No sooner had I finally managed to clear my desk of the odds and ends of Christmas bills and general frenzy, than I lifted my head to find a new frenzy surging towards me. I see red people. Valentine's Day, once a sweet, optional celebration for people who had romantic reasons to celebrate, has now become a cross-cultural mainstream imperative and merchandising firestorm.
Everywhere you go there are red and white hearts, red and white teddy bears, and red and white roses from nosegays to floats. Valentine's chocolates are filling vitrines at boutique chocolateries. Chocolates are pretty; they're the jewelry of food. But at sometimes hundreds of dollars a box, you may as well buy gold. The same goes for the Valentine's Day date night at the expensive romantic restaurant followed by new La Perla lingerie for her and a Henri Beguelin leather something for him. If you have a romance to celebrate and that's what you want to do, go ahead and do it at that exorbitant price point and have a great night. But if that kind of scenario seems out of reach after what you went through at Christmas, it probably is.
I know it may sound unpatriotic to not shop for Valentine's Day, but if one of you is out of work or if you're having trouble paying the mortgage, it would be economic suicide to consider Valentine's Day another de rigueur retail holiday. The stores aren't worried about our wallets, so why should we worry about theirs? In these uncertain times, let's get reasonable and ratchet this holiday down a few notches. If you don't have a Valentine, consider it something you can skip altogether. Stay home; treat yourself to one luscious piece of chocolate or one sexy thong and better luck next year. If, on the other hand, you have a Valentine and want to celebrate but can't afford a big night out, here are a few inexpensive, creative, and low key ways to mark the occasion.
1. Send every ex, current, and potential boyfriend a Valentine's Day card. It's a great way to keep up with old lovers and maybe even find a new one. You don't need to make Hallmark any richer, however, so just recycle your old Valentine cards. Scratch out the old sender's name and write in yours. Don't bother with white out. Let the new love interest see a previous love interest's defaced signature. That's what I do with my ex-husband, and he gets a big kick out of it.
2. If you really want to give a gift, don't go to the mall; shop on eBay or at flea markets or garage sales. Look for something that you can actually incorporate into your home - an interesting old textile, a great piece of 50s pottery, or, for fun, maybe a vintage Playboy or two from the 60s. Recently, at the Peter Fetterman Gallery in L.A., I saw gorgeous photographs of couples kissing by famed photographers Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronis, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
For those of us who can't afford a hand painted gelatin silver print of an old master, Patrick McMullan's photo book Kiss Kiss is a great neo-classic. Or, cheaper still, go out and take pictures of people kissing on your cell phone and e-mail them to your beloved.
3. Weather permitting, throw some crudités in a Ziploc bag, grab the I Ching and a bottle of wine and find some place with an inspirational view. (In California, my favorite lay-by is on the road from Carpenteria to Ojai overlooking Lake Casitas.) Get loaded and take turns reading aloud Hexagrams 31 (wooing) and 32 (duration); these are the hexagrams of courtship and marriage. While you and your valentine dip celery sticks into the most incredible roasted red pepper herb dip in the world (courtesy of Los Angeles private chef Ariane Aumont), reflect on the ancient wisdom of the Chinese sages. And then ravage each other.
4. But if you decide to stay home; it's candles, candles, candles - by the bath, in the bath, and after the bath. Remember, you're a much shorter distance from a bed when you're in your own house. And, of course, the most affordable gift of all is sweet talk. You can pay lip service to Valentine's Day with three little words. And then kiss it off.
Ariane Aumont's Roasted Red Pepper Herb Dip
2 Large Red Bell Peppers
3 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)
10 Leaves of Basil (chopped)
1/4 cup Chopped Parsley
1/2 Lemon (juiced)
8 ounces Sour Cream
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Paprika (preferably smoked)
1 teaspoon Tabasco
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place whole red peppers directly on a medium to high flame on a gas stove top.
(Or brush peppers with oil and place on a sheet pan in a 450 degree oven
for 15-20 minutes, or until skin starts to slightly brown and loosen.)
Rotate the peppers using metal tongs until the skin of the peppers in charred and blackened.
Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Once cooled, peel off skin and remove seeds from the peppers.
Place peeled peppers and the remainder of ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
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"national singles awareness day".
Hanging out barefoot at home with a great glass of wine (and your lover)makes alot more sense!