Don't Bring Me Roses

As much as I love receiving flower-especially roses-mushy cards and going out to dinner, I don’t especially like it on Valentine’s Day or any of the other predictable times of the year when those things are expected. Surprise me and you’ll always tug at my heart.


So what does one do when they want to say “I love you” whether it’s to a beloved, a child, a sister, brother, neighbor or friend? Lots of things I suppose, but few say it better than a home cooked meal, made with loving hands with pure intent…at least in my opinion.

And it doesn’t even matter if you’re a klutz in the kitchen. What matters is that you are choosing to make and share a meal with someone or for those you love. You are devoting your time, focused with loving energy to create something real, something memorable. Excited and inspired you begin by looking through all those cookbooks you bought and left on the bookshelves and promised yourself that someday you’d explore. Or maybe you’ll dig amongst back issues of Bon Appétit and House and Garden. You could further your search online and discover a world of great cooking sites…all in pursuit of the perfect menu…one you can actually cook. And all the while you’re having a ball, completely energized by all the possibilities.

So you make a list-we’re all good at this-before you go shopping-we’re good at this too. And if you’re really having fun, shopping turns into another adventure, one of shapes, colors, textures and aromas. It’s the excuse to enter the local gourmet shop and taste a whole variety of exotic cheeses and choose whatever you like; to buy a bottle of a delicious, expensive dipping sauce or condiment and a crusty loaf of the best baguette. You can treat your senses to a bunch of fresh rosemary or dill, parsley or sage and buy the freshest slice of fish or meat available. You can enter the wine store and buy that special bottle; the bakery and bring home a decadent, delicate dessert-one you wouldn’t attempt to make yourself, beautifully wrapped in curly ribbon around a pristine white box. You bring all your purchases home and you feel like a king or queen. This is abundance-a full refrigerator.

Making a meal deserves to be so much more than a simple act of mundane necessity. When undertaken as an act of celebration, meal preparation bestows its true gifts, an experience that nourishes both the body and the soul-a cherished ceremony-available to all- regardless of means or training. Loving intent becomes the secret ingredient, the elixir, if you will, that transforms a simple meal into a sacred experience. It’s the gift you give yourself and all those you love.

May you love today, tomorrow and every day,

Chef Silvia