14 recipes for valentines day from me 2 u
Cook Eat 004: fourteen recipes for (almost) Valentines day, how I feel about red lighting at restaurants, and one very sexy braised beef n broccoli pot pie
Happy (almost) V-day. My gift to you is 14 of my sexiest recipes, and if you make one you are my Valentine now. That’s actually how it works.
I will be spending my Valentines day weekend in Vancouver visiting a friend, snowboarding, and hiking. For my Valentine evening (on the 14th) I will be cooking my friend and her partner a valentines day dinner to say “thanks for letting me stay with you”.
Why am I telling you that?
The sentiment of Valentine’s day is very sweet — show that special someone how much you love them. Valentine’s-day-haters are thinking “SWEET? A holiday created by corporations looking to make money while putting unnecessary weight on needing a partner”. Sure, I agree. BUT, fun fact: there are infinite ways to show people you love them that does not involve spending money on Valentine’s branded items, and that love doesn’t have to be for a romantic partner, it can be for your friends, your roommate, your parent’s, or maybe the friend you’re staying with in BC. My love language is cooking for people, and since I can’t cook for all of my valentines (that’s you) here are 14 recipes from me 2 u.
-xoxo Maddy
Red lighting @ restaurants?
I recently went to Toronto’s red light district, also known as the oh-so-popular Bar Isabel. This is a staple restaurant in Toronto, they have been open since 2013, and can be easily spotted in photos because the interior is completely red-lit. If you have seen photos of red ham croquettes or red octopus followed by #torontofood — it’s definitely Bar Isabel.
I took a poll on my instagram story asking people how they feel about red lighting at restaurants and 100% of people said it’s a no, and generally, I agree. I do think that red-lighting has a time and a place — see that short list below, but when it comes to a food-focused evening (aka a restaurant), I prefer my lighting yellow, warm, and dim.
HOT VS NOT: Red light edition
Red lighting hot: the third bar on a very good first date, a speakeasy, chinatown karaoke, Amsterdam.
Red lighting not (hot): a first spot on a first date, any food-focused restaurant, family dinner (my bar Isabel dinner was with my parents…), pretty much anywhere except the four places above
This week on Cook Eat 004:
14 Recipes for Valentines Day
Seven Savoury
Seven Sweet
Braised Beef n Broccoli Pot Pie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes (excludes beef braising time)
Serving Size: 6-8 portions