I'm a very lucky man on Valentine's Day. Nena and I don't exchange gifts, we don't do flowers and we don't go out to dinner.
We skip the gifts because there are always much better ways for us to spend money. I don't like to give flowers on the days you're "supposed" to--that's not thoughtful in my book. And, we don't do dinner on Valentine's Day because it's amateur night--restaurants offer over-priced, under-delivering set menus and people who never go out to eat at nice restaurants show up, and it shows.
Instead, we cook for one another to celebrate the Hallmark Holiday.
Usually, Nena makes me my favorite breakfast, he banana-chocolate chip pancakes for dinner on Valentine's Day and then I cook a special meal the following weekend. But, with little Jackson here this year, she made them for me yesterday morning and then I cooked a scaled down meal for dinner. Instead of five or more courses, I just roasted potatoes, cooked some green beans and grilled (in the freezing rain) some strip steaks. I did make a bacon dressing for the beans and some Gorgonzola butter for the steaks, but it was nice to just have a meal together.
This year, of course, we both had a new Valentine, little Jackson, who fell asleep just in time for us to eat. Nena even sipped a little wine last night--a 2000 Tulocay Zinfandel and 2005 Banfi Rosa Regale (with warm brownie sundaes). She only had a couple sips of each, but it was an important bit of normalcy I think.
We opened up a bottle of 2003 Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey Sauternes last night (after some Chateau St. Michele Eroica Riesling, which is definitely my favorite Riesling). I love the NY Ice Wines so much, but had never had a Sauternes before, I just always buy the NYS stuff. This is some serious wine, will have to pick up some more at some point. So different from the NY Ice Wines.
Well, that is, if the 2 inches of ice ever melts off my car!
Posted by: Jeff | February 15, 2007 at 12:52 PM
Hello Lenn,
Those heart shaped pancakes looks and sounds quite yummy! You are right about the trap people fall in – prices are jacked up, wine, even more so, and from experience of being trapped, the restaurants are usually lacking. That din din you prepared sounds anything but scaled down; very nice!
We enjoyed an inexpensive, but nice Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon with some steaks I grilled; came out great.
Jeff, you will be hooked on those wonderful sauternes now! I enjoy them every chance I get.
Dezel
Posted by: Dezel | February 15, 2007 at 08:59 PM
i agree so much with the amateur night assessment. nothing like cooking at home with your sweetie on valentine's day. sadly, our new daughter decided that dinner time was ripe for prime fussiness, but what are you gonna do?
Posted by: Brooklynguy | February 16, 2007 at 05:41 PM