Delightfully in love

  This post was inspired by a friend at work. She is the ultimate lover of love. We constantly have conversations about everything love. With it being Valentine's Day, I thought it appropriate to dedicate this post to Hillary, the champion of love and all of it's delights!

  So, Valentine's Day... why do we celebrate it? Well of course, there's all that LOVE in the air, but have you wondered what/why/who started it all?

  A quick search on my favorite online tool shows the day first became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages of Geoffrey Chaucer, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer wrote:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

["For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]

Valentine was thought to be a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering young men to remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. Valentine was arrested and thrown in jail. On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first "valentine" card himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved, the jailer's daughter. It was a note that read "From your Valentine."


  And so we keep the custom alive; sending notes of love, flowers, sweets, and other thoughtful delights to the people we wish to show our love and affection.
What are the special somethings you are doing for your beloved(s)? Plural only because my best friend is always on my Valentine list. 


  I made some strawberry jam centered chocolate muffins for my special someone. He's been working long hours all Valentine's weekend and it is quite probable we won't be able to do a "proper" Valentine's Day. So, we've agreed to have a lovely early breakfast to start our day off. Although, it's not the ideal Valentine's Day, it has all the most important features. Often we tend to get caught up in the minutia of the day, it shouldn't be about the flowers or the dinners. We should instead use the day to remember how wonderfully loved we are and the special people to whom we should return the love.  I think this Valentine's Day is the first that I've learned this lesson to be very true.


  I hope your Valentine's Day is wonderful and filled with love. Even if you're not in a relationship, remember all the love that still surrounds you and how truly blessed you are to have it.
So, whether you show it with muffins or hand written cards don't forget to show it. It's your chance to be as cheesy and lovey dovey as you want! So go gangbusters with the love folks!


With a little extra "XO"
DV

Deligh-TOFU-l

So, I've been bad.... unfaithful to my blog.

Well, I am back and feeling MUCH better I would assert.

What did the trick you ask? The "favorite things" I discussed earlier definitely do the trick!

In the soup category, I have a specific one I should list... Soon Tu Bu. Spicy Korean Soft Tofu soup!

Yes, both delicious and nutritious. Mostly, I believe it has magic powers to rid you of a cold.

Feeling much too ill to make the trip to my local Korean restaurant, I tried my hand at the healing, hearty concoction.
After researching the almighty Google, I came up with a game plan to make this delicacy. I created a sort of hybrid version from the many options I saw online. I was amazed at the ease of process and the incredible taste of my homemade Soon Tu Bu. My bowl even rendered the umami I have tasted in many a bowl purchased at the best Korean establishments.

My recipe will render roughly 10 servings in 2 cup portions. What?! I was sick and was craving this particular soup.
Please note that I can handle quite a bit of heat, so if you feel ambivalent, I would recommend layering the spice in slowly and to your taste. Use the same method with all of the ingredients in fact! I believe this soup to be highly customizable and I know it can suit any taste palette out there; so, play with it and make it your own.
Add mussels and shrimp or even make it completely vegetarian!

Ingredients:

• Half cup of dried anchovies
• 1 small package of dried nori (seaweed); about 6 sheets of 3"x2" pieces
• 1/4 lb of thinly sliced beef; rib-eye is recommended, but I used sirloin
• 3 stalks of Chinese chives
• 1 package of Extra Soft Tofu (it's usually the green package)
• 2 eggs
• 1 can 16oz can of beef broth
• 1 cup of shelled soybeans
• 1/2 cup of dehydrated black mountain fungus
• 7 large fresh shitake mushrooms (dehydrated will work too)
• 3 eggs
• sesame oil
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/4 cup of Korean Chili Flakes
• 1 cup of prepared KimChi cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 medium white onion sliced
• Korean pepper paste (Gochujang)
• Soy Sauce to taste
• 1/4 cup of rice wine
• 1 jalepeno pepper sliced

Method:

• Marinate beef in rice wine, 2tb of soy sauce, 2 cloves of garlic and set aside
• Rehydrate any dehydrated items
• In a heavy bottom pan on medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoon of oil - then add 2 tablespoons of the chili flakes and garlic and saute.  The pepper flakes will turn dark, but don't let them burn. Add the anchovies and let break down and brown (about 2 minutes).
• Add in onion and beef and brown slightly until almost done (about 5 minutes)
• Add mushrooms, Kim-chi and mountain fungus and drop in a spoon of the pepper paste
• Stir everything together and coat with the paste
• Pour in the broth and deglaze the pan
• Let everything come to a rolling boil (about 5 minutes)
• Throw in chives, Jalapeño, soybeans, and diced nori
• Add half a cup of water and wait for rolling boil again
• With a tablespoon, scoop in bits of the tofu into the boiling pot at a time
• Crack the eggs into the boil. Make sure to stir so the eggs break up in the pot.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust with soy sauce, chili flakes, and pepper paste
• Eat alone or serve with rice

Whether you are feeling a little under the weather or are just hankering for something spectacular to make your taste buds dance....try a savory bowl of Soon Tu Bu. 

Let me know what you think!

I apologize for my lack of pictures in this post, but if you're hungry for some visually edible delights, check out my friend Rachel's blog. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but the recipes for delectable delights will make you reconsider eating healthy!