What To Make For Dinner On Valentine's Day

We're ditching our galoshes and dodging the cold in favor of a Big Night In all month long. Follow our lead right this way.

The great Julia Child once said, "I think careful cooking is love, don't you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who's close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give."

We're with Julia, and you should be, too. Read My Life in France, and it's clear that Julia and Paul had a wonderful, love-filled marriage. Maybe it had a little something to do with cooking.

So instead of braving the throngs of unsatisfied diners who will end their nights with dime-a-dozen crème brûlée, show the one you love that you care by making dinner this Saturday night. One of the nicest things you can do for someone else is feed them. It satisfies a basic need, sure, but it also requires time and patience and thought—come to think of it, sort of sounds like the ingredients for a good relationship.

Hunker down on the 14th. Mix cocktails that will get you a tiny bit punch-drunk. Maybe throw on some music to set the mood. Might we recommend D'Angelo? (Don't judge.)

As for what to make, we've got just the thing to keep both of you starry-eyed: seared duck breasts with wheat berries and a luxurious, buttery sauce made from aromatics and chicken stock (see the recipe).

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The sauce takes a while to cook down, but taking your time and hanging out in the kitchen is part of the fun. When all is said and done and you're both biting into beautifully rosy slices of duck, your lover will appreciate that you put in more effort than picking up the phone (or app) to make a reservation. Hey, maybe you'll even get lucky.

We bet those crazy kids Julia and Paul wouldn't hold back.