at least three new men. A gorgeous Upper East Side apartment was the venue, and the place was packed with possibilities. Sharing results of meeting three new men is only fair. The first, a fellow runner, was promising; the second reluctantly let it slip that he was the hostess’s date, a no-no in my book. The third, though cute as a button, never called. But they all loved the cookies.

Sprinkle yourself with love. One Valentine’s Day, a couple of close girlfriends decided to treat themselves to a day of love (separate but equal) by booking a day at a midtown spa, having a lovely lunch afterward, and topping it off with Champagne and strawberries at The Mark Hotel.

Send valentines. For many years, I’ve sent valentines to friends, even those who are couples. Finding the right cards, getting my list together and addressing them (before computer labels were de rigueur) were ways to share a special occasion. And showing your friends you care is its own special reward. As the Buddha says, “Give what you’d like to receive.” You will love (and be loved) for doing it. That’s a promise.

Exercise. After exiting my marriage, I continued a tradition of giving a skating party at Wollman Rink and repairing afterward to an apartment off Fifth Avenue for a simple supper of chili, biscuits and cherry pie (yes, the biscuits were heart-shaped). In fact, chili is a good crowd pleaser for any occasion, (Super Bowl Sunday comes to mind) and the recipe below is fool-proof. For the more ambitious among us, the cherry pie is as easy as, well, pie. The hardest part is sourcing the tart cherries. Here’s a reputable purveyor, and it’s not too late to place an order for delivery from King Orchards, located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. www.kingorchards.com phone, 877-937-5464.

Recipes

Three Bean and Beef Chili

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped; (use rubber gloves when handling)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions
Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat.
Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink.Stir in the tomatoes, water, jalapeno, oregano and salt and pepper.
Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes.
Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

3/4 cup milk or diluted evaporated milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons shortening
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Combine flour, baking powder, salt.
Stir to blend well.
Cut in shortening. (You can put flour mixture and shortening in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds or use a pastry blender).
Stir in milk.
Turn out on lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Knead about 1/2 minute.
Roll out 1/2 in. thick. Cut with floured heart-shaped biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet to bake.

Bake 12-15 minutes; yields 12 to 20 biscuits

Cherry Pie

Ingredients

Pastry for double 8-inch pie

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cans pie cherries, drained, reserving ½ cup liquid
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon (about) milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Roll pastry for bottom crust.
Refrigerate pastry for top crust.
Pour drained cherries and reserved liquid into sauce pan.
Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in small bowl. Add to pan.
Add lemon juice and almond extract.
Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens.
Pour into prepared shell.
Dot with ½ inch cubes of butter.
Roll pastry for top crust and place over pie, crimping edges to seal.
Cut 5 slits in top crust to allow steam to escape
Brush top crust with 1 tablespoon milk

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake pie for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking another
45 to 50 minutes.
Serve with vanilla ice cream

Baked Salmon in Lemon and Caper Sauce
Serves 2

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:
1 pound fillet salmon, skin removed
2 teaspoons capers
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Line baking sheet with sheet of parchment or tin foil.
Lay Salmon on parchment or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Cut butter into pieces and sprinkle over fish.
Add capers to lemon juice and pour over fish
Add salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Bake 20 minutes.

Red Potatoes in Olive Oil and Rosemary
Serves 2

Heat oven to 350 degrees

6  to 8 small red or new potatoes
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary, snipped in small pieces

Directions
Wash potatoes well.
Cut each in quarters, leave jackets on.
Toss in bowl with olive oil and snipped rosemary.
Place in shallow pan and bake for 40 minutes.
(If serving with Salmon, potatoes can bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes).
Remove from oven, transfer to bowl, add additional olive oil if necessary.
Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Ingredients
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons Khalua or very strong coffee (expresso powder mixed in 2 tablespoons water)
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
(Optional) Raspberries and extra whipped cream

Directions
Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.
Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth.
Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature.
To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape.
Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks.

Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.
Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes.

If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)
Serves 5-8, depending on the size of the servings.