We can *always* find a reason to go out to eat at a restaurant. For us, however, Valentine’s Day has never been one of those reasons. Instead, we’ve made it a tradition to go through our fanciest cookbooks and make an epic Valentine’s dinner that will challenge our skills, delight our taste buds, give us a chance to work as a team and enjoy a quiet, candlelit dinner without the crowds. Here are the highlights of this year’s Epic Valentine’s Day Dinner:

The setting: White tablecloth (really a white sheet from IKEA, don’t judge me), Valentine-red table runner, candlelight flickering off ebony rocks and sparkly glass.

K practiced his new molecular gastronomy skills by making honey “pearls” with agar agar, cold oil and a length of plastic tubing.
Honey pearls:

To begin: Crisp crostini with creamy, tangy goat cheese, a drizzle of farm-fresh honey and honey pearls.

First course: Mixed baby greens and herbs with shrimp, avocado and creamy champagne dressing. Recipe by Jean-Georges in the Harvest to Heat cookbook.

Main course: Pan-roasted scallops with morel mushrooms and asparagus puree. Recipe by Thomas Keller in the French Laundry Cookbook.

The bubbles:

Dessert: “Tofu” cheesecake with candied lime and coffee-infused maple syrup from Morimoto. The cheesecake is made with soy milk, cream and cream cheese with no tofu in sight.

Love ruled the day and, to top it off, we got each other the exact same bizarro card. We must be MFEO.

We hope your Valentine’s Day included a spare moment to recognize the love in your life, in all its many forms.