Foods of Love for February 14th
- By Sonya Meagor
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- 12 Feb, 2018
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Love it or hate it, in-keeping with the season we thought we would take the opportunity to write about the foods of love.
Perhaps the most obvious food of the romantic season is chocolate…or if you’re dairy free, cacao. According to online sources, 58 million pounds of chocolate is bought during Valentine’s Day week! As a nation we have a lot of chocolate fans and it is delicious if I do say so myself but, why do we traditionally give chocolates for Valentine’s? I looked into it and found out that chocolate does contain tryptophan and phenyl ethylamine, the chemicals that trigger pleasure and reward centres in the brain. The cocoa bean is said to be good for the heart too.
Next up on the love food list is asparagus, perhaps not the most obvious food of love but it does adorn plates on February 14th in many a restaurant. British asparagus isn’t in season until April so you won’t see it on my plate at home but the reason it is served is this veggie is an aphrodisiac. It’s full of vitamin B6 and folate (boosts arousal) and is rich in Vitamin E which gets you feeling “in the mood.”
Avocado is another contender as it’s also full of Vitamin E and this gets incorporated into starters and desserts. So if you get served up a plate of the green stuff, you can guess why!
If you’re feeling fruity, bananas and watermelon are other foods of love. Watermelon is reportedly a natural Viagra as researchers have found out it has an amino acid called citrulline that relaxes and dilates blood vessels like Viagra does! Yes bananas are phallic but they make the list not for their shape but because have an enzyme.
Last but not least is a firm favourite (maybe because I’m a Cornish gal) oysters. Probably the most well known aphrodisiac food, they are scientifically proven to have an effect in the bedroom department.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day or not, treat a lover, friend, or yourself to delicious oysters with our quick and easy suggestion:
Cornish Native Oyster Cocktail Acapulco Style! Serves 4
120ml tomato ketchup
1/2 – 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of two limes
Pinch of black pepper
24 fresh Cornish Native Oysters
85 ml dry white wine
Finely shredded lettuce
Mix the sauces, lime juice and wine and leave to stand for 20 minutes
Open the oysters, scoop out the juice and lay on shredded lettuce then dress with your mixture and serve.
If you want something more simple and quick – simply open your oysters and have Tabasco sauce and lemon at the ready – squeeze over lemon juice and a couple of splashes of Tabasco. Job done!!
Whatever you’re doing, or not doing, on February 14th. Take the excuse to treat yourself.
As if we need any excuse!
The Millfield theatre is home to eco cuisine and the events have been held here too for that reason.
OLIO (the food app) and NLWA (North London Waste Authority) CROPDROP (local Haringey boxed fruit/vegetable scheme) plus our very own Sonya Meagor (eco cuisine) are confirmed as our first speakers and we're For each event, we support a North London based charity related to the event theme - for this event we're delighted to collaborate with The Felix Project .
TICKETS
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-food-packaging-tickets-61490383392?aff=website
With less than two weeks until Christmas and the holidays nearly upon us, the shops are stocked with delicious festive treats and people are already stocking up on Christmas food fit for a feast or two.
But, just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean we should not consider what is in season and keeping sustainability at the forefront of our minds.
So, what is in season over December and the winter seasons in Britain? Well, thankfully many of the Christmas time favourites are favourites for a reason – they’re traditionally easily grown and sourced in the U.K. over winter. Cabbage, sprouts, potatoes and onions, celeriac, celery and carrots as well as parsnip and swede are all in season this time of year. Not forgetting chestnuts, beef and venison and even guinea fowl too.
So roast dinners with all the trimmings can be environmentally friendly! Of course clementines, pomegranates and dates are seasonal favourites too and these are obviously not sourced locally.
Whatever you buy and eat over the festive season, remember to consciously consume – making informed and conscious decisions about what you buy and eat.
In the lead-up to the Christmas break we enjoy hearty, warming foods, keeping us warm in the cold weather and suitably fuelled over this busy season.
We enjoy Rumbledethumps – for those who haven’t heard of it, it is the Scottish equivalent of bubble and squeak as it is often made with leftovers, though it isn’t usually fried. It is a lovely filling dish served as a side or when served with a nice piece of fish or chicken breast can even be a substantial main meal.
Rumbledethumps
550g large potatoes,
350g swede
60g unsalted butter
250g kale, finely sliced
1 small onion diced
Sprigs of thyme
25g cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Peel and chop the potatoes and the swede and chop into large chunks. Next, boil in a saucepan tender. Drain and return to the pan.
Heat three quarters of the butter in a pan on medium low heat and cook the kale and the onions for a few minutes, until the kale is tender and onions lightly browned.
Add the kale and onions to the pan with the potatoes and swede then add the remaining butter and mash together. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the mashed medley into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top. Serve with fresh thyme.
What winter dishes keep you going in the lead-up to the Christmas break? Let us know in the comments.
