"romantic meals" news and stories

Me and romance are not the best of bedfellows so writing a 'my most romantic meals' type of post was a bit of a struggle. Viewing a few occasions as my most joyful memories where the combination of company, location and timing were more important than the food or the drink helped...  Incidently both people associated with these memories have long since departed. Sad aint it.

During my travels a touch down in the old Portuguese colony of Macao resulted in an distinctively average meal in a terraced restaurant with the most wonderful view - a glorious sunset over the bay spread out below. I forget the name of the hotel but recall it was outside the main town. I shudder at the thought but the drink was Mateus Rose. A time well before I knew anything about wine.

Despite my infatuation with spectacularly prepared and expensive restaurant meals, I think I find more romance in the best of my home-made meals, or bits of fabulously good food eaten simply on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

4. I was very pregnant for our last wedding anniversary - I ended up going into labor the next morning, in fact. But I bought good steak, mushrooms, greens and potatoes, and made my very favorite dessert: a nearly-flourless french chocolate cake. I chopped and melted chocolate, I whisked, I baked, I sauteed and mixed balsamic vinegar for the dressing, all in my most comfortable maternity clothes. I drank a little Spanish wine for the occasion and we toasted to our growing family on our living room couch.

3. I can't remember the wine I selected for the evening but it was surely Spanish, and pink, a rioja I think. My husband stopped at our favorite gourmet market and bought blue cheese, olives, pepperoni. I had organic grape tomatoes, porcini mushrooms and baby artichokes from the farmer's market. I sauteed the mushrooms in lots of butter and prepared a gigantic platter of tapas. The boys fell asleep and we sat on the back porch, eating with our fingers and sipping pink wine under the summer moon.

Breakfast in bed for no reason at all - I surprised my girlfriend one Sunday morning with a breakfast of griddle cakes with clotted cream and homemade Meyer lemon marmalade (above), sausages and orange juice. I'm not sure what made me get up early and decide to do it. I think, partly, it was because a large serving tray was left out on our counter from the night before and it just begged to have breakfast in bed served from it. (OK, so the marmalade was homemade, it just wasn't my home.)

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]

I firmly believe that artichokes are one of the most romantic dishes you can serve up. And if your relationship is anything like mine, your sweetheart is a little - or even a lot - afraid of the prickly armored artichoke. There's something that seems magic about peeling it, leaf by leaf, until you expose its delicious heart. And there's unspeakable romance in the slowness of it all. The best things, if you  remember, come to those who wait.

Artichokes are so easy, though, anyone can make them (even if you are the culinary scaredy-cat in your relationship). I chop off the stem about one or 1/2 inch from the base of the choke and then peel off any leaves that are very discolored, teensy, or tough. If you're into the presentation, you can use a big strong serrated knife to cut through the top 1/4 or so of the artichoke, there you go, just slice it all off! Stick several (I like three or four medium-sized artichokes for the two of us - it's no good to be left wanting) in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes, until you can easily pull a bottom leaf off.

My husband likes the leaves with mayonnaise but I eat them with melted butter and lemon juice (lots of salt) or, for a pink garlicky treat, romesco sauce.

What is the most romantic place you've ever eaten? My number one romantic food memory was sans sweetheart, in a centuries-old hunting lodge in Varese, Italy. It was my friend Aliza's wedding reception, and my dinner companions were an assortment of PhDs, older couples and the other single women who'd travelled to Italy for the occasion. Naked, Rubenesque women frolicked on the ceilings and the warm summer air wafted through the great halls. We ate fried sage leaves and gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce and veal and two desserts and afterward danced with shy Italian men in the ancient stone courtyard. Everything smelled of honeysuckle and everyone drank good, good wine and thought of nothing but love.

Over the next week, each of our writers will be counting down their favorite places to combine love and food, whether it be a mountaintop and homemade trail mix or a restaurant that only serves tasting menus. Maybe it will inspire your plans for this Valentine's Day with your sweetheart, or maybe it will inspire you to find Mr. or Ms. Good Enough To Take There. What are your most romantic places?