Valentine’s Day in Red Hook

Yesterday was such a great day. I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing me gush about my fantastic boyfriend, but he’s pretty amazing and it’s hard not to gush! For Valentine’s Day, I got a beautiful bouquet of roses, and woke up to the sounds of J cooking away in the kitchen. He decided to make me Eggs Benedict — only my favorite brunch item in the world. He made his own Hollandaise sauce, cooked some canadian bacon, and even poached some eggs. Very, very impressive undertaking… and now he’s on a mission to master this dish. Works for me!

For dinner, we went to The Good Fork in Red Hook and had such a lovely meal. We took a cab out there, and we were a bit early, so we walked to the water and got to watch a colorful sunset over the East River (and right behind the Statue of Liberty). I love Brooklyn sunsets. The Valentine’s Day tasting menu at The Good Fork was great — very cozy and homey, but upscale enough to feel like a proper celebration. We had everything from oysters to scallops to steak to braised boar. We also got the wine pairing which is something we never splurge on. We enjoyed everything we ate and drank, and we loved the quiet, neighborhood vibe of the place. It looked like there was a nice garden out back, so I’m looking forward to checking this place out again in the summer!

Valentine’s Day Crafts on iVillage

I researched and wrote a Valentine’s Day craft round-up for kids on iVillage’s parenting channel. It’s mostly arts-and-crafts heavy, but there’s this one that is food-related — a fun way to turn your homemade cookies into fantastic Valentine’s treats using CD sleeves from your local office supply store (via Northreads).

See the full slideshow here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone—but especially to my lovely, adorable, and super sweet boyfriend.

Say “I Love You” With Food

There’s just something about that heart-shaped spaghetti that I absolutely adore. I saw these photos on Black*Eiffel, and fell in love. If you’re looking for more cute and clever ways to Valentine-up your dinner, check out the book Valentine Treats.

Valentines Day Plans?

V-day in NYC is rough—you need to call weeks ahead to make reservations anywhere good, and most places have a prix-fix that is too pricey for my budget. So this year J and I decided that we’re going to cook at home and splurge on special ingredients—probably 2 lobsters (if we can scrounge up one of those giant pots to boil in), maybe some oysters, and the bottle of wine that I brought home from one of my favorite wineries that I visited in Mendoza, Argentina.

So, what are your romantic plans? If you haven’t scheduled anything yet, check out Grub Street’s Guide to Valentines Day—they’ve got a rundown of restaurants owned by couples, with recipes for their romantic dishes; picks for the best chocolatiers, wine stores, and dessert spots; and even a few things not directly related to food.

Photo via.