Pandemic Valentine’s Day number two… are we having fun yet?Some folks will be heading to restaurants for romantic, socially-distanced dinners (oh, life these days is filled with oxymorons). But many of us will be hunkering down at home, celebrating our partnerships, or friends or roommates, as best we can.
One way to make the day feel special is to think about your favourite foods and then take things up a notch.
Splurge on a higher-end ingredient than usual; treat yourself to something you might not normally cook at home.
If a high-end steak dinner is your dream Valentine’s Day meal, bring it on home. Try dry, aged and hand-cut meats. Maybe get a couple of perfect rib-eyes, or try lobster.
[caption id="attachment_939324" align="alignnone" width="524"] If a high-end steak dinner is your dream Valentine’s you can try lobster. AP Photo[/caption]
Perhaps a splashy sushi meal is what you crave? You can try a DIY dinner kit with fresh fish, expertly prepared sushi rice, and seaweed and a bamboo bat for rolling (you can add other items that like caviar, lobster, crispy rice cakes and more).
Speaking of caviar…. there are many kinds, from the extravagant to the affordable. You can serve it simply on some blini or little toasts with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream. Or dollop it on top of a simple pasta dish, or perhaps some scrambled eggs.
The way to some people’s hearts is cheese. Stinky, creamy, crumbly, delicate, funky cheese. Some of have a major crush on the cheeses.
A splashy Valentine’s Day breakfast is another way to go. Elevate your eggs with a few strips of crispy, upscale bacon.
Top-of-the-line cooking ingredients might include a fancier bottle of olive oil or balsamic vinegar.
[caption id="attachment_939325" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Roasted red dpepper pasta.[/caption]
But let’s talk about butter, because, well, butter. Supermarket butters are A-OK for everyday cooking and baking, but once you dip a toe into the world of cultured or European-style butters, you can really note the difference.
If you have a thing for Asian food and condiments, you know chilli crunch has been the darling of the seasoning world for a while. It’s an amazing addition to stir fries and other recipes, but also has been a cult favourite when used in unusual ways (on top of ice cream? Yes!).
Forget the basic supermarket soy sauce for a moment – shoyu sauces (Japanese-style soy) are having a renaissance.
Even “humble” ingredients can be upgraded. For instance, bean lovers know heirloom beans are creamier and more flavourful than most dried beans you can get in a supermarket.
[caption id="attachment_939326" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sushi[/caption]
Excellent pasta is another reasonable luxury – those extra few dollars can make a huge difference. Tagliatelle, fettucine, spaghetti with cuttlefish ink — whatever re
