Valentine's Dinner Ideas: The Ultimate Man Food
No doubt you’ve heard the saying “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Where does it come from? Well, supposedly it was first said by Fanny Fern – an American humourist of the nineteenth century. Though it still rings true today: everyone knows that a healthy red-blooded male loves his food! But which food?!
If you're looking to impress on February 14th but aren't sure where to start, I thought I'd point you in the right direction with a few Valentine's Dinner ideas:
Steak:
According to my panel experts (ahem, mates down the pub) - steak really is the ultimate man food. If you're a dab-hand with a griddle, a really good steak is bound to make a good impression. Of course - the only way you'll make a good impression is if the steak is cooked to perfection. If it's requested bloody and rare... don't serve-up an over-done hunk of meat!
The perfect steak really depends on the quality of your meat. Source a really good piece steak (from your local butcher, perhaps), or go the extra mile and source a specialist butcher online. You're looking for grass-fed beef, preferably British, and hung for at least 28 days. If you're a newbie to cooking steak, you'll find plenty of great tips and tutorials online - Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver are probably your best bet. Serve with chips, spinach and a glass of good red - I'd go for a Merlot or Malbec.
Curry
Want to separate the men from the boys? See how well they can handle their spice! You might not want to blow their head off with a really hot curry (unless you find a red-faced, sweating man attractive - I won't judge). But something just hot enough to get the endorphins flowing could be an excellent choice for Valentine's night.
Try a Chicken Madras, Thai Green Curry or maybe something more exotic like a Beef Rendang if you're feeling confident. Cooking your curry from scratch will earn you extra brownie points...as will serving it with a cold glass of beer and extra pappadoms!
Sharing Platter
Cold cuts was another winner in my highly scientific pub poll of the ultimate man food. So for a slightly easier (but no less effective) Valentine's Dinner, how about putting together a sharing platter? All that reaching and sharing gives plenty of opportunity for physical contact, after all!
Forget pork pies and ploughmans - assemble a carefully-curated selection of charcuterie, cheeses, olives, and bread. Focus on quality and quantity - you won't want anyone going hungry, and this is a good chance to impress with your foodie prowess! If you're going for a Mediterranean vibe, serve with a sparkling white wine like Prosecco or a vintage Cava. If you're going with a more traditional British selection of meats and cheeses, a real ale or cider (none of that Magners rubbish!) would go down a treat.
Those are my three suggestions - what do you think is the ultimate man food? If you have any other Valentine's Dinner ideas, let me know by leaving a comment below.
#Food & Drink #steak #curry #Special occasions & entertaining #dinner #ideas #valentine's day #man food #valentines #dinner ideas
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