Here at His & Hers we want to show our appreciation for all those charities showing the love 365 days a year. There are too many to mention! Food banks, through Trussell Trust and churches have been multiplying throughout the pandemic. They are a much needed lifeline for those struggling in difficult times. Alpha Taxis has been raising funds for food banks. Local football clubs, including Liverpool FC, Everton and Tranmere Rovers, have been supporting their local communities and of course Marcus Rashford of Manchester United has done so much to protect ‘school meals’ for children out of school. Also we would like to acknowledge Jamie Oliver who campaigns to uphold food standards tirelessly, and sometimes wins.
WORDS: Jean Hill
Valentine’s Day meal deals, and cocktails as mood music:
Caorunn and Walter Pintus’s take on the classic G&T
Widely regarded as one of the capital’s most respected bartenders and mixologists, Caorunn have partnered with Walter Pintus to create this sophisticated take on the classic G&T. The Romantic cocktail involves a fermentation process that brings a concentration of acidity, fruitiness and umami notes, all embraced with some quinine aromatics and a hint of floral smoke, for an extra layer of flavour.
40ml Caorunn | 30ml raspberry cordial or raspberry fermentation | 25ml lemon juice 40ml tonic water | 2ml peat whisky (we like to use anCnoc Peatheart)
Glass: Try a tumbler or gin balloon glass
Garnish: Wildflowers
- For the raspberry cordial, stir together 500 grams of caster sugar with one litre of water and 200g raspberries in a pan. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Let it cool down, strain and refrigerate.
*Or, if using a raspberry fermentation, weigh 20 grams of raspberries, add 5 grams of salt and wait three to four days.
2. Stir all the ingredients with ice and serve in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with wildflowers.
Cocktail Tip from Walter: This straightforward recipe can be built directly in the glass, over ice cubes. If you don’t have a measure, you can use the screw cap from a bottle, which takes roughly 10ml of liquid.
Delifonseca
You can take away delicious chef prepared, restaurant standard Valentine’s treats to recreate for your loved one at home. And pretend it was all your own inspiration, but that would be cheating. The take away meals are to be completed and plated up at home by following the step-by-step instructions and photos provided. Delifonseca keeps winning awards and it is easy to see why.
Thyme Bistro and Panoramic 34
If afternoon tea with home-made bread, pastries and macarons floats your love boat, you can collect from Thyme at Oxton, on the Wirral.
Il Forno
Italian roasts will be available from Il Forno for Valentine’s Day, but book ahead to pre-order in plenty of time.
Orders through Deliveroo and Uber Eats: Advance info@ilforno.co.uk
Gino D’Acampo: My Restaurant
You can order roast dinners for Sunday. You can order on Friday and Saturday (from noon). There are ‘date night’ specials, with one bundle that includes a Gino cook book. Italian cooking seems to release romance into the air.
Gusto Italian
You can dial ahead and then fast forward to your celebration day. You can purchase a gift experience, and then when Gusto’s reopens, you can dine in style. Gusto, Royal Albert Dock has the wow factor, with that breath-taking view of the Dock lit up by a thousand twinkling lights. Something to look forward to.
https://giftcard.gustorestaurants.uk.com
So Just Shop
You can choose hand-crafted Fair-trade presents that are something quite special skilfully made with love. You are also supporting cooperatives and workshops that create beautiful objects, that work so well as love tokens.
For those who might be on their own, love yourself, and treat yourself to something special.
Related read: Introducing Berry & Bay’s Indoor Picnic for Valentine’s Day.
