Valentine’s Day is a day filled with cards, flowers, romantic dinners, chocolate desserts, and champagne. Oh, not for me. For other people. Some people get lots of candy and pastries cut into fancy heart shapes. Not me. Not anymore. All past attempts to get in the holiday spirit fall flat so trust me when I say its best this way.
This year I am content surfing around the ‘net checking out the pretty pastries and crafts everyone ELSE is posting today. (I never knew Red Velvet Cake was still as popular and as controversial as ever? Note to self: turn this into an ice cream.) Everyone really got their inner Martha on today and I’m oh so happy for all of them. I’m also happy for those who bought Williams Sonoma stock as profits on hear-shaped pastry cutters, brownie pans, and dishes, must be high.
My Valentine’s-recovery therapy depends on complete and total abstinence from even the tiniest trappings of Valentine preparation and dining. My support group insists that when I see anything heart shaped I am to just say ‘no, thank you’ and move along.
So no cute food for me today. This means no salmon cream on heart shaped toasts like those I made for “W” the night he decided to break up with me in 1994. He came crawling back later only to break up with me again and crawl back again, etc. etc. Oh, and I certainly won’t be making any heart-shaped raviolis with pink vodka cream sauce for my man tonight. No siree. Too many memories of my first love Dr. Frank and night he…. no, I’ll save that story for another year. The raviolis are impressive (and easy)Valentine’s Day cooking but I won’t be making them tonight.
I won’t even cop to my mom’s recipe for a Coeur a la Creme. Tonight I would even refuse a glass of my favorite: blush champagne. My recovery requires a very serious Valentines embargo.
(He gets a card but that’s it. Maybe.)
If I am to be seen at any restaurants on Valentines is to go out for a greasy hamburger with a single friend. No rushed dinner seating after work for the pleasure of noshing on an overpriced prix fixe menus and a mediocre chocolate souffle for dessert. I’ll rush home to cook a gourmet meal any other night of the year if that is what he wants. But not this night. Please don’t ask.
Last Year’s post only scratched the surface of my previous Valentine suffering. V-Day for me more often than not has involved degrees of ridicule, shame, argument, intense awkwardness, restraining orders, car accidents, burglary, exposure to communicable diseases, and vomit.
Good times. The kind that turned my Valentines foibles into great fodder for my friends the next morning.
“Girl, you’ll never guess what happened this time!”
So when it comes to Valentines, that retail inspired, saccharine infused day of expectation I say, SUCK EAT EGGS!
In fact, eat these eggs.
They are easy to make and are a nice change from deviled eggs made with tons of mayo. They earn extra points for not being fussy like my earlier attempts at the genre.
They are informed by what is now a staple of American dining and a favorite of my husband: the Caesar Salad.
Deviled Caesared Eggs
This is what you will need:
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
- I clove garlic, minced
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Spanish paprika.
This is how you make it:
- Place eggs in pan and cover with cold water, then bring water to boil. When bubbles first appear, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 minutes, then remove from stove and place pan in sink. Run cold water over eggs for 5 minutes, until they have cooled completely. Chill eggs in refrigerator for easier shell removal.
- Peel and halve eggs, scooping yolks into mixing bowl. Mash with fork. Add olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy paste, minced garlic, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix until creamy, and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Use a paring knife, shave a little off the bottom of each so that they sit flat on a plate. Using two spoons, scoop yolk mixture into each, then garnish with a generous shake of paprika.
But you see, Mr. Boom bought me four individual sized miniature springform pans for Valentine’s Day. So you see, I had to make him his favorite chocolate silk pie–miniaturized. And you see, there was a bit of pastry left. And so you see, there were suddenly little heart-shaped pastries cut out and baked and put onto the so-dang-cute little pies. Really, it wasn’t my fault! You see, it was the ghost of Valentine himself. I’m sure of it!
Ah, Trevor, you have captured my inner curmudgeon 🙂 I opted to make a lovely dinner for The Dude and The Little Peeps on Sunday (no chocolate, pink or heart shaped anything involved). Yesterday was leftovers @ 8PM.
I just can’t do deviled eggs (Mayonaise kind of skeeves me out) – I eat the whites and pawn off the yolks to whoever will have them… But anchovy paste and w’shire sauce, I might be able to get into.
Kudos to you for the V-Day brush off! Ha! Ever since joining ffwD, many people around have enjoyed “nicer” fare than usual, so there was no way I was going out of the way for Valentine’s Day. Though, I did make cupcakes, but I had planned on doing those anyway. The eggs look pretty tasty, but I usually shy away from those myself.
This recipe is not only fabulously described (once more, you managed to eject some “vomit” into your food-blogging!), it is fabulously carb-free.
Because true love means abs.
-bg
Any post that mentions restraining orders, gagging, and vomit is sure to captivate me. I too eschew cutesy hearts (my Vday post was spinach kofta, after all) … and I made pizza for my hubs, cuz a pizza party is the way to his heart, and he brought me a bottle of Scotch with a bow on top – cuz that’s the way to mine! I heart deviled eggs, though … these look yummy.
I have spent the last two years away from my husband on Valentine’s Day because my mom’s birthday is on the 15th. Not being together on V-Day is fine because we don’t do the flowers, chocolates, and dinner thing anyway. I do enjoy making deviled eggs for the holidays, so will have to try making your recipe for Easter. They look really good.
It’s nice that you’ll make these for your husband even though you’re not a fan. How do you deal with the egg-breath though??! 🙂
I’m forwarding to you two awards – One Lovely Blog and Stylish Blogger. Please read my post for the details, thanks!
Ok – love the new blog look! It goes so nicely with the eggs! Another of my favorite. I’m all for Eggs on Valentines! I posted a non-chocolate entry myself. It’s so over rated, V-day AND chocolate! Whynot take the family summer picnic potluck staple and move it over to Valentines? Brilliant.
Oh, the traditional Valentine eggs. I get it! What’s next Easter Lapin avec Pommes Parisienne? GREG
PS You forgot to tie your oeufs up in a pretty pink bow…
Trevor the Dorista pic is too funny!! This might have to become a tradition… Eggs for valentine’s… hmmm I’ll have to think about that. I think I prefer ice!! B:)
Perfect! I have a bunch of mayo-haters in my family and am looking for recipes without. Thanks.
Yum Yum Yum!! I will be making these for Easter!! (But probably sooner…I love deviled eggs:)
Your eggs look great, I’ll have to give this recipe a try. Glad you survived this year’s V-Day with no hints of vomit or restraining orders or other misdeeds!
I agree…I posted about a cranberry maple coffee cake for valentines as the “non-traditional alternative.” These eggs look amazing…I can’t wait to try this.
That looks like a very yummy recipe! I love deviled eggs as long as I don’t detect that sulfuric smell. haha!
Sorry gang, but I’m a chocoholic. So much so, I prefer chocolate anywhere between 72-100% cocoa. What can I say. Vivre la différence!
C. Beaudoin