Posted 11:27 pm Wednesday, February 13, 2013
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Valentine’s toast to the perfect pair
Valentine’s Day, we express our love with cards, chocolates, flowers or a romantic dinner. This day is set aside to share, with those who are special, the love we feel and the importance they have in are in our lives.
Without these people — husbands, wives, children, mothers, fathers and close friends — we wouldn’t feel complete. We become engrained in each other’s lives, and when thinking about some of the couples, you couldn’t imagine one without the other. Mom without dad, grandma without grandpa or husband without wife — the bond between the two makes a timeless, classic couple.
The same can be said of food pairings. So many perfect couples that without one the other just wouldn’t be the same.
What’s peanut butter without jelly or steak without potatoes? Burgers without fries, ketchup without mustard or macaroni without the cheese — these perfect couples represent iconic pairings on everyone’s plate.
How some of these couples found each other might have taken a matchmaker. For example, the classic sauté combination of garlic and onions wouldn’t be so sweet without the help of olive oil.
Then there’s the Italian couple of tomatoes and mozzarella. They epitomize a beautiful summer romance with the assistance of fresh basil and a little push in the right direction from their pal, balsamic vinegar.
Don’t forget the old-timers who were probably a result of arranged marriages, but over time become an enduring combination. There’s cereal and milk, hot dog and bun, salt and pepper and bread and butter.
Without these people — husbands, wives, children, mothers, fathers and close friends — we wouldn’t feel complete. We become engrained in each other’s lives, and when thinking about some of the couples, you couldn’t imagine one without the other. Mom without dad, grandma without grandpa or husband without wife — the bond between the two makes a timeless, classic couple.
The same can be said of food pairings. So many perfect couples that without one the other just wouldn’t be the same.
What’s peanut butter without jelly or steak without potatoes? Burgers without fries, ketchup without mustard or macaroni without the cheese — these perfect couples represent iconic pairings on everyone’s plate.
How some of these couples found each other might have taken a matchmaker. For example, the classic sauté combination of garlic and onions wouldn’t be so sweet without the help of olive oil.
Then there’s the Italian couple of tomatoes and mozzarella. They epitomize a beautiful summer romance with the assistance of fresh basil and a little push in the right direction from their pal, balsamic vinegar.
Don’t forget the old-timers who were probably a result of arranged marriages, but over time become an enduring combination. There’s cereal and milk, hot dog and bun, salt and pepper and bread and butter.
Some couples have dated for awhile but never made it down the aisle. Remember when pesto was always with angel hair or pineapple was hanging out with pizza? Then there was the rumored affair between bacon and chocolate, but then bacon regained his senses and went back to eggs.
Speaking of chocolate, I don’t think she will ever find true love, especially this time of year. You see her everywhere with cherries, strawberries, mint and peanut butter. Sometimes she even goes a little nuts and starts hanging out with oranges, raspberries and watch out – wine! Just call chocolate the Elizabeth Taylor of food.
Some couples don’t seem very compatible, but have endured the test of time. Just look at blue cheese and apples, peaches and cottage cheese or ham and pineapple.
Sometimes you meet couples you really don’t like, but others seem to think are perfect. If you ask me, peanut butter is much better suited to banana than celery, and broccoli should really be with lemon instead of cheese. And I sometimes wonder why fish is always with rice, and never considered potatoes. After all, their English ancestors favored that combination, so it should run in the family.
My favorite couple would have to be coleslaw and potato salad. Potato salad is so friendly and comforting, and is the perfect complement to coleslaw’s zesty, and sometimes bitter, personality. They can stand independently, but one really isn’t complete without the other.
They’re the fun-loving couple you want to be friends with because, when they get together, you will usually run into friends like brisket, fried chicken and cheeseburger, and it’s always a great party. Everyone wants to eat at their table.
So whether it’s mashed potatoes and gravy, spaghetti and meatballs or peas and carrots on Valentine’s Day, we celebrate those we love and the perfect couple we aspire to be.
Speaking of chocolate, I don’t think she will ever find true love, especially this time of year. You see her everywhere with cherries, strawberries, mint and peanut butter. Sometimes she even goes a little nuts and starts hanging out with oranges, raspberries and watch out – wine! Just call chocolate the Elizabeth Taylor of food.
Some couples don’t seem very compatible, but have endured the test of time. Just look at blue cheese and apples, peaches and cottage cheese or ham and pineapple.
Sometimes you meet couples you really don’t like, but others seem to think are perfect. If you ask me, peanut butter is much better suited to banana than celery, and broccoli should really be with lemon instead of cheese. And I sometimes wonder why fish is always with rice, and never considered potatoes. After all, their English ancestors favored that combination, so it should run in the family.
My favorite couple would have to be coleslaw and potato salad. Potato salad is so friendly and comforting, and is the perfect complement to coleslaw’s zesty, and sometimes bitter, personality. They can stand independently, but one really isn’t complete without the other.
They’re the fun-loving couple you want to be friends with because, when they get together, you will usually run into friends like brisket, fried chicken and cheeseburger, and it’s always a great party. Everyone wants to eat at their table.
So whether it’s mashed potatoes and gravy, spaghetti and meatballs or peas and carrots on Valentine’s Day, we celebrate those we love and the perfect couple we aspire to be.
