Valentine’s Day: In or Out?

What’s a food lover to do on Valentine’s Day – especially when it falls on a Friday?

On the one hand, you know it would be nice to go out to dinner, particularly if you’re a couple and date night doesn’t come around as frequently as you’d like.  On the other hand, as an informed eater, you know that Valentine’s Day may well be the absolute worst day to go to a restaurant (closely followed by Mother’s Day).  It’s crowded, the kitchen staff are stressed, the V-day “specials” have likely been lying around for hours to  help with advance prep for the rush.

Should you, as a couple, decide to eat in, any number of cookbooks will offer advice on cooking for two, from the dewy-eyed Just Married and Cooking to that steamy favorite, InterCourses.  Eating in will work great if you agree about the menu, neither of you minds pitching in with the dishes, and neither of you is territorial about the kitchen.  If so, who needs Valentine’s Day?  Celebrate your perfect coupledom any old day!

The safer route is probably buying stuff, which is somehow satisfying whether you’re getting something lovely for yourself (always recommended for singles on Valentine’s) or for somebody else.  That’s why, I’m going to spend Thursday making Valentine’s cookies (see pic above).  Some people buy jewelry, some people buy chocolates, but this year a few of my friends have put in orders for my once-a-year Valentine gingersnap hearts.  Well, twice-a-year this year – I made an extra batch for an NPR Kitchen Window story that will be running this week.

Anyway, there will probably be leftovers on Friday.  And Randy and I will probably make some noises about going to a movie or something, but then we’ll probably just flop on the couch and watch Foyle’s War or Downton Abbey, and we’ll definitely eat the cookies.  For me, that’s a perfectly fine Valentine’s.  How about you?