Nobody but lonely, only Lonely hearts

There once was a band from Boston playing under the name “the Atlantics” who did a Song called Lonely Hearts. It was a driving pop/rock song tailor made for Valentines day. The refrain went something like Nobody but lonely, only Lonely hearts. Well, today is Valentines day. This song highlights the reason this day is so cherished by some and reviled by others. If you have a special someone, it’s an excuse to get all romantic. If not, it’s a reminder of how lonely your heart may be. Don’t fret about that. If you want true love, adopt a pet. Dogs will give you unconditional love.

But, whether you’re a lonely heart or in a committed relationship, Valentine’s day can be a time to treat yourself. Ultimately, though, it’s just a Hallmark Holiday. There are plenty of Saints’ days throughout the year. In our secular society, why should we give thanks to one over another? So, why not just rename it after yourself. If you want to celebrate as a couple it can be like a Beniffer thing. As long as your names aren’t Mortimer and Alice. Who wants to celebrate Malice day?

What kind of Saint succors Nobody but lonely, only Lonely hearts

As you may have noticed, Valentines day celebrates commercialism in its modern form. But, how did we get to this point? It’s actually pretty confusing. In fact, who the real St valentine is remains unknown. There are three different St valentines who have a connection to February 14. There is Valentine of Rome, Valentine of Terni, and another Valentine Martyred in North Africa. All 3 were “martyred”. But, little detail remains of their martyrdoms.

Most likely, Valentine of Rome is the most popular, since he resided in the home of the church. He supposedly cured his Jailor’s daughter of her blindness, and sent her a letter before his execution signed “your Valentine”. He was imprisoned for proving “succor” to persecuted Christians and put to death around 269 AD under the rule of Roman Emperor Claudius

Valentine of Terni was a Bishop in the Central Italian town of Interamna. He was put to death by Emperor Aurelian in 273 AD. Both of these Valentines were buried in Via Flaminia (an area just outside Rome). And, their artifacts are spread out in several cathedrals including one in Ireland.

The third Valentine is only listed in Christian Martyrology. But, his history is unknown. But, having 3 valentines explains why some people insist on calling it St Valentines (plural) day instead of valentine (singular).

February 14 is supposedly the day that at least one of the Valentines was buried.

How did we get to the hearts thing?

According to legend, at least one of the Valentines performed weddings for Soldiers in the Roman army. At this time, Christianity was still forbidden. So, these weddings were technically illegal. And, that is part of the reason why Valentine was arrested.

valentine allegedly wore a ring with the image of Cupid to symbolize love when he performed these ceremonies. He is also rumored to have given the soldiers Heart shapes that he would cut out of parchment to remind them of their love for Christ. So, that’s the first instance of heart shapes and Cupid. This is rather ironic that someone persecuted by the Romans for following his beliefs would have an image of a Roman Goddess. But, let’s not forget, Cupid was a variation on the Greek God Eros. Then again, Valentine wearing the ring could have been his way of trying to stay out of trouble with the Romans. Apparently, that didn’t fool them.

While these stories all sound great and tie marital bliss and love of Christ together with a Roman Goddess of love, the roots go further back. As with most legends in the Roman Catholic tradition, pagan observations are often precursors. Ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia February 13-15. Likewise, Festival of Juno Februa, meaning “Juno the purifier” or “the chaste Juno” also fell on these dates.

Of course, the Pope, in 800 AD, banned the Roman “pagan” celebrations and made Valentine’s day more prominent. But, the idea of valentine’s day as something romantic wasn’t a thing until Geoffrey Chaucer Mentioned it in a poem in the late 1300’s.

“For this was on seynt Valentynes day
Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make
Of every kynde that men thynke may
And that so huge a noyse gan they make
That erthe, and eyr, and tre, and every lake
So ful was, that unethe was there space
For me to stonde, so ful was al the place.”

A sad day for Nobody but lonely, only Lonely hearts

Chances are, the Lonely hearts out there tend to be frustrated and reminded of their disconnection from that elusive soul mate. This doesn’t have to be the case. With some simple introspection and a realization that valentines day is a celebration of 2 or 3 guys who happened to die for being part of a religious group, Valentines day is relatively meaningless. Add the crass commercialization of the last century, and it’s obvious that this is a money making ploy. If you want to have angst over an unrequited love, first look within, discover what makes you happy and what you really need in life. Chances are, you can have fulfilling relationships if you aren’t “searching” for that someone special. If you are true to yourself, you may just find that one you connect with on a spiritual level.

But, don’t let the church’s idolization of someone, nor the pressures of the marketplace dictate your actions. Try your best to shut out the outside world. Making a nice home cooked meal is a good start. And remember, the initials for this day are VD. And, I doubt you want any of that. So, you just do you (Not that way…unless that’s what you want. And, that’s perfectly fine too).

This doesn’t mean we are excluding people in a relationship. Quite to the contrary, we are here to provide assistance with your sustenance.

No reason to kill

Valentines day can be a reminder of shortcomings to Incels and people who just haven’t found that special someone. But, please, don’t turn that frustration into violence or bother other people with your issues. I just heard a report about a guy in Indonesia suing a woman for rejecting his advances. Sorry, but cut the pity party and get on with your life. There is no reason for blaming someone else for the fact that you’re not a match. There are millions of people in the world. You may or may not find your match. The important thing is to feel comfortable with yourself. So, don’t go attacking or killing anyone.

And, this call for peace should extend to dinner. How many times have we seen people celebrate Valentines with Shrimp, lobster, steaks, and other meats. I know hearts are a symbol of the day; but, stopping a heart from beating to celebrate your “love” really isn’t that romantic. Maybe if our incel friends ate more salad and less meat, they might not be so pent up. So, for the sake of showing affection, not only for your loved one, but for the other beings we share the earth with, today’s menu will be plant based.

Show the Bounty of your heart with the bounty of the Earth

The beauty of plant based cooking is the variety and color we can display. And, there will be plenty of different textures and flavors to satisfy. Doesn’t it make sense to make vegetables the bulk of your food? Just look around you or even going to a supermarket. When it comes to animals we eat, you have fish, beef, lamb, pork, and poultry. Of course there are variations within each category. But, that’s the bulk of the animals we eat. In contrast, there are hundreds, thousands of vegetables and fruits, from potatoes to lettuce. From asparagus to avocado. Carrots to Cantaloupe. We could go on all day long.

Technically, though, we are still killing, since plants are living entities too. But, they have a different life support system than we do. Animals have the same type of respiratory system and body structure as humans. There is just something viscerally wrong about taking a life that could be yours. Plus, plant based nutrients tend to be cleaner and more efficient for our system. If we have to eat something, why not something that can grow back in weeks as opposed to years?

Sometimes omitting certain ingredients increases our creative propensity. When you look at the wide variety of fruits and vegetables, you find you don’t need meat. Plus the colors are much more diverse. Meats are generally white, brown, grey, and pink or red. Vegetables come in multiple shades of green, red, yellow, orange, black, white, brown, and even some variations of blue/purple. They make for a far more enticing plate. And, Valentine’s day is as much about art as love. So, let’s cook.

Today’s Menu

Since this day seems to focus on red, we’re going to use beets and berries as the focal point of today’s food. You could make a full night of the culinary experience with an appetizer or two, followed by a soup, a salad, A hot entree, and a dessert. Of course, the wine is most likely going to be sparkling. But, you can vary it by course. Beware, though, that once you start opening multiple bottles of wine, you may reach a point where you won’t remember the night (or the food).

Here, we have a 4 course meal: Soup, salad, Entree, and Dessert. They are all plant based. The salad has feta cheese. You can either omit it or substitute a vegan version. The Soup is a smooth and creamy vegan Avocado soup. The Entree is a lentil Ragout. We suggest serving it with fresh vegetables lightly roasted or sauteed. Asparagus is usually on sale at this time, and goes wonderfully with the lentils. Or, you can use a variety of squashes, beans, peas, snap peas or whatever looks fresh. The dessert is more like a cocktail. We make this strawberry citrus soup by concentrating the flavors into a sweet broth. Try serving it with a crisp cookie like a tuille. It will be wonderful.

The whole meal is designed to fill you up, but, not leave you feeling weighed down. It is light and airy with comforting touches. Plus, the strawberry soup ends on a light note, leaving plenty of energy for crooning and wooing your loved one (or avoiding Valentines day commercialism). Even if you are with someone, remember, we all live and die alone. So, it’s Nobody but lonely, only Lonely hearts.

Roasted Beet and Pine nut Salad with baby Greens and Feta

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 1 Lb Fresh Beets
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 1 Package Baby Greens
• 1/4 Cup Pine nuts
• 1/4 Cup Spring onions (julienne)
• 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese (use a vegan substitute if available or skip if you want)
• 1/2 Cup Seeded orange segments
• For Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp Honey or agave
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp White wine or champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Cup olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Roast the Beets: Preheat oven to 400. Clean the beets and toss with a little oil. Put in a deep pan with a little water in the bottom. Cover with foil and roast for about an hour. Check to make sure they are cooked, but not mushy. Give more time if needed. Remove from the heat. Let them cool at room temperature. Then peel them. The skin should just brush off by hand. If it is being stubborn, use a knife to assist. Cut the beets and let them cool in refrigeration.
• Toast the pine nuts. Place pine nuts on a flat pan in a 300 degree oven and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they are lightly toasted. Set aside
• Make orange segments. If you can get clementines, they are seedless and break easily into segments. If you have full sized oranges, Cut the top and bottom and cut the skin off the outside. Carefully, cut out orange fillets between each segment, remove seeds as possible.
• Make the dressing: Place all ingredients except oil in a blender. Turn on the blender and drizzle in the oil while it is running to create an emulsified dressing.
• Place all the ingredients except dressing and cheese in a mixing bowl. Also reserve some beets and nuts for garnish. Toss the salad with some of the dressing. Don't go too heavy. Save some dressing if people want more on the side. Place in a serving bowl or individual plates. Top with feta and garnishes.

Keyword Asparagus Salad, baby greens, Citrus Dressing, Feta cheese, Pine Nuts, Roasted Beet, vegan

Vegan Avocado soup

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican, South American, Southwestern

Servings 2 Quarts

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup chopped fresh sweet onion
• 1 Tbsp Chopped fresh garlic
• 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh jalapeno
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup Vegan cream or milk (almond, coconut, or oat)
• 4 cups Peeled, pitted, and chopped avocado (plus extra for garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion for garnish
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (plus more for garnish-optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Avocado oil to cook and garnish
• Vegan sour cream to garnish (optional)
• diced tomato for garnish (optional)
• Hot sauce or chili oil to garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Heat avocado oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add in the onion and garlic, Saute until translucent. Add the cumin, chili powder, and jalapeno and stir. Then, add the stock and milk/cream. Reduce by about 1/4.
• Transfer the soup to a blender. Add in the avocado, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Blend and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Serve hot or chilled with tomato, avocado, and green onion. Drizzle with avocado oil, hot sauce, sour cream, and sprinkle a dash of chili powder. Serve Tortilla chips on the side. Or you can just serve it straight up. Either way, enjoy.

Keyword avocado, Creamy, gluten free, Simple, soup, Southwestern, spicy, vegan

Vegan Black Cumin And Red Lentil Ragout

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Indian, Mediterranean

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 2 Cups Red Lentils
• 1 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Ginger
• 1 Cup Fresh Grape Tomatoes, Cut in 1/2
• 2 Tbsp Black Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Brown Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
• 4 Cups vegetable Broth (may substitute water)
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Saute the onion, Both types of cumin seed, garlic, and ginger in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Then add in the lentils. Stir and cook until well coated with the olive oil.
• Heat the stock over high heat. Fill the pan of lentils with stock so that they are completely covered. You may not need all of it, as red lentils cook quickly. Reduce by 1/2 the volume, stirring as needed. Be careful not to overcook the lentils. Add in the tomatoes and Turmeric. Continue cooking . Add more stock if needed. You want the lentils to be soft, but not breaking apart. Fold in salt, pepper, and Cashews. Serve hot. For today's recipe, we want most of the liquid absorbed, so it can stand on a plate. But, you can leave it wetter if you want more of a stew that you can serve in a bowl.

Keyword Black cumin, gluten free, ragout, red lentil, vegan