Love Language

Have you heard of the 5 Love Languages? Whether you agree with them or not, it’s that time of year to think about them! In case you missed them, they are said to be:

Words of Affirmation—showing love through verbal appreciation and compliments
Quality Time—showing love by giving undivided attention and doing things together
Gifts—showing love through thoughtful gifts that symbolize appreciation
Acts of Service—showing love by performing tasks that are helpful to your partner
Physical Touch—showing love through physical gestures like hugging, kissing, etc.

This Valentine’s, making a simple treat or dinner for two as an Act of Service will go a long way, believe me. Even for a non-cook like me, frying up a couple of steaks is right up my alley. Then you get a cookie cutter to shape the eggs and add some potatoes, and you’re golden, man.

Want a cute way to make heart-shaped bread? Bake a loaf of shoku-pan, the Japanese white bread that’s so soft you can actually shape it. Make the slices thick enough and slice them into triangles first.

Then fold the corners into each other and tuck them in to make a heart. Hold it together with a toothpick.

Add toppings like corn and Kewpie Mayo, pepperoni and cheese, or mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Toast them in your toaster oven.

The S’mores Hearts and the Pizza Toast Hearts were the biggest hits.

It’s a fun idea and I think doing this with your partner is Quality Time well spent. The bread folds better if you can bake a real soft loaf with a crust that won’t split, or buy shoku-pan from the supermarket. If you fail, just use your heart-shaped cutter and do it the easy way, ha-ha! The important thing are the toppings anyway. You can’t go wrong with any of these.

If you’ve read this far, I’m guessing you’re curious about those strawberries that we had with our steaks?

I found this ingenious treat on Instagram from Chengkamunni, a Korean content creator. Look her up to see a video of her making these, but you can do it yourself too, with practice. The first thing you need is a good nonstick pan and some luscious strawberries on a stick. Luckily, I had both. Heat the pan to about the temperature you would set to make pancakes. For the electric skillet I set it at 300°F. Get a marshmallow and rub it on the pan in a circular motion as it melts. Use the same marshmallow to lift up the strands and twirl it onto the strawberry. It’s that simple.

Wanna see it in action?

If you decide to try this, here’s a couple of hints that she does not explain. You need to lightly grease the pan, even if it’s nonstick. After a few tries, you’ll understand how much to use—you don’t want to overdo it or the marshmallow won’t come off the pan. If the marshmallow heats to the point of turning brown, start over with a new marshmallow after you clean the pan with water (while the pan is hot). Use tongs and a wadded up paper towel—it works good. AND BE CAREFUL!! MELTED MARSHMALLOW IS HOT!! This was really a fun activity that rewards you with a really good dessert. The marshmallow strands weren’t overly sweet to the point of overwhelming the fruit.