My favorite holiday in the kitchen was always Valentine’s Day. The expectation was that this meal would be special for our guests and that made the crew really try for “wow!” factor. Now, the holiday is a great time for me to strive for that same reaction from the ones I love. The challenge is to make a special meal for two, but most recipes are scaled for four, or more. Recognizing this obstacle, I searched for sources that would help us create a special meal for two, or three. My book list of these meals can be found here.

Instead of my usual approach of looking at only one book, I wanted to highlight a few titles that looked interesting to me (and were available while writing this). Note: I will offer some example dishes, most will probably be vegetarian, though important to mention: these are not meatless cookbooks.

“The Cozy Table” by Dana DeVolk contains a nice collection of 100 practical dishes that span meal types from appetizers to desserts. Reasonable ingredients list and mostly short preparation times make this a good resource for a busy small family. We bookmarked a number of recipes immediately. I made the Broccoli Rice Casserole (makes 3 to 4 servings) and the three of us finished it without much trouble, even though I essentially doubled the recipe. I also made a Veggie Goat Cheese Frittata, but added so much to it, one could argue it wasn’t nearly the same dish. Other future selections include: Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Cornbread Crust, Caprese Pizza and Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Rolls.

Next was “The Couple’s Cookbook” by Cole and Kiera Stipovich. These recipes were much more adventurous than The Cozy Table (if I must compare, rather than analyze as individuals). Each entry is grouped by meal, which is helpful but also a bit judgemental (I believe you can eat any food, at any time of the day. And, as Leslie Knope said, again voicing my innermost thoughts, “Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?”) We marked a few recipes for future meals. Our favorites were: Cold-Pressed Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Parsley Pistachio Pesto, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Shallots and Lemon Zest, and Soba Noodle Salad with Tofu and Charred Green Onions.

Finally, I paged through “The Date Night Cookbook” by Ned and Ariel Fulmer. I cannot lie: this was not my cup of tea. Saccharine, cutesy, and most of the pages looked more appropriate for Instagram. (Page 151 shows Ned, wearing a long-sleeved sweater with a fresh, stylish apron, while holding a cooked chicken cutlet over the saute pan — no flame on the burner. Later, he’s cutting a pork loin in suit and tie.) The recipes were fine, I suppose, though there was a definite slant towards a dinner party more than an intimate meal. Looking through the book again as I write this, nothing really stands out. The text includes the collected wisdom of this couple on a range of topics, not just food.