Saint Valentine is a legendary Christian Martyr and The Patron Saint of Lovers…and Beekeepers! He is believed to have lived in the third century AD and was martyred on February 14th, thusly, his Feast Day is celebrated on February 14th, AKA, Saint Valentine’s Day. According to popular belief, St. Valentine was a priest in Rome who secretly married young lovers in defiance of Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriage. When the Emperor discovered that St. Valentine had dare to thwart his proclamation, Emperor Claudius II sentenced St. Valentine to death. Before his execution, St. Valentine is said to have fallen in love with the jailer’s daughter- and sent her a “Love Letter,” signed, “From Your Valentine.” Relics of St. Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, Italy, which remained an important Pilgrimage site throughout the Middle Ages, until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the Church of Prassede, located in Rione Monti, a charming area of Rome City Center, Italy. The skull of St. Valentine, crowned with roses, is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics of St. Valentine are kept and displayed in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, in Dublin, Ireland. This location in Ireland is also a popular place of Pilgrimage, especially on Saint Valentine’s Day for those seeking TRUE LOVE.
As the God of Love, Cupid has come to be associated with Valentine’s Day. Cupid is often depicted as a winged cherub with a bow and arrow. Essentially, due to Cupid’s mythological power to inspire love in others by shooting them with his arrows, this ability has made him the symbol of romantic love on this holiday. According to Roman Mythology, Cupid was born of Mercury- the messenger of the Gods, and Venus- the Goddess of love. In classical Latin, Cupid=Cupido, means “passionate desire,” thus Cupid is a symbol for attraction, affection, love, and desire. According to www.time.com “Every year on February 14th, Valentine’s Day is marked by shades of pink, flowers, chocolates, romantic movies and wine—and images of a magic baby boy who flies around shooting arrows at people.”
Stanford University Classics professor, Richard Martin, states, “In the Greek literary sources we have, he’s (CUPID) depicted as just unconquerable.” Professor Martin continues, “So, whatever he (CUPID) wants to happen, happens—and he causes disaster,” referring of course, to the legend that Cupid AKA Eros, would “play with the hearts of mortals and gods to cause mayhem.”
In these, our modern times, according to the National Retail Foundation, Americans spend over 26 Billion Dollars on Valentine’s day gifts, dinners, and romantic gestures. www.hallmark.com reports that a whopping 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged every February 14th– and that is EXCLUDING the traditional elementary school classroom Valentine’s Day Card
exchange! Hallmark declares that Teachers receive the greatest amount of Valentine cards, followed by children, mothers, and wives. Approximately 27.6 million American households give Valentines to their dogs, and 17.1 million households give Valentines to their cats. Other Valentine’s Day Fun Facts include: The first heart shaped box of chocolate was created by Richard Cadbury in 1861. Today, more than 58 million pounds of chocolate are sold each Valentine’s Day. More than 8 billion “Conversation Hearts,” founded by inventor of the first candy making machine, Oliver Chase, are manufactured each year. www.starbucks.com announced that two limited-time Valentine’s Day Inspired drinks are available beginning February 4th, “The Chocolate Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccino,” and “The Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew.” 64% of men and 36% of women purchase flowers for Valentine’s Day, although 15% of women admit that they will send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day!
Aside from chocolate, the most popular foods for Valentine’s Day are: A Romantic Meal for Two, A Gal-entine’s Day Dinner, A Family Valentine Celebration, and Delicious Dishes For One! On St. Valentine’s Day, the most commonly ordered out AND prepared at home dinners are SURF N TURF. These dinners are composed of any combination of steak, lobster, BBQ-ed meats, fish, oysters, and MUCH MORE! These dinners are considered to be elegant, scrumptious, and satisfying. Cinders Barbecue (located in the UK, hence the spelling variations of certain words*) says, “I bet your mouth is watering already! We’re starting off strong with this one, nothing says luxury like steak AND lobster put on a plate and served with peppercorn sauce and some herb butter. Of course, you don’t have to use lobster as your fish option and the type of steak you use is up to you—this means that you can go ‘all out’ with a fillet mignon and lobster tail or go for a more budget-friendly yet just as delicious rump steak paired with prawns. There are many options when it comes to this dish- fillet, sirloin, ribeye, or rump paired with oysters, crab claws, prawns, shrimp, scallops, or mussels. It’s completely up to you and you can adjust (your choices) to you and your partner’s preferences.” Obviously, choose your beloved’s MOST FAVORITE gastronomic selections to ensure the tastiest combination dish with the Oh-So-Thoughtful FLAIR! For a Family Feast celebrating Valentine’s Day, BBQ Ribs are at the top of the list as an entrée. In fact, www.cindersbarbeques.co.uk encourages you to enjoy the BIGGEST, juiciest, messiest rack of ribs as a family! — “Get out your bibs, roll your sleeves up, and have at it! Although we might have terrible etiquette advice (LOL), we certainly have the best advice on what to cook your significant other(s) for an amazing barbecue this Valentine’s Day!” The aforementioned grilled lobster tails with lemon and herb butter is an exquisite “STAND OUT” dish with a recipe from www.bbcgoodfood.com
www.vindulge.com is the place to find a brilliant recipe for “Smoked Lamb Chops: Smoked then grilled hot and fast and cut into individual lollipop portions- a single for an elegant appetizer,” or double (or triple!) lollipop lamb chops may be served as an entrée. Vindulge exclaims, “Don’t be intimidated by lamb. These are easy and absolutely delicious and one of the most flavorful cuts. When smoked, it really balances out the traditional gamy flavor.” Vindulge has also published an article entitled: “29 Recipes for Valentine’s Day on Your Smoker!” Additional recipes for “Grilled Lamb Lollipops,” can be found at: www.callmepmc.com www.sprinkleandsprouts.com and www.deliciousbydesign.net
There are a vast number of restaurants offering “Valentine’s BBQ Dinners For 2,” you literally just have to “GOOGLE” or Search “BBQ Valentine’s Day in _________” and insert your city. In RI, results using that specific search yielded:
- –Great Northern BBQ Co. in Providence, RI
- –Durk’s Bar-B-Q in Providence, RI
- –Wes’ Rib House, Providence, RI
- –Becky’s Real BBQ in Middletown, RI
- –Oak Hill Tavern & BBQ in North Kingstown, RI
- –The Love Shack Live Fire Grill in Warren, RI
You may also listen to any one of the 29 Episodes of “The Wise Guys BBQ Podcasts” for helpful hints regarding your own BBQ cook as well as chit-chats with local BBQ Chefs! www.wiseguysbbq.com Podcasts are a wealth of information at the ready, with an extra helping of laughs on the side!
Other options for indulging in a refined and debonair (and easy!) Valentine’s Day BBQ Dinner are to procure pre-portioned meal kits online. www.goldbelly.com has a “Sweetheart Ribeye Dinner for Two,” option- complete with descriptive package details and cooking instructions. Over and above that, there is an entire section on the Gold Belly website devoted to “Valentine’s Day Foods,” that you may pre-order including: Edgar’s Bakery Pink Ombre Cake- an iconic bakery in Alabama, Joe’s Stone Crab Entitlement Feast from Miami, Florida’s World-Renowned Landmark, Baz Bagel’s Valentine’s Day Bagel Brunch- located in the heart of NYC’s Little Italy, and “Pizza Date Night” packages- an unmitigated division which allows you to choose a Pizza Package from the HIGHEST rated, most flavorsome pizza emporiums throughout the US! Additionally, there are pages of possibilities from which to choose “A Valentine’s Day Date Night Dinner” packages with an immense variety sure to tempt every taste bud: Bern’s Steak House Dry Aged Ribeye Dinner with side dishes from Tampa, Florida, Fox & the Knife Pasta dishes from Boston, Massachusetts, Gramercy Tavern Mushroom Lasagna from NYC, Phil’s Fish Market from Moss Landing, California, The Clam Shack Seafood Fest of Kennebunk, Maine, Heritage Foods Wagyu of Brooklyn, NY, Topsail Steamer of North Carolina Steamers Pot Dinner, The Pine Club of Dayton, Ohio SURF N TURF Gift Box for 2 …Even international selections of gourmet goodness are available such as Famed Chef Francis Mallman’s Carne “Asada Kit for 4” from Patagonia, Argentina! …just to name a few!!! If you are SOLO on this St. Valentine’s Day, consider TREATING YOURSELF to something flavorful, fun, and new and exciting!
Whether you are single, married, coupled-up, have the Greatest Galentines Girl Group, or you are celebrating Valentine’s Day with your family and children, FOOD IS LOVE. “Food Is Love,” is an expression that conveys the idea that preparing food; cooking, smoking, BBQ-ing, baking – any and all forms of “FOOD MAKING” are ways for people to show love, affection, and appreciation. Making a Valentine’s Day Meal OR making a Valentine’s Day Reservation, refers to the idea that through food we express our creativity, our passion, share our culture, and share traditions. Sharing food together is “A LOVE LANGUAGE.”
Neural Circuitry is the network of interconnected neurons that process information and perform specific functions in the brain. THE NEURAL CIRCUITRY INVOLVED IN FEELING LOVE AND TASTING “SWEETNESS” IS THE SAME!!! –Therefore, EAT ALL THE CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES! –The desire to feed someone, to take care of them, and to satiate their needs is a definition of love. Friends and Family are often the MOST EPIC LOVES OF OUR LIVES. Food is a connection to our homes, our souls, and our relationships. Noted author and speaker Alan D. Wolfelt said, “Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” If you are single, in no uncertain terms, DO NOT neglect to SHOW YOURSELF LOVE. Prepare YOUR favorite dish for yourself OR place an order of specialty Take-Out—or EAT DESSERT FIRST!- Light a candle, put on some jazzy tunes, binge-watch your favorite show, read a book in front of a roaring fire, snuggle up in a cozy blanket, pour yourself a delectable drink, craft yourself a sumptuous cocktail; BBQ YOURSELF A WAGYU FOR ONE!–YOU DESERVE IT.
“LOVE is something eternal…The aspect may change but not the essence.”
- –Vincent Van Gough
- “LOVE recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
- –Maya Angelou
“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love, TRUE LOVE.”
- –Robert Fulghum- Writer, Philosopher, Public Speaker, Cowboy, Folk Singer, Artist, Best Selling Author of 8 books, including, THE ILLUSTROUS, ACCLAIMED AND VENERABLE:
“ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN.”
