Please welcome my editor, Leanne Burroughs, of Highland Press Publishing! She’s here today to give us hints on ways to make our Valentine’s Day a happy one. A lucky commenter will receive a copy of her fabulous anthology, RECIPE FOR LOVE! Isn’t that a gorgeous cover?! 
Happy Day Before Valentine’s Day!!! Tomorrow is a day that makes everyone think of love. And everyone thinks of love in different ways. Some think of romance, others think loss. For those of you who have loved and lost the person you love, I send you hugs and prayers. For those of us blessed enough to still have the love of our lives, there are several things that come to mind—candy, flowers, food.
Whoa… Did I really just say food? Yep. I sure did. And while eating out at a fancy restaurant can certainly be fun, in today’s economy not everyone can really afford that. But never fear. Valentine’s Day is about spending time with your loved one, and you don’t have to break the bank to make that happen. Food—and spending time with that special person—doesn’t have to be eaten at a fancy restaurant or be expensive. Just put on your thinking caps and maybe think of one of your favorite meals. While your significant other may not be a gourmet chef and do the cooking for you, you can put on your chef’s hat and make that meal for the person you love the most. Simple and easy or all-out elegant. Whatever makes you feel comfortable is what you should go for.
A few years back, several authors put their heads together and thought up the perfect combination for an anthology. Ever the romantics, we based our stories around the love of cooking—or people who wanted to cook, but really couldn’t (and shouldn’t!). We called the book RECIPE FOR LOVE and it was an awesome project. (Check out Highland Press Publishing’s page for the book.)
Not only do I feel we came up with an awesome anthology with stories to please most every taste, we all included recipes at the end of our stories. Definitely a win-win situation for everyone. We had a blast doing it and readers not only got a great romance anthology, but they also were given recipes to please every discerning palate.
The tag line for the book was definitely appropriate: Through the ages, sage advice has been handed down from mother-to-daughter that the way to win a man’s heart is through his stomach. Fifteen talented authors set out to prove Mama knows best by cooking up a storm.
I hope you’ll decide to do just that. Prepare a meal that you personally love. Or, if you know what your loved one’s favorite meal is, make that. You don’t have to be a gourmet to set a beautiful table. All it takes is a little effort. Maybe nothing more than romantic candles. I’ll bet the love you put into the meal will shine through and make the day special for everyone.
If you’d like to get some great recipes to add to those you already have—not to mention a fabulous collection of romance stories—I hope you’ll grab a copy of RECIPE FOR LOVE. You can buy a print version from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or, you can purchase an e-book version either from Kindle or Nook.
I hope you’ll drop me a note at The.Highland.Press@gmail.com and let me know what you thought of both the stories and the recipes! If you’d like to order an autographed copy, please let me know that, too.
Once again, happy day before Valentine’s Day. I hope your day will be happy and blessed.
Leanne
Love and food. What a great combination.
Thanks for the great ideas, Leanne! I was trying to figure out what to do for all my guys for Valentine’s Day and your suggestion to set the table inspired me. We haven’t all sat at the table for dinner since Christmas. Of course, it’s rare when everyone’s home together at supper. So, for whoever who happens to be here, dinner will be served at the table – complete with lit candles! I think I’ll make a 9 x 13 cake, cut it into 4 individual cakes and decorate one for each of my guys.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours!
I want to say it was Nick Munier (or perhaps it was Marco Pierre White) who basically trashed the concept of going out for a romantic dinner at a restaurant on Valentine’s. I want to say it was Nick, because he is a Maitre d’ in Ireland, and he sees what happens with the tables in his restaurant from the front.
Basically, he hates Valentine’s day, because the clientele he gets on that night are all couples, which means that the tables are not filled anywhere near to capacity during a seating (not to mention the logistical nightmares he has to go through with scheduling). This means that the restaurant is not making as much money as they could, which is never a good thing.
Now, how this plays into what you are served on Valentine’s, when there is very often a “special” menu for that night? Well, YMMV (your mileage may vary) depending on the restaurant, but this sort of thing should be kept in mind.
Frankly, I love Lis’s approach to the concept, making it a family dinner at home is never a bad thing. Get the kids in the kitchen helping out with one of the items they will be eating, even if it is a simple dessert!
This ties in beautifully with a quote I came across earlier today from Anthony Bourdain, which I am sure a couple of Chicklets saw me post on FB:
Grr…. the cite feature broke…
“But I do think the idea that basic cooking skills are a virtue, that the ability to feed yourself and a few others with proficiency should be taught to every young man and woman as a fundamental skill, should become as vital to growing up as learning to wipe one’s own ass, cross the street by oneself, or be trusted with money.” –Anthony Bourdain