Orts & Reports: Love Notes

All the News That’s Fit to Eat

Everyone was feeling the love after reading the Valentine’s Love Letter issue last week. From sea to shining sea and beyond, readers responded with their own love notes and menu plans. The Cook & Tell Collective is now live!

Over by our nation’s capital, another Amy made a batch of Mom’s Valentines cookies with junior reader-tester, her daughter Diana. “She’s decorating them with icing and sprinkles to give to classmates on Valentine’s Day.”

Amy also made the marinated shrimp. “It was so good,” she says. “Everyone was like, ‘How did you do that?’”

This Amie hereby appoints that Amy as the official Cook & Tell recipe tester/photographer.

Sue F plans to try the shrimp recipe at some point but went heart-healthy for Valentine’s Day with salmon and broccoli bowls. And another Sue (am I seeing double here?) and her partner made a homemade pasta with a homemade sauce like they have had many of their 27 years together and notes, with double exclamation marks, no less: “Yes, there will be wine!!”

Cousin Carla loved the photo of her Auntie Karyl and me. “I think I remember Dave making those raspberry truffles,” she commented. “A real treat!”

Clarification please, Carla: the truffles or the husband?

Meanwhile, across the pond, UK Correspondent Rebecca H agreed. “That snap of you and your Mom on Valentine’s Day - very special.” Rachel’s menu included Prosecco, rib-eye steak and veg followed by “plenty of cheese.”

If you need more cheese, Wisconsin has your back, Rebecca.

Jason McB contemplated making honey-grilled salmon and baked potatoes. “I'm very excited for this newsletter,” he writes. “I do most of the cooking for our family and am ready to try some new dishes!”

And this just in from Linda T, who’s a little late to our Valentine’s Party, but, hey, she’s got the right color. “Meant to send this after I read about your Dutch oven in the newsletter, which I really enjoy! 😊 Look at what my Mom bought me for Christmas right before she passed,” Linda says. “I had been wanting something I could start cooking on the top of the stove and finish in the oven.”

It appears that our mothers—both not only excellent cooks but also founding members of the island Mother’s Club back when Linda and I were toiling over fractions at our third-grade desks—are sending us subliminal messages. In Dutch.

Readers, the Cook & Tell Collective awaits. Send us your snapshots and stories your recipes, your menus, a batch of brownies. We’ll take it all!