In the restaurant industry, there are two times of the year when you are guaranteed to be busy. The first is Christmas, where it’s party central for a month, and seems to last an eternity. The second is Valentine’s Day.
Having worked in restaurants for the past 14 years, I’ve seen it all on Valentine’s Day. I’ve seen couples break up, I’ve seen men and women stood up, and most commonly, I’ve seen couples who hardly speak at all.
The worst I have witnessed was when a couple had an argument mid-meal and the woman stormed out. Instead of going after her, the man requested that the table was completely reset. He made a phone call and 20 minutes later a different woman walked in and he proceeded to restart his meal as if he didn’t just eat a starter and break up with another person.
If you ask anyone in hospitality about a Valentines story – they will have plenty to share. I personally prefer to work on Valentine’s as it’s always busy. Even if I was off, I’d rather cook a meal at home than go out on that day. I like to keep it simple but interesting for date nights, and these recipes are perfect for a romantic meal.
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The cheese custard is a umami rich dish that can also be presented as a vegetarian main course. The Iberico pork is best served pink in the middle, and the richness of the aligot cuts through the olives beautifully. Cherries can be swapped out for any fruit or berry, and the honeycomb can be stored in airtight containers for months.
Recipe: Grilled leeks, cheese custard, pangrattato
Recipe: Iberico pork, green olive tapenade, aligot and anchovy fried greens
