A Little Gastric Romance
Originally Posted in 2013
This Valentines Day passed by me by without much ado on my part. It’s not that I have anything against the holiday, I just haven’t been in proximity to my valentine for the past 4 years when the date occurred. Kind of a downer. So I’ve learned to celebrate having a valentine in a different way, or rather not to wait for a holiday to show him those graces.
Now my valentine and I have a funny relationship where our conversation can be kind of limited. His work is confidential, and I don’t really feel like discussing fantasy football stats 24/7. So we’ve found common ground in something be both love and never tire of deliberating. Food.
Meal planning, cooking together, finding new flavors to play with, it’s all fair game. So when I think of doing something for my valentine to show him how much I care, I know he’d appreciate a well laid out meal more than a card he’ll look at once then never again. Ok, he might appreciate a new X-Box game more than a meal, but that’s not as much fun for me.
Soon my valentine and I will be reunited after more than 4 months of being apart, so I have some planning to do. Let’s break down some romantic dinner clichés – true, but tired and overdone – and find a new way to gustatorily say, “I love you.”
Meal Cliché 1: Oyster Appetizers.
Oysters are considered to be an aphrodisiac, which in my opinion is entirely dependent on your liking of oysters. In my case raw oysters are a taste I’ve acquired over time, but the texture, the saltiness or the difficult to open shells can be off-putting. So save yourself the hassle (unless your valentine truly loves oysters) and try something like this:
Spicy Three Pepper Humus: Chickpeas are said to have similar aphrodisiac properties, and you can feed one another bites served on pita.
Meal Cliché 2: Steak Dinner.
A beautifully cooked steak is always a good choice, but we’re going for non-traditional here. Instead of paying for beef that may cost anywhere from $20-$30 a pound (we’re guessing you appreciate your valentine enough to splurge) look for an affordable cut of tuna, and season it like this:
Grilled Salt & Pepper Tuna: Tuna is flavorful and versatile in cooking. Plus, it’s packed with omega-3 oils for heart health. Your valentine will love that.
Meal Cliché 3: A Heart-box of Chocolates for dessert.
Thankfully my valentine loves chocolate as much as I do, so I would never suggest forgoing a box of chocolates altogether. I would not recommend, however, that they be served as your main dessert fare. You’ve begun the evening brilliantly, and now you need to end with a flourish. May I suggest a little flame? In the dessert, I mean. What’s better than hunting for caramels and truffles in a box? Dipping caramels, and strawberries, and pretzels, and most everything in Melted Chocolate Fondue.
Meal Cliché 4: Champagne.
Not all cliches are bad. Keep this one. Definitely.
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As you excitedly start writing in ingredients to your shopping list for your own romantic dinner, here are a few things to remember to enhance the evening:
Plan ahead. Some of your items may take more prep work than you expect; chilling overnight or a couple extra ingredients to chop and sauté. Preparation goes a long way for proper timing, as you want your dish elements to finish simultaneously. No one likes a lukewarm side dish with a piping hot protein. So don’t look for complicated recipes: your dreams to impress can easily fail if all your attention is spent sweating over the details, barely leaving time to enjoy the meal.
Finish with intention, that is, have a transitional plan for after dinner. After eating a glorious meal and having (hopefully) a great conversation, you don’t want to break the atmosphere by blankly asking, “Now what?”. Have a suggestion ready if you haven’t already made plans for later. You could have a glass of wine in the next room to continue that brilliant discussion, or try a new card game your friend recommended. It will show your dinner partner that you enjoy spending time with them, making you look good.
Lastly, don’t sweat the small details. Some things are bound to go awry even if you’ve scheduled your steps down to the minute. Remember that you’re trying to have a good time, so don’t bog yourself with too much pressure. The fact that you’re cooking dinner in the first place already has you way ahead in the brownie points.
Note: brownies are also great to dip in fondue…