Today I invited my friend’s Brooke Parkhurst and James Briscione, the charming duo behind Just Married & Cooking, to share some of their tips for setting the Valentine’s mood while a toddler roams the house. I first met James when we were both recipe winners on Food52, and then met them again last year at the debut of the OXO Tot line. Since then their awesome cookbook, Just Married and Cooking: 200 Recipes for Living, Eating and Entertaining Together, was published and they’ve been popping up all around town. I urge everyone to join the fun on their Facebook fanpage too! I am so thrilled they are here today to share some fabulous tips and positively delicious recipes. With this post they can easily restore all the faith of all parents that a romantic home cooked Valentine’s Day meal IS indeed possible!
Nothing spells romance quite like a busy toddler banging on your pots and pans while kiddy music wails from the iPod. How do you recommend parents find their inner zen in the kitchen when trying to create a special meal just for them?
We’re not opposed to asking for a little help—especially when it comes to special nights like Valentine’s or anniversaries. Even though you’re cooking and eating in and won’t need a babysitter for six hours, it wouldn’t hurt to have one for crunch time (what we call “crazy time”), 4-7pm.
Also, trying to make the kids feel as if they’re included in this special new ritual—instead of pushing them out of the kitchen—will almost guarantee better behavior. Our daughter, Parker Lee, loves when we give her a ball of pizza dough (about the size of her tiny fist) and our wooden rolling pin. To her, the dough is ten times cooler than Playdo because she’s able to eat her art project! We top it with a four-cheese mixture and roasted butternut squash or chorizo bits.
She happily toddles off with her pizza and we *finally* open a bottle of wine or shake up a house cocktail.
What are your secrets for setting a romantic scene that won’t be wrecked before it is actually time for dinner?
“Chef’s tables” are big in restaurants, so why not at home? We don’t spend our best moments at the dining room table but, instead, standing at the stove and at the kitchen counter, actually creating the meal and sampling the flavors. (I’m a little embarrassed to admit, we also fight over who gets to lick the beaters!) So I love setting the scene and making this space delicious and pretty. (Even better that our 2 ½ year-old budding chef can’t reach that high!)
While we’re doing our biggest prep work, I set out a charcuterie plate and our best wine glasses. When dinner’s almost ready, and Jamie’s putting the finishing touches on our plates, I quickly change the scene by laying down a pretty, patterned table runner (easier than a tablecloth), our French pottery, a hodge podge of candles (never scented- you don’t want to distract from the food) and cloth napkins. I’m really into using the beautiful , sturdy, French kitchen towels by Les Etoiles de Soleil (www.lesetoilesdesoleil.com) as my dinner napkins for special occasions.
