Unless you’re going to dinner with a date, there is absolutely no reason you should set foot in a restaurant on February 14th this year.
Many of us are too familiar with the perils of showing up to your evening reservation only to wait at the door for your table to free up, where you’ll be chewing on complementary bread for too long before receiving your over-priced meal. Sure, eating out saves you from pesky vegetables to chop and no dishes clean up, but is it really worth it to sit in a crowded restaurant with a bunch of couples who might be trying to feign intimacy and romanticism? I don’t think so.
The benefits of cooking at home sometimes outweigh the perks of going out: it’s cheaper, it’s fun to do with your significant other, you get to choose the background music and you could wear your pyjamas if you wanted to. If you stay in, the romantic potential of your evening increases exponentially. You can light as many candles as you want, although the fire hazard is tremendous. You can be romantic without lighting candles though. Slow dance in the living room! Take a bath together! Wash each other’s hair! Feed each other oysters! (Can you tell I’ve never done this before?)
I don’t know how to be romantic, but I do know about cooking and food. Here’s a collection of recipe ideas you can try with your boo on that special evening. I can’t promise you any aphrodisiac miracles, but I can guarantee it will be better than a restaurant experience, because restaurants can become torture chambers on February 14.
Let’s start with salad: just because Valentine’s Day is a special evening doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get your greens! I found this vegan caesar salad by Oh She Glows, a blog that features plant-based recipes. Although a classic caesar salad probably would have done the job just fine, this salad looks more interesting than the classic, boring romaine lettuce and cheese dish. Romaine lettuce and cheese is basically what caesar salad is, right? Maybe not, but you can tell your date about the benefits of veganism while you eat this together! Just kidding don’t do that. Seriously though, this salad isn’t just awesome because it’s vegan, it’s awesome because it has chickpea croutons and kale. Yum. You know what else makes this salad delicious? Cashews (the secret ingredient!) Cashews soaked in water overnight are key to making the creamy dressing, and crushed cashews combined with nutritional yeast (a cheesy and nutty-tasting powder-like product made of deactivated yeast – weird, but delicious) and spices make the perfect vegan replacement to parmesan cheese.
Moving on to the main course: try this braised duck legs and polenta recipe by Bon Appétit Magazine. The recipe takes a little effort and care, but all of that is totally worth it if you want to blow the socks off your date. If you don’t want to commit to making duck legs yourself, Plaisirs Gastronomiques, a Montreal-based ready-made food distributor has a prepared version that is almost as great as homemade duck confit, minus the work. You can just hide the box and tell your date you made them before they arrived (add a dirty apron and flour on your nose for the full effect). I would recommend serving their confit duck legs with these roasted duck fat tarragon potatoes, which make use of leftover duck fat from your cooking pan, by Donna Hay, a talented Australian chef.
Finally, it’s time for dessert. This blueberry clafoutis by Marilou Champagne from the food blog Trois Fois Par Jour is delicious. It’s basically just a huge, thick blueberry crepe. I can’t think of a better combination. Plus, with the freshest winter citrus salad as a topping, the dessert becomes the perfect end (and counterpoint) to the heavier main course.
Enjoy the comfort of your own home by cooking with your date this year. And remember, romanticism doesn’t care if you’re at the nicest restaurant in town or if you’re wearing your prettiest makeup. Romance finds you at your silliest, most vulnerable moments. That moment will arrive when you have duck fat dribbling down your chin while you eat potatoes in your pyjamas, guaranteed.