"Love" news and stories

Shun's santoku knife on caramelized onion tart. Photo: Alex Van Buren

Knives. Outside of the full-time food dork world, people -- even foodies -- don't tend to talk about them much.

They have a bad association as, um, dull conversational topics: There's the unwelcome knife salesman banging on the door, or that eternal infomercial ("Only $39.95 in three easy installments!"). I owned a sub-par knife for years, until a friend trained at a local culinary institute basically took it away from me.

I've been shopping ever since with an eagle eye for sales. The santoku style caught my attention for its multiuse blade (note the indentations, which purportedly help keep food from sticking) and stylish look. And when I grabbed a Shun in hand at a local shop -- its base has a slight teardrop shape, perfectly suited to that soft nub between thumb and index finger -- I fell in love.

I realize this topic may be a little more suited to Valentine's Day, but I think we should treat every day as Valentine's Day. Besides, I am a firm believer in the saying that food is love.

Eric over at the Jew and the Carrot was reminiscing with his parents about the home made latkes his mother used to make for his father. This led to the question, posed to readers, of how you might show your love with food. I personally like to make my special chocolate cookies for new boyfriends, and birthday cakes for family and friends. Also, every Christmas I like to make special goody packages for close relatives that live far away.

So, if food is love, how do you show your love?

With only a few days left until Valentine's, we thought that it would be fun to take a look at the role that food can play in our relationships with a little series leading into February 14th. Only one day left in the countdown, now!

If you're looking for a recipe for romance, are you more likely to plan for dinner at home, or to make a reservation at your favorite romantic restaurant? There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. Eating at home will give you control over the food and the atmosphere, both of which can be tailored to your, or your significant other's, tastes. The drawbacks are that you have to do all of the prep work yourself, as well as the cleanup, and you're limited by what you have to work with, which could mean mismatched serving pieces and no espresso after dinner.

In a restaurant, you won't get the kind of privacy that you can enjoy at home and you are limited in your menu options - especially on Valentine's Day when many places offer prix fixe dinners. On the positive side, you are free to focus all of your attention on your dining partner, rather than on cooking and cleanup.

Restaurants are a done deal, but if you do decide to dine in, there are a couple of alternatives to you doing all the cooking and serving. For example, you could consider hiring a personal chef to work for the night, effectively bringing the restaurant home. Alternatively, you could cook with your partner, which will keep you together, engaged and making a very special meal.

Not just any food can be sexy. It is a delicate balance of flavors and textures that can make a person feel sexy when they are eating, but for centuries people have believed that some foods have special properties - properties beyond their obvious flavor qualities - that stimulate the romantic and/or sexual appetite. Basically, science has discounted many (if not all) of the mythological properties of these aphrodisiacs, though it doesn't change the fact that some foods make you feel better than others and Intercourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook presents 85 luscious recipes that present them to their best advantage. It is divided up into sections according to ingredient, including chocolate, avocados, figs, oysters, basil and grapes. Whether you choose to believe that they really to have aphrodisiac qualities or they just make you feel good because of their great taste is up to you, but the recipes are lovely no matter what your beliefs are and include dishes such as Orange Blossom Panna Cotta, Grilled Vietnamese Gingered Beef Rolls, Mexican Hot Chocolate and Strawberry Avocado Salad. The recipes are followed by sections on massage oils, seduction, horoscopes and erogenous oils. Not exactly traditional cookbook fare, but perhaps not a bad way to end a Valentine's meal....

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This toaster seems like it could lead to problems. Sure, the first couple of days you may get a kick out of buttering toast that says:  "I Love You." But what about Day 18? What if you're not particularly happy with your lover and you have to make them a piece of toast? And what happens if you accidentally burn the toast? Perhaps your lover will get suspicious if he or she gets a piece of blackened toast that says "I Love You."  I wouldn't touch this toaster, but I'm sure someone is ordering it right now. It's about $53 via Gadgets.co.uk.

 

 

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