Valentine’s Dinner at Home

Twelve years ago – 12!! – Joshua and I celebrated our very first Valentine’s dinner. I remember that was my second Valentine’s ever when I actually had a date  – much less a boyfriend – on the day for lovers. I was soooo excited.

 

Jami, my roommate and now an accomplished Air Force pilot and flight instructor, helped me do my makeup, and she probably let me borrow one of her much sexier tops, since I was still discovering my… uh…  well anyway. Nothing that silicone can’t help.

 

Ahem.

 

Joshua and I had talked about driving up to Santa Barbara to go to dinner somewhere on the beautiful boardwalk and take a romantic walk down said boardwalk. (If you haven’t seen it, you really should. You can get glimpses of it – and Vancouver’s waterfront – on the TV show Psych) He picked me up right on time, and we drove… to his apartment.

 

He had kicked out his roommates for the evening (okay, they probably had dates?) and cooked this incredible Shrimp Alfredo on Linguini, fresh asparagus, and garlic bread.

 

Legend goes that he had asked several neighbors – girls who lived in the apartment next door – how to prepare the menu, and a sorority sister of mine asked me a few days later how it had turned out, since she had attempted to give him some advice.

 

Who cares how it turned out? It was such a special dinner, and it turned out to be the start of some really great meals that we have shared together. I actually don’t remember well how the dinner really tasted – it’s a pretty classical combination of garlic and cream, so you can probably imagine it as well as I can. To his credit, Joshua did a great job, despite the fact that I suspect he used a Knorr packet and the asparagus had sat in the cooking water while he drove to pick me up.

 

Since then, we haven’t spent a whole lot of Valentine’s dinners together. Sometimes it was because I was on the other side of the pass, so to speak, and was trying to keep up with the prix fixe menu. Other times, it was because I was probably supposed to plan the dinner  – we like to trade off years of responsibility – and I’d probably procrastinated.

 

This year, though, since we couldn’t get the reservation we actually wanted (Kestrel Winery in Woodinville), we are going to recreate the dinner, sort of. 

 

We’ll make our own (real) Alfredo sauce, and I’ll blanch the asparagus rather than steep it. We’ll also have to adapt the pasta and garlic bread components to gluten-fee versions. We’re looking forward to a romantic night IN (you’re welcome, my industry friends), and if you haven’t already made dinner reservations, you could too.

 

Check out what our friends from Whole Foods Market sent to get your ideas flowing:

 

Want to make your Valentine’s date night sizzle? This weekend, February 13 to 15, at your local Whole Foods Market save $5 on our classic surf-n-turf special; featuring two savory New York Strip Steaks and two 5-6 oz. Lobster Tails.

If you want some tips preparing your surf-n-turf, try this delicious recipe for Herb-Roasted Lobster and Steak. This decadent and filling combination features dry-aged beef alongside juicy lobster tails, all topped with homemade herb butter. We split the lobster tails in half for easy and elegant serving after they’re cooked.

Oh, you’re eating out you say? Fear not! Give the kids and babysitters a tasty meal by saving 50% on BOGO take n’ bake pizzas Saturday, February 14 only. 

Looking for a fun activity to keep the kids and babysitters entertained while you’re out? Let them customize their own pizzas! Choose a cheese pizza and add your own toppings. We’ve put together a few suggestions below:

• Hawaiian: Canadian bacon and pineapple chunks

• Cheeseburger: Ground beef, cheddar cheese, onions, add sliced pickles after baking

• Potato bacon: Thinly sliced red potatoes, crumbled bacon, green onions, olive oil

• Or have the kids channel traditional Italy (and get those greens in) with a pizza insalata: build a salad on top of a cheese pizza! 

 

 

 

And if you do nothing else, make sure you hug someone you love and share a bite together.