Chefs Give Simple Valentine’s Day Cooking Hacks For The Average Guy
With Valentine’s Day approaching, bros might be scrambling to make reservations at high-end restaurants, trying their best to impress that special girl in their life.
Dinner at a nice restaurant is a great idea, but there’s also the other side of it, where you can be more hands-on and opt for a home-cooked meal instead.
I know what you’re thinking, “Pressure!” but it doesn’t have to be that stressful, I promise.
While at their new restaurants inside the new MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, we had a chance to ask some of the best chefs in the world to help us guys out a bit.
A veritable who’s who in the culinary world, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, Marcus Samuelsson, and Jose Andres all chimed in with some Valentine’s Day dinner tips for the average Joe like you and I. With their romantic cooking expertise on your side, putting together an amazing Valentine’s Day meal doesn’t have to be so nerve wracking.
First off, they all basically said that simplicity, along with togetherness are major keys. I know we can make that happen.
Check out what each chef had to say and make that special night as memorable as possible:
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Michael Voltaggio – Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, Top Chef Masters
Photo by Isai Rocha/Foodbeast
“One of my tips for Valentine’s Day — this is going to sound really dorky and cheesy — but, go to Trader Joe’s and get some pizza dough — or make pizza dough if you have time — have all the toppings out, and have fun just making a pizza together. The experience of making something together is more romantic than making food for someone.
If you’re a chef, and you know how to [twirl a pizza], you can think about that movie, ‘Ghost,’ do that with pizza dough. It works.”
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Bryan Voltaggio – Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, Top Chef Masters
Photo by Isai Rocha/Foodbeast
“Along the same lines, cooking together rather than for somebody. If two people are cooking, divide the menu and bring something together to the table. One’s doing a simple salad, one’s doing something as simple as a steak, but you’re both having some involvement.
If you really want to cook for someone else, pay attention to what they like. Cook for someone else, not for yourself.”
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Marcus Samuelsson – Marcus, Top Chef Masters
Photo by Isai Rocha/Foodbeast
“Engaging and doing something together. You want to eat something with your hands. Maybe you want to cook the first course together. You can do strawberries dipped in chocolate, as long as you eat them together. Maybe you can do pasta as a first course. Have one piece of steak you share together so it doesn’t have to be so heavy.”
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José Andrés – Fish by José Andrés, Iron Chef America
Photo by Isai Rocha/Foodbeast
“Romanticism is very much a state of mind. There’s nothing less romantic than a sink full of pots that you have to clean after. If you want to be romantic, make sure you make the most with the least. Romanticism in this case is having enough time to look at the person you love, as many times as you can, deep in their eyes, and that means making sure your sink is empty, so you have more time to do other things.”
