February 12, 2008
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The 14th of February is never just the day after the 13th or the one before the 15th. It’s Valentines Day, and for better or worse, Hallmark and friends have managed to turn Cupid’s day into a nightmare for singles and an overpriced wallet-emptying dining experience for couples. While I’m a fan of restaurants most every night of the week, I’m not really so fond of them on Valentine’s Day. In general, I find most are opportunistically jacking up prices and overloading their menus with “romantic” ingredients, which curiously tend to include the most expensive products available to chefs -- caviar, truffles, and foie gras. Who knew duck liver spelled romance? So, it’s probably no surprise that the best Valentine’s dinner I had was one that did not involve a restaurant. It was the one my boyfriend (now fiancé) made for me last year.
Before I tell you about the meal, let me explain something about the fiancé. Craig is a guy’s guy. His nights and weekends, depending on season, are defined by football, baseball, and college basketball. His idea of cooking is making coffee (and that’s something he’s still reluctant to do). His first choice for dinner out used to be the bar he watched said previously mentioned sports. So a gourmand he’s not.
