Valentine's Day Ideas!
Surprise Your Valentine with "Delicious"
February is turning into a busy month!
-The big game is coming tomorrow 🏈
-Valentine’s Day is less than a week away ❤️
-Chinese New Year is in full swing and runs for the next ~8 days 🧧
I sent out a guide for making the tastiest Super Bowl cookout just a couple of days ago so if you are in a bind and need some last minute help, but missed the Substack drop, see below
Tonight I’m dropping a Valentine’s Day guide that has recipes and ideas for you to avoid the madness of eating out on VDay, and enjoying a delicious and intimate meal in your own kitchen and the comfort of your own home.
I just recently did a Valentine’s Day collab with
where I shared a 3 course menu including recipes and steps to make a wonderful and memorable meal. Def go check out his Substack and follow along for dating and masculine life perspectives.Paid Subscribers will recognize some of these recipes
Cuda starts our Collab Substack with a great perspective on conumerism and what Valentine’s Day has morphed into… again, go check out the post (link above)
On top of that… here’s a few more reasons to avoid restaurants on Cupid’s Holiday.
Valentine’s Day menus are notoriously marked up and in most kitchens it’s just a slop and serve affair with bulk prepped dishes plated up and sent out as fast as possible.
Wine?
Expect to pay 3-4X what you could get in a nice wine shop.
Even if you are wealthy the crowds that jam pack the restaurants on VDay should be avoided. It’s called “amateur night” for a reason, so even the best Servers or Captains will be pulled in every which direction so you likely won’t have the best experience.
All of this to say that the best experiences are usually at home… cook something delicious (doesn’t have to be complicated) get a nice bottle of bubbles or wine, throw on some nice tunes and enjoy the company of your sweetheart.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel here.
Build a menu using the following recipes or pick a few to add on to your currently planned menu.
Soups & Starters
Kabocha Squash Soup 🥣
My Favorite Tomato Soup
Potato-Leek Soup
Chestnut & Mushroom Soup 🌰 🍄
Life Changing Hummus
Entree’s
Poultry
Arroz con Pollo 🇨🇺
Chicken Piccata 🇮🇹
Roast Chicken, Seaweed Salad & Furikake 🇯🇵
Lamb
Provençal Lamb Stew 🇫🇷
Lamb Kofta w/Pomegranate Glaze 🐑
Seafood
Ahi Tuna Steaks 🐠
Mediterranean Seafood Stew
Steamed Cod wrapped in Squash Ribbons
Dessert
Chocolate Soufflé
Cherry Blintzes 🍒
The Ultimate Cheesecake
Pear Upside-Down Cake 🍐 🍰
Pears Poached in Red Wine 🍷
Perfect Chocolate Mousse 🍫
Putting it All Together
You can easily use the above list to make an exquisite 3 course meal that blends seamlessly.
A few examples:
Example 1.
Life Changing Hummus
Lamb Kofta with Pomegranate Glaze
Cherry Blintzes
Example 2.
Kabocha Squash Soup
Roast Chicken, Seaweed Salad & Furikake
Pear Upside Down Cake
Example 3.
Chestnut & Mushroom Soup
Chicken Piccata
Chocolate Souffle
Example 4.
Potato & Leek Soup
Steamed Cod Wrapped in Squash Ribbons
Ultimate Cheesecake
Example 5.
Potato & Leek Soup
Provencal Lamb Stew
Perfect Chocolate Mousse
Ok I went on with a few more examples but this is fun 😂 and you get the idea.
All of these recipes are linked in the archives so you have plenty of time to pull up recipes make a grocery list. The soups and most desserts can be made day before! Even the stews.
Hit me up with questions below and sending good vibes for you to have the best Valentine’s Day ever 🙏