5 reasons to stay home and make delicious love for Valentine’ s day

Its February already and while I stroll around Barcelona, I started noticing pink balloons popping up here and there and hear the love ballads everywhere. My boyfriend is asking me where we will celebrate, and a couple of friends are all-over stressed because they recently broke-up with their respective partners and have no plans for the 14th of February: Saint Valentine´s Day! Ohh my god, we are already there ! It has to be a delicious day!

Here I have to say that I am a homebody who doesn’t feel comfortable participating in holidays in an outrageously capitalist way, so if you don’t feel identified with that type, just click to go back on your browser or jump to reason number 5 below. We stay cool.

And because I believe love behind closed doors is an entirely different story, I decided to come up with good arguments for my boyfriend to celebrate love at our cozy home, and somehow show my friends that life is lovely anyhow. So, if you are somewhere there, hope this 5 reasons will help you out enjoying Valentine´s day at home. Here we go:

 

1. You can wonder around with that sexy stuff that you kept hiding all week long behind your great clothes, so pay tribute to your body and real true love, and have fun. Or invite some friends over to your place and stay in your Pajamas all night long, that´s relaxing and fun at the same time. And don´t miss the love tune play: love is in the air!
2. This is a great chance to catch up with your loved one or those friends you don’t get to see too often. Make sure your cocktail bar is well equipped, trade unleashed dating horror stories and surprise each other with a cutesy gift.
3. Not convinced? Couples desperately booking tables, Chefs stressing out for the ¨perfect night¨ everyone is expecting. Why diving into chaos, when a little peace and quietness from time to time is just great for couples and friends. You will have plenty of other days to go for a perfect dinner in a relaxed atmosphere where you can truly enjoy great food.
4. Pamper your body and buds to the extreme. V-Day is all about you, so just go for it. Buy a home-spa treatment that will leave you all relaxed and recharged before going for a foodgasm. Yes a foodgasm, not an orgasm, thats for later! We crosschecked with our friend Delicious Martha what could include a perfect V-Day dinner that will leave your buds in heaven, below you will find some delicious easy to prepare dishes.
5. Yes, yes, yes. Have an orgasm, or plenty of them! we dont miss a solid orgasm opportunity in life, why? because they are great and healthy! If you feel guilty for all the indulged calories you just had, then go for it. If you didnt manage to relax, now its time. If you dont have a partner, well, be creative, just dont miss it. There are countless reasons to have them!

What to eat at home for the V-Day

Foodgasm, is the pleasant sensation of eating food, and for this special day we did a selection of Martha´s greats recipes taking into consideration Mediterranean and aphrodisiac foods that you can find in any food market, and a glamorous Catalan Cava as a food pairing: Cava Amor from Casa Berdie (the love Cava).

 

Starters: Figs tart with goat cheese and Iberian ham or cod carpaccio

Main dishes: Risotto with prawns and shrimps, and/or cheese apple and cherry salad

– translation into English for the recipes is below, just click more –

 

And after the orgasm, again more foodgasm! Save for the late night the best indulgence you can have. This chocolate and strawberry cake which we suggest you accompany with additional strawberries and that left over of Cava (if there is any…), will send you to bed with the sweet dreams you deserve.

As for me, my boyfriend, and friends, we are agreeing on reason #5 and looks like I am taking over with #4. Thanks Martha again! There are still some days left and you might hear from what happened to my life during Valentine´s day, not reason #5 – I live in a soundproof apartment.

Friends, stay lovely!

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Ingredients for a savory tart with figs, goat cheese and Iberian:
1 sheet of fresh pastry
4 large figs
100 gr. quality Iberian ham
6 slices of curl goat cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pine nuts
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200 ° C (heat up and down).
Spread the pastry sheet on the work surface and move the roller over it several times.
Brush with egg and prick with a fork, leaving 0.5 cm. the lateral edge.
Peel and cut figs, in 6-8 segments each disposed on the cake and painted.
Cut ham slices and place them between the pieces of fig.
Finally, remove the cheese skin and sprinkle on top, add a few pine nuts and introduce in the oven. Change to only heat from the bottom.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until it turns golden brown.
Remove from oven, allow to warm five minutes on a wire rack and serve.

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Ingredients cod Carpaccio (serves 2):

2 cod fillets, frozen desalted
2 large ripe tomatoes
Kalamata black olives
1 egg
2-4 radishes
Extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper, freshly ground
Dried oregano (optional)
Salt
Cod carpaccio preparation:
With a sharp knife cut thin slices of frozen cod and go arranging them on paper towels so that, when thawed, go absorbing water.
Cook the eggs, chop the olives into small pieces and radishes to sheets.
Grate the tomatoes and season with a little oil and salt (also oregano if desired). Stir well and provide the basis for a large flat dish.
Arrange the drained cod on top of the grated tomato.
Hand over olives and radish sheets.
Cut egg yolk and crumble the surface of the cod
Grind black pepper and sprinkle the dish. Drizzle with a little oil extra virgin olive and serve with toasted bread. (Reserve in the fridge if not consumed immediately).

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Ingredients for Risotto with shrimps and prawns (serves 2):

1/2 onion
8 prawns
1 dozen shrimp
Extra virgin olive oil
70 ml. White Wine (recommended: Blanc Mariner Joan Sardà D.O. Penedes)
220 gr. of risotto rice
700 ml. fish stock
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Preparing Risotto with shrimp and prawns:
Heat the fish stock in a saucepan, over low heat to keep warm but not boiling (this is the broth). Chop very little onion and put it in a pan with olive oil over medium heat. Sauté for a few minutes and when start to be transparent, raise heat slightly and add the shrimps. Stir-fry for a few minutes on each side, remove and set aside on a plate.
Pour the wine into the pan, with the onion. As evaporates the alcohol, add the rice and stir to mix well.
Add a few tablespoons of hot rice broth and let it go afoot. There you go adding the broth little by little, as the rice to absorb and remove prevent sticking.
When the rice is almost to the point, add the prawns and let it cook for the last few minutes.
Before serving, add back the shrimps and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

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Cheese, Apple and Cherry Salad (serves 2):

10-15 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
1 tart apple
1/2 buffalo mozzarella
1/4 roller goat cheese
5-7 branches of chives
5-7 basil leaves, clean and finely chopped
5-7 parsley leaves, clean and finely chopped
Salt
For dried fruit vinaigrette:
5 hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
5 almonds, toasted
5 walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 small handful of pipes
1 small handful of pine nuts
5 black Aragon olives, pitted and chopped
2 small spoons of Agave syrup (or honey)
Extra virgin olive oil
Modena balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar (optional)
Preparation:
Salad:
Wash tomatoes and cut them into quarters. Wash apples (peel if you prefer), and cut into cubes. Put in a bowl with the mozzarella also cutted into cubes. Crumble the goat cheese and combine with other ingredients.
Chop the chives and basil and sprinkle over the salad. Season with salt, stir and set aside.
For the vinaigrette:
Coarsely chop all nuts. Pit the olives into small cuts or crush with a mortar.
Put everything in a bowl, sprinkle with oil and two tablespoons of honey. Stir vigorously with a whisk to emulsify.
Dress the salad and serve immediately.