Oh, yes, Ladies and Gentlemen all, it is Valentine’s Day. At least, here in the good old US of A, where we constantly rebel against being told what to do and how to live our lives but are terrible sticklers for traditions that may or may not even suit our beliefs and needs. Now, celebrating the life–and, let’s face it, not-so-charming-to-celebrate death, since 14 February recognizes the officially accepted date of the martyrdom of St. Valentine by clubbing and beheading–of a possible whole group of Christian martyrs, who all have become conflated in the popular mind as one really nice guy who pitied and assisted the lovelorn, all of that is a matter of personal belief and taste, to be sure. Celebrating the highly adapted holiday of Valentine’s Day is one as well: as it’s been popularized, it’s a day for telling people we love them, filling them up with romantic food and drink and notions, showering them with flowers and sparkly gifts, and paying homage to our love in generally showier ways than usual.
There, my friends, is the rub where this stubborn old lady is concerned. I’m not really as curmudgeonly as all of this sounds however arguable my crankiness is on other topics. It’s just that I feel mighty strongly that if the love isn’t expressed on a fairly constant basis, in (as one might say) thought, word and deed, it means nothing whatsoever on Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, a birthday, or any other celebratory occasion no matter how the gifts and gooey treats are piled up and the lyrical words flow. It’s got to be the real, the every single day sort of deal, or it’s so much useless fluff.
That said, I am among the biggest mush-meisters inhabiting the supposed real world, never tiring of being madly in love with the one person who’s crazy and silly enough to love me back in equal extremity. When we’re sitting at our respective desks down the hall from each other–which we have positioned conveniently so we can see each other across the way while working and maybe sneak a wink for no better reason than that after more than 16 years we still have a school-kid crush on each other–we are both inclined to chirp I Love Yous back and forth at intervals just because we actually do. He cheers me up when I’m feeling low and cheers me on when I’m flagging, chauffeurs me because I’m not fond of driving, works long hours to keep our accounts balanced, and tells me I’m smart and pretty like he really believes it.
So I am delighted to make a favorite dinner for him on Valentine’s Day. Appropriately enough, I can operate on the K.I.S.S. [Keep It Simple, Stupid] principal on this day of romantic silliness, because he likes things unfussy. So all he gets is a slab of tender, untrimmed Texas filet mignon, skillet seared in butter with salt and pepper (my blend of black, white, green and pink peppercorns and whole cloves) and a pinch of ground coriander, a handful of fresh-cut Romaine lettuce and some juicy tomato pieces and a few ripe strawberries, a flute of South African bubbly, and a piece of dark chocolate with toasted almond bits and crunchy salt in it. Couldn’t be easier. No recipes, no muss, no fuss, and because I made big steaks, we both have enough left over for steak and eggs in the morning.
Because romance is not a one-day deal, and expressing love should be the most important practice of the everyday. Bon appetit!
Art-Colored Glasses 
It should be the most important part of everyday! You are right! I just like the excuse to go into a sugar coma from all of the chocolate 😉
Believe me, me dear, I believe equally strongly that the chocolate coma should be an everyday thing too!! 🙂
Now, that is my kind of V Day dinner (note: it only merits a ‘V’ in my house!)! We don’t do the whole V thing in my home, though I will admit that it isn’t my choice, however I was quite shocked today to find a card and heart shaped box of chocolates on the table for me for the first time in about 12 years — I think it may have had more to do with the fact that the spousal unit started smoking again today and wanted to be in my good graces (!?) than it had to do with V Day. It’ll be back to the status quo come February 14th, 2013! I think I need a bit of my chocolate medication now…
My experienced soul tells me there is very little in the known universe that chocolate meds can’t cure. 😀
I’m drooling.
Sometimes the easiest is the tastiest for the occasion! 😉
” … expressing love should be the most important practice of the everyday.” Amen!
Hope you & The Conductor had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, Kathryn.
We did, thank you–ending it with music, of course: a doctoral student’s conducting recital, concluding with a set from the Brahms Zigeunerlieder, and how could I not love some over-the-top JB gypsy songs on a day of romance!
It is wonderful to hear of another couple as in love as my hubby and I – AWESOME! I agree, love is an everyday thing and there are numerous times in one day that I tell my husband that I love him, for all eternity.
🙂 Mandy
Lucky, lucky us!!! I’m so glad for you two, too.
xoxoxo
Kathryn
. Like yourself, I like love. And I love that picture of the steak. One of the best I’ve seen. Wouldn’t mind eating it right now. Thanks for a very appropriate post.
Well, now, I guess I’ll just have to put steak on the menu for when we meet! (Is it not, after all, meet to meet over meat?) 🙂
I feel mighty fortunate to be surrounded by so many important kinds of love–spousal, yes, but also familial, communal, spiritual . . . it makes the world make so much more sense, and makes it more tolerable when it *doesn’t* make sense too.
Thats a nice piece of meat, I like that you add strawberries to it the flavour combination would be good. I love mixing meats with fruits, specially steaks
Yes, besides their both being holiday-appropriate red fruits, the tomatoes and strawberries both have bright-sweet-acid qualities that complement the beef very nicely and keep the meal from feeling too one-note or heavy.
Three cheers for what you say here! Am so glad that you and The Conductor still wink at each other and say “I love you” becuase you do – Big Man and I are the same…every day we should tell each other, it´s important, it´s wonderful! PS. Fabulous steak!
I forgot to say that I deglazed the pan with a splash of Jack Daniel’s (which I find picks up all of the fond ever so nicely and gives just a *hint* of sweetness to the steak). It *was* a terrific tender piece of meat. 🙂
I’m delighted that you and Big Man share this kind of life-affirming love too. We are so very fortunate, all of us who have such a gift. I can’t imagine how I managed all of those years before discovering it! 😉
Love isn’t about foofy heartshaped boxes or sparkly bobs for your ears…
It’s cleaning up the kitchen because your parner is exhausted – even though you did all the cooking.
Happy V-Day, you silly lovebirds! 😀
And I hope that you and yours had a stupendously lovely V-Day yourselves!!! I know that you know what real love is better than most, and that is a great thing indeed. 😀
xoxoxo
I could not agree more, simple is best. What a lovely post and dinner!! I love that you still have a kid crush romance!!
I must say, the kid crush is ever so much more fun as a slightly regressive “adult” than as a cow-eyed kid. 🙂 But I’m grateful as much for R’s being a person who values all sorts of love with his family and friends in addition to that with his spouse, because then it’s easier to feel a wholeness in our own relationship.
xoxo
I needed that reminder this morning. Even after 34+ years that idea of everyday “romance” is still very important. Most of it can be seen and felt in our everyday actions. Thanks
I think perhaps the garden is a particular inspiration for that very concept, in my book: it only flourishes and blooms and produces in its full beauty when tended constantly and with care.
Happy Valentine’s Day (belated, but still: an everyday thing!) to you and *your* Kathryn! 🙂
Love the sentiment of being kind and occasionally exchanging random “I love you’s” and surreptitious winks just because you can, and having an authentic appreciation for each other. The simplicity of the meal, coupled with the eye-appeasing colorful palette, sounds like a real winner. Glad to hear you enjoyed the day with your Conductor, and that you even had some leftovers for the morning meal. Well done.
Thank you, my dear. Now, for what to fix for *this* evening’s dinner! 😉
The photos made me hungry, and the post filled my soul.
Well, if I can’t fill your stomach, the least I can do is work on the soul. 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed it, Terri. 🙂
I can be equally curmudgeonly about this much-ado-about-what-should-be-normal holiday. Far better to wink across the room on a regular basis and tip a glass of bubbly together now and then.
And it was a pretty good bubbly, too 🙂 . A dolce, something I’d not thought of trying before, but since with the sweet tomatoes and strawberries it seemed we were having dessert for dinner, I thought Why Not, and it worked surprisingly nicely–even with the steak. Who knew!
Wholeheartedly agree Kathryn, love should be an everyday thing. We do NOT need Mr. Hallmark instructing us on when or with what words we express love to our mates or to our families. (How would HE know better than We?) Don’t need those flowers, trinkets or flashier gifts. Give me an arm across the shoulder, a rough and calloused hand to hold, a long and knowing look, patience when I’m insufferable, an encouraging word when I beat up on myself, and i have all I need to KNOW deep in my bones and deep in my soul that I am loved.
All that being said, a hand-made love note or a bouquet stretched out in my husband’s hand and a dinner to linger and talk over is mighty good with me. Feb 14 or Sept 2 or any other day it happens.
We should all learn to practice such Random Acts of Romance, no? 😀
xoxo
Smiles, from one happy lover to another!
And right back at you! So glad you get to share in the joy!!
xo
The pictures, the words always whet my appetite. Lovely.
And luckily for persons like you and me, chocolate’s included!!
wonderful post
Thank you kindly, Dianne!