Hi Reader,

Food has a way of saying things we’re not always brave enough to say out loud. Especially on Valentine’s Day.

I know, I know. For some, this week is all hearts and flowers. For others, it’s just a Tuesday (or an excuse to buy half-price candy on February 15th). But whether you’re cooking for a partner, hosting a "Galentine’s" dinner for friends, or just treating yourself to a damn good steak because you deserve it, food is the connector. It can be a show of love, a sign you're in my thoughts, or a way of soothing a grieving heart.

Take the year The One and I decided not to make a big deal about V-Day. Cut to the kitchen: him slicing strawberries with the concentration of a trauma surgeon, me insisting—loudly—that ironing the napkins was purely coincidental. There were bubbles. There was chocolate. Always, always chocolate. There was a small-ish fire—otherwise known as flambéing gone wrong. (Who needed that dish towel anyway?)
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And yet, that’s exactly why it worked. Romance didn’t arrive gussied up as a bouquet of perfect roses or a candlelit fantasy. It showed up in the mistakes—the realization a certain someone bought puff-pastry shells, not sheets; the rolled eyes when the chicken was brined a bit too long; the laughter over buying the same Valentine's Day card for each other.

I’ve learned that the most memorable meals aren’t about precision or performance. They’re about acceptance. Of the dish. Of each other.

The meal doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.

Read how our Forever & Chocolate Cake has become our love food.

How to Cook Your Way into Someone’s Heart

• Start with scent. Garlic sizzling in olive oil, melted chocolate, warm vanilla—if the air smells like a love letter, you’re halfway there.
• Keep it tactile. Foods that involve dipping, tearing, feeding—those are the ones that blur the line between dinner and dance.
• Play with temperature. A cool bite followed by a warm one keeps things interesting—culinarily and otherwise.
• Chocolate is never wrong. Nor is cheese. Preferably not together, unless you’re French and fearless.
• End on a spark. Candlelight, a sip of something bubbly, and a spoon meant to be shared.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Veal Piccata​
• ​Italian Roast Leg Of Lamb With Garlic & Rosemary​
• ​Roman-Style Chicken Cacciatore​
• ​The One and My Forever & Completely Chocoalte Cake​
• ​Roasted Cod With Potatoes & Lemon​
• ​Grilled Porterhouse Steak​
• ​Chicken Piccata​
• ​Chicken With Mustard | Poulet à la Moutarde​

​Veal Piccata​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8 from 50 votes

One of our most popular veal, this piccata that's quick enough to make on a weeknight yet restaurant-worthy and elegant enough for weekends.

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​Italian Roast Leg Of Lamb With Garlic & Rosemary​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.92 from 25 votes

This Tuscan style roast leg of lamb is made in traditional Italian fashion with a garlic, rosemary, lemon, and olive oil marinade before being roasted until perfectly tender. Easy and elegant.

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​Roman-Style Chicken Cacciatore​

You know chicken cacciatore--chicken made with vegetables, herbs, and tons of tomatoes--right? In Rome, however, "alla cacciatora" implies meat stewed with rosemary, vinegar, and anchovies, with not one tomato in sight. Instead, the bird is simmered with garlic, rosemary, white wine, and anchovies.

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​Hershey's Chocolate Cake, Redux​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.9 from 47 votes

This Hershey's chocolate cake recipe with frosting is an old-fashioned classic American dessert that will never, ever disappoint. Simple and simply the best. I've zhuzhed it up a bit with espresso powder for a deeper flavor and a creamier, richer frosting.

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​Roasted Cod With Potatoes & Lemon​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.83 from 17 votes

This baked cod and potatoes is an easy yet elegant dinner made simply by slicing potatoes and topping them with the fish fillets and a little butter, thyme, and lemon. The whole shebang is roasted in the oven. A cinch.

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​Grilled Porterhouse Steak​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.77 from 13 votes

This grilled porterhouse steak is impressive yet easy to make and arguably the best way to make a porterhouse steak at home. Here's how.

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​Chicken Piccata​

This chicken piccata, made with boneless chicken breasts cooked in a buttery lemon and caper sauce, is on the table in less than half an hour. Easy!

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​Chicken With Mustard | Poulet à la Moutarde​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.88 from 25 votes

This chicken with mustard, made with chicken, mustard, thyme, and stock, is a classic French dish.

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