Cooking on Valentine’s Day: smart and mouth-watering

Although it may sound trite to say that for me Valentine’s Day is all year round, and yet it is true: I love cooking, I love my husband, so combining the two is very easy for me.

One needs to tease a man’s taste buds, my grandma used to say.  Sayings of yesteryear, no doubt, but even today we cannot underestimate the power of a small recipe, even a very simple one, made with the heart.

When there is time, I make what I need for a relaxing break from the day when I get home. 

The secret for me is to have a well-stocked pantry, so that I have the right ingredients on hand without even getting to the cooker.

So, here’s how quick and easy it is to prepare a slice of toasted bread with a shade of dairy butter and a small anchovy from Cetara, or a ‘drop’ of excellent Parmesan cheese with a drizzle of traditional balsamic vinegar. When I have just 5 minutes more, I blend some dried tomatoes in oil with pitted Taggiasca olives and Pantelleria capers and then spread this delicious creamy sauce on toasted bread or on homemade bread.

And if I want to create something special for Valentine’s Day, I add a nice little bite of sweetness, always quick to make and with no cooking required: I simply melt some dark chocolate in the microwave, wash some strawberries and dip them in the melted chocolate.

A good glass of Vermouth or a Milano- Torino tops it all off and… may it be a Happy Valentine’s Day!