"valentines" news and stories

What did it mean to be going steady in 1948? On Valentine's Day, it might have meant snuggling up to your sweetheart in the front seat of a two-tone Pontiac, listening to Dinah Shore on the radio and opening an embroidered cardboard box from Schraft's to reveal a massive pound cake painted with pink-and-white frosting.

Wrapping up one's affections in a heart-shaped box tied with a big red bow has been common Valentine's Day practice since the late 19th century, but chocolate's a relatively recent addition to the love-struck holiday scene. Before the advent of affordable, mass-produced chocolate treats, most celebrants made do with an array of other sugary confections, including marshmallows, candied cashews, jellied fruit, honey glycerin drops, butterscotch chips, coconut strips, caramels, toffee and pound cakes.

"Boxes of sweetness will sell whether they are advertised or not," a New York Times marketing columnist decreed in 1965, summarizing the inseparability of sweet treats and Valentine's Day.

There may be things that are more romantic than breakfast in bed, but making one for your Valentine is a gesture that is sure to be repaid many times over. If you add in the heart-shaped fried eggs that Cut out and Keep to your Valentine's Day breakfast, it's going to be one that will make the record books. These eggs are made by simply placing a lightly greased metal cookie cutter in the center of your frying pan and cracking an egg right into it. A bit of the yolk might leak out around the edges, but that can be cleaned up when the white is firm by gently pressing the cookie cutter down. The rest of the egg should come right out of the greased cutter. Serve with toast or make heart-shaped toads -in-the-hole by using the same cookie cutter to remove heart-shaped pieces from toast slices, then just slide the egg into place.

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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.

As unbelievable as it may sound, not everyone owns a heart-shaped cookie cutter. So, when the need for Valentine's Day baking looms, what are the non-heart-shaped-cookie-cutter-owners to do?

Make any sort of chocolate chip cookies. No one ever has issue with a chocolate chip cookie to be sure, but to make it all the more pink and pretty and valentine-y, sandwich a loving scoop of perfectly pink strawberry ice cream between two cookies. Nothing suggests "love" and "romance" more than two things in a sticky, gooey, creamy embrace. *rowr*

Not sure when the tradition of giving Plum Shuttles originated but they hail from the weaving and lace making areas of Rutland - hence the buns shaped like weavers' shuttles. I have heard that carraway seeds are sometimes used in the recipe. Not in this one though -

Valentine Buns - Plum Shuttles

• 450g Plain Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 tbsp dried yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 50ml warm water
• 50g butter
• 125ml milk
• 1 egg
• 255g currants