Valentine’s Without the Price Tag: Cheap Food Rituals that Still Feel Special
Maria Williams provides ideas for an affordable yet still romantic Valentine’s Day meal in.
Image Credit: Vitor Monthay / Unsplash
As we look forward to Valentine’s Day, some of us will be dreaming of warm-toned Italian restaurants, or brightly coloured cocktails in one of Leeds’ hole-in-the-wall bars. Yet buried in early-semester work and drained by the ever-expanding coffee budget demanded by the freezing weather, these dreams can feel more stressful than romantic. In times like these, it is important to remember that Valentine’s Day is about love, not expenses. In the spirit of this, I present to you some deliciously cosy ideas, intended to take the stress off of Valentine’s Day and put the focus back on love.
Share a home-cooked gourmet experience
Try making a three (or more!) course meal together: take responsibility for a couple of courses and keep them a secret until the end. You might find the suspense exciting, or use it as motivation to cook to your full potential. While you garnish French starters, unbeknownst to you, your partner may be on their third crème brûlée attempt. The result is a meal made with effort, and a chance to experiment with culinary techniques. Ingredients can be expensive, but if you happen to be craving gourmet food, this idea might be just right for you.
Paint the town pink
An idea for both a romantic night and the most extra Galentine’s of the year is to really embrace the love heart motif: cut your baked goods or home-cooked snacks into hearts, drench everything in pink dye and go all out on balloons and streamers.
Add some joy to your breakfast toast by pressing little jam hearts into the slices. While this is a simple concept, the further you can take it, the better.
Think of any food, be it Bolognese or Ceaser salad, and make it pink. The goal is either a beautiful creation born out of your love, or a funny memory to look back on next year.
Become food scientists
Search the cookbooks and discover some brand-new dishes. I have listed some ideas below to get you started. Let your weekly shop accommodate the ingredients and then toss the recipe!
- Select an ingredient, then make a spread of smaller dishes, including it in every single one.
- Add a nostalgic twist by choosing dishes from your childhood. Try to remember the steps while you share old memories with the one(s) you love.
- Try making a meal attached to a special memory, such as the pasta you ordered on your first date together, or the tapas from your favourite Spanish restaurant.
Expect lots of mistakes and some frustration, but your finished dish (edible or otherwise) will bring you closer together in the end. Is that not a good metaphor for love itself?
Valentine’s Day comes just once a year, and there is no one way to celebrate. These ideas are some examples of how to make home-cooking just as romantic as a night out in the city. As long as love is at the centre of the night, it really is hard to go wrong.