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Tell Us Your Recipe for Romance
| Meet the Blogger | More Posts by Elizabeth BealThey say the way to a lover’s heart is through the stomach, and while that looks unappetizing in print, we know it’s true. Would your sweetheart be by your side if you’d plunked down a frozen burrito on your first let’s-do-dinner-at-my-place? Didn't think so.
Looking to sway cupid in the kitchen? We recommend this gorgeous Peppered Steak with Mushrooms, Seafood Risotto, Chicken Marengo or Romantic Rice Bowl, finished off with our ever-popular Flourless Chocolate Cake or Red Wine Strawberries and Cream. Warning: the aforementioned recipes could all lead to swooning — or spooning.
Tell us: Have you ever cooked for love? Did someone make you a meal so romantic it made your heart sing (and did it sing Al Green)? What did you cook to win the love of your life — or the love of last month?
Let us know in the comments below by Wednesday, February 13. One winner will be chosen at random to receive a $100 Whole Foods Market® gift card. Use it to buy the ingredients for your next luscious feast! UPDATE: Thank you to everyone that entered. Congratulations to our randomly chosen winner, Rachelle W. from Oakland!
The fine print: No purchase necessary. Promotion ends February 13, 2013, 11:59 PM CDT. Must be a legal resident of the US or Canada (except in Quebec, where it is void) age 18 or older to participate. Taxes on prize, if applicable, are the responsibility of the winner. Employees of Whole Foods Market, Inc., are not eligible. Void where prohibited.
841 Comments
Comments
I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans! For dessert pecan pie
02/06/2013 12:20:38 PM CST
Three weeks after our first date, my future husband said he was coming to my place to cook dinner for my birthday. He made a September Feast of Cornish Hens stuffed with Garlic and Rosemary, Cilantro-Lime Roasted Acorn Squash, Salad, and amazing Chocolate Almond Ameretto Parfaits. With Anne Amie Pinot Noir, and a candlelit picnic in the backyard, I fell in love, and 3 years later we have a home and family.
02/06/2013 12:26:16 PM CST
I'm STILL cooking my wife lovely meals all the time, and never plan to stop!
The first one, though, was one of my simplest--yet also one of my best--seared scallops, 4 cheese mac n cheese, and roasted root vegetables. Not fancy, just tasty and great. And at the first bite, I was so nervous--until she said "VERY good!". Rest is history.
02/06/2013 1:29:48 PM CST
My now-husband's favorite food is Mexican. I happen to be 25% Mexican. The first meal I ever made for him was my great grandmother's recipe for authentic tacos. They are handmade tortillas stuffed with her blend of beef, veggies, and spices served with all of the fixings. After the first bite, I knew he was mine forever!
02/06/2013 1:53:51 PM CST
I made carrot cupcakes for my then-boyfriend, now-husband. We were getting ready to move in together, and he was painting his condo all weekend. I came over to encourage a break and brought him his favorite carrot cake in cupcake form. He told me years later that at that moment, he told himself that I was "the one".
02/06/2013 2:03:00 PM CST
When I think about the "first date" I had with my husband the theme was food. We met up in Boston and went to a restaurant for mussels and beer.....then dinner in Little Italy and dessert at Mike's Pastry for some Italian dessert. Our love of food and wine have continued. I will surprise him on Valentine's Day with a delcicous Pink Brut Sparkling Wine and will purchase a decadent dessert (most likley from Whole Foods).
02/06/2013 2:11:46 PM CST
My guy loves scallops, and I made a yummy dish with Whole Foods scallops and organic butter. If you like scallops - you must try WF scallops. Whole Foods scallops are the best - no STP. So the scallops not only taste delicious, but your dish will come out a lot better, too, as they won't start giving out a lot of water loaded with chemicals. Also had lots of WF shrimp for appetisers. Nice salad pre-washed organic greens and red pepper, carrots, strawberries and aged balsamic vinegar.
02/06/2013 2:32:52 PM CST
I invited my new supervisor to my cottage near the end of a dirt road going up a holler. This was in 1993 a little north of Asheville, NC. As she was driving down this dead end dirt road thinking "Where am I going and what am I doing?", she could smell tha garlic being sautéed with the young green beans. Included was Chicken Cordon Bleu and Rice Pilaf. We got married on 12/3/94 built a home with an open kitchen in the middle and there is always love, baking, and cooking happening at our little house.
02/06/2013 2:45:49 PM CST
My ex-boyfriend and love of my life loves cheese, all kinds of cheese, and his birthday is on Valentine's Day. I made him a cheesy, vegetarian lasagna for our first vday/bday together.
02/06/2013 4:52:48 PM CST
When my husband and I were first dating I made him an omelette, which turned out a little too peppery. My husband ate the whole thing gladly. I later found out he HATES pepper and goes to great lengths to avoid it!!!!! Amazing what one will do for love :) we've been married 12 years, and now my husband always cooks the omelettes!
02/06/2013 5:05:47 PM CST
The first week we dated, my not-yet-husband had me sit in a comfy chair in his living room, and told me I couldn't get up and help him. He served me Steak Diane, mushroom sauce, twice-baked potatoes, green beans almondine, a fresh salad, and chocolate mousse for dessert.
Is it any mystery that we were engaged within weeks?
02/06/2013 5:12:23 PM CST
When my husband and I were dating he cooked a dinner of BBQ pork chops and ceasar salad. He lit candles and served dinner like a true gentleman. Now that we are married, we celebrate Valentines by my cooking Braised Short Ribs in a Zinfandel reduction. It takes a good portion of the day to cook and its alot of work but I love making this special dinner for him. For desert I usually have a variety of little treats like chocolate dipped strawberrys and carmel brownies. This year I am making a buttercsotch fondue with various yummies to dip.
We have been married almost 21 years and we still like to be romantic.
02/06/2013 5:19:00 PM CST
One of my favorite parts of my relationship is that we have and still cook together every week - we love trying new recipes and expanding our "culinary" skills. We'd put the giftcard toward a delicious date night at home!
02/06/2013 5:27:34 PM CST
I'm not the best cook so I go to WF prepared foods and warm a delicious meal with sides for my love. There's usually ribs, London Broil, roasted potatoes, string beans, or Kugel available. Then I purchase the wonderful St Germaine baguette followed by a few of WF gourmet cupcakes. It takes no time at all and allows us to enjoy more time together. I love WF prepared foods for all occasions. It's the way to my man's heart.
02/06/2013 5:35:00 PM CST
My husband is a meat and potatoes man, I am a gourmet cook, but found recipes we both love for special occassions only, because it is so rich, baked date appetizers or crab and shrimp avacado cocktail, sauteed asparagus, moussaka for the main meal, and almond cherry pie with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert He always has a new love-light in his eyes after this meal, even if it isn't steak and potatoes!
02/06/2013 5:42:06 PM CST
I have two words: sheperd's pie.
That is all.
02/06/2013 6:12:19 PM CST
Anything chocolate is the way to my husband's heart. So since I rarely bake, I make sure to break out my apron and find the most decadent chocolate recipe for him!!
02/06/2013 6:17:34 PM CST
I discovered that I was gluten intolerant during my freshman year of college, and the man who became my boyfriend and now fiancé was the first of my friends to consistently remember my new dietary needs and work around them without a single complaint. He researched restaurants at which I could safely eat, never hesitated to ask a waiter/waitress to clarify ingredients in a dish, and even came up with creative dishes we could make it the meager dorm kitchens. Frozen french fries topped with bagged shredded cheese and a store-bought roasted chicken have never tasted as good as when your new boyfriend has read every ingredient and prepared the dish just for you. We've cooked plenty more complex, gourmet, and healthy meals since then - but the memory just goes to show that it truly is the love behind the food that matters.
02/06/2013 6:32:36 PM CST
I made a pecan pie that I shipped overnight since he was out of state at the time. He said it was amazing!
02/06/2013 6:32:43 PM CST
We met on Monday. On Tuesday he called my brother and his wife and I. For dinner on Fri. The menu, Dirty Rice and the most tender Chicken Livers ever. And a tossed salad. It was great, I have never had anyone cook for me. He lived in Kent. And me in Ind. So our dinner took us on a 4 mo. Romance, Dec. 26 he ask marry me to marry. My brother and he were working buddys. My brother has many dinners at his home, he said if I did't marry him, he was. So at age 60 we are married 4yrs. And he still cooks my dinner. We had no honeymoon. Three days later I had open heart surg. 2 valves replaced. He has changed to a heart healthy diet for me. We sometimes disagree on how to cook. love him big time, wish we had longer together.
02/06/2013 6:40:59 PM CST
For my love, I made a german chocolate ice cream cake- he was pretty pleased.
02/06/2013 6:49:14 PM CST
anything beyond PB&J, since that's all he knows how to make!
02/06/2013 7:11:25 PM CST
Anything with seafood! Or mongolian beef. Those are his favs.
02/06/2013 7:24:33 PM CST
When I want to cook a good home cooked meal for someone I love, I make a lemon pepper pork tenderloin, served with apple sauce, roasted cauliflower, sauteed mushrooms-sauteed in a lemon butter sauce and spooned on top of tenderloin, and green beans. This is one of my recipes I know will turn out delicious and is a comforting meal in the winter!
02/06/2013 7:30:20 PM CST
The way to my honey's heart is always Bacon or Mexican. I do not cook either of these on a regular basis, so when I do, he knows it's special, and reciprocates with extra love for the wife!
02/06/2013 7:31:44 PM CST