Tablet for Two

To me, V-Day is the worst time to hit a restaurant–you get squished in with other couples; the kitchen and front of house staff are overwhelmed; and if you need to factor in babysitting costs or draw straws over who’s driving, there’s way too much potential for stress.

I vote date night in.

But what to make? I asked some of my favourite Canadian food blogger couples if we could play third wheel at their fantasy home dinner dates (they want us there, honest).

Let us know in the comments section which of their menus would light your fire. And if you think some key aphrodisiac ingredient is missing, we want to hear from you too.

Happy Valentine’s!

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Chef Tim Harris and photographer Nat Harris record every bite of their international travels on their blog acooknotmad.com:

Tim and Nat
Photo: acooknotmad.com

“As a working chef, Tim might be inclined to order in pizza for his fantasy home dinner date. Seriously, though, we’d start with a nice bottle of Bollinger Champagne and fresh Fanny Bay oysters. We’d move on to a bottle of Chianti, perfectly paired with prosciutto and melon, a nice mushroom risotto with freshly sliced truffles, finishing with Sauternes, and a cheese plate with mostarda, honey and fig cake.”

Toronto-based food lovers Mikey and Micky McCreesh write in shallotsandchalets.com about gourmet discoveries as far afield as Taiwan and Australia, sometimes sharing recipes too.

Mikey and Mickey
Photo: shallotsandchalets.com

“Our fantasy stay-at-home date would have to be at our cottage, on the sandy shore of Lake of Bays, in Muskoka, Ont. We’d have a ginger-, garlic- and spice-infused traditional Taiwanese hot-pot, while looking out at the sun setting on the lake.”

And culinary school grads and sweethearts Aaron Polsky and Carolynne Meunier review restaurants, mainly in their hometown Montreal, at foodiedatenight.com. No photo–they protect their anonymity, to avoid getting special treatment.

Photo: byudates.blogspot.ca

“Cold February nights in Montreal beg for a little decadence and a lot of warmth. We’d begin with briny caviar and sumptuous bone marrow, then have red wine–braised beef short ribs with roasted root vegetables over a silky-smooth, creamy potato purée. To finish: a classic vanilla-bean crème brûlée and dark chocolate truffles.”

So should I bring the wine, guys?