Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and it is to be spent at home with the girl I love. Staying in means that I am cooking—that’s just the way it goes down in my house. I cook, and Ash eats. She doesn’t eat nearly as much as I do—being that I am twice her size—but she does enjoy a good meal, so it is my job to produce them on a regular basis. I never complain about this arrangement because I honestly enjoy cooking. The question is, what do I cook for dinner? This is an even bigger question when you add the pressure of a ‘holiday’ that is meant to signify love between couples. Let me briefly address said holiday. I play along with Valentine’s Day, and definitely enjoy it. I like holidays in all their forms, primarily because they usually involve the gathering of loved ones and food in some form. In my mind, these are good things. With that said, I think it is important to note that if the actions of February 14th—namely the purchase of chocolate, a card, roses, or jewelry—are required to solidify the idea that the person you are with loves you, an honest assessment of your relationship might be in order.
The funny thing is, I can be my own worst critic as a cook, putting an immense amount of pressure on my shoulders to produce something magical. This is a strange phenomenon, seeing as I know logically that my girl won't love me more or less based on the dinner I cook for Hallmark Day……or will she? See, that is how my brain operates. Is it silly; absolutely. Does it make any rational sense; not a chance. And yet, there is that thought that can well up within my mind, telling me that what I cook won’t be good enough. Is this something unique to me; probably not. Is this isolated to a Valentine’s Day dinner, or is it a larger problem that has pushed people away from the stove, for fear of epic failure? The stunning development to all of this is the realization that I can cook a bit, and in spite of this fact, self-doubt can often rule the day. So what is it like for someone who would like to tackle a special meal, but has little experience in doing so? Probably terrifying, but there is good news on two fronts. One is that take-out could always save the day in the event of total collapse, and two is that most decent hearted people will be more appreciative of the effort than the actual product that ends up on the plate. Believe me when I tell you, not all of my cooking experiments have turned out as gems. I can safely assume that Ash hasn’t loved me any less during any of these debacles. So if you are thinking of attempting to bang out a meal for FTD Day, go for it! If you try it some other time, that’s great too. The point is to give it a whirl, have fun with it, step through your own neurotic fear—I say that as a person who knows self-centered fear on an intimate basis—and try something new.
Let’s go over some rules for a successful V-Day—or any other romantic evening—meal preparation. For starters, don’t go way out of the box on what it is you are attempting to make. Figure out what the person you are cooking for actually likes. This is not the time for creativity and the ‘let’s try something new’ approach to cooking. If the person likes steak, and you do too, then simply go with that. Maybe they are a huge fan of pasta, so that would be a safe choice. You want the meal to be enjoyable in a manner that sets the tone of ease and comfort, where the focus is on the enjoyment of the company as much as the food on the plate. Don’t try a preparation that is terribly complicated on Russell Stover Day, especially if you don’t spend a ton of time in the kitchen. Simplicity is sexy, and often times, highly underrated. Since it is Kays Jewelers Day, it is only appropriate to finish with something sweet. If you aren’t going to have the time, purchase this part of the meal. With very little time you could make up a batch of homemade whipped cream, and serve that with strawberries. Once again, this is very simple, with loads of impact. If you want to craft a dessert, anything with chocolate will fit the occasion nicely, but be sure not to place yourself in a position where you spend the entire night in the kitchen. Don’t make the meal too big of a production, and don’t make the meal too big period. This isn’t a time to stuff yourself and the one you love with too much food.
For Valentine's Day a selection of classic 90’s R&B always fits the bill…………but no one did it like Marvin!
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