COLUMBIA — Eric Ford, the executive chef at both Upper Crust restaurants in Columbia, believes food is inherently passionate. If it wasn’t, he suggests, people wouldn’t go to such great lengths to obtain it.
“Today people eat with their eyes,” Ford said. “If it looks nice, it will be more likely to please the palate. Whereas, the same food without garnishing wouldn’t taste as good.”
If you are planning a special meal for your loved one this Valentine's Day, Ford and two other food enthusiasts encourage you to stop stressing and recognize that any food can be romantic.
Originally a chemistry student at Southwest Baptist University, Ford was sick of the long labs and difficult homework, so he switched to the culinary program at Johnston County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. A career in culinary arts satisfies Ford’s need to be a people-pleaser. Through food, he believes, he can make people happy.
“I like to see the look on people’s faces when they taste a sauce that is perfect, that has the right consistency and the right flavors," Ford said. "I get a lot of pleasure out of the wow factor.”
Ford has put a lot of thought into creating food for couples on Valentine's Day. To set the mood with food, he has considered integrating reputed aphrodisiacs such as chocolate, almonds and oysters into his recipes. However, he thinks that if prepared correctly, all food can be sensual.
“There are a lot of foods that are allegedly aphrodisiacs," Ford said. "But I would like to think that the perfect meal, created for a loved one with patience and care, is going to be an aphrodisiac.”
But if you are looking for a romantic dessert to share with your loved one, Ford suggests a flaming dessert such as bananas Foster or cherries jubilee.
Valerie Wedel, a Columbia artist, teaches pastry and dessert classes at the Columbia Area Career Center. Wedel’s love for sweet treats began in the 1980s while she was an exchange student in France. As a part of this program she took weekly culinary classes, and ever since, food has had an immense impact on her daily life.
“Food is an art,” Wedel said. “It adds an aesthetic quality to our lives and improves our well being. When we share a special meal, we take note of these experiences and we remember them.”
Back in the United States, Wedel missed the foods she had in France and wanted to share her experience with others. After extensive research and a great deal of trial and error, she came up with recipes that closely matched what she had eaten in France. Teaching at the career center enables her to share these recipes with others.
For Wedel, food is meant to be fulfilling and should not be eaten haphazardly. In fact, food is so important to her that it can set the atmosphere and mood for romance.
“I think that food can help develop a bond between two people because there is this idea of breaking bread together," Wedel said. "It’s almost a sacred thing to share a meal with somebody.”
For holidays such as Valentine's Day, Wedel suggests cooking a meal with your significant other instead of going out. “The making of a meal together is extremely intimate," she said. "It’s a different kind of communication between two people.”
Ben Clay, the executive chef at Les Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards since 2007, gets excited for Valentine's Day, because it marks the start of the restaurant's busy season, and he gets to begin making lighter meals and experimenting with pink food.
“It’s kind of that butterfly coming out of the cocoon thing, where spring is around the corner and we start to ditch the heavier winter foods,” he said.
While at the restaurant, Clay conjures up innovative foods that will impress his patrons. However, at home, he feels that a simple meal is more intimate.
“If I was going to share a special meal with my significant other, I would make a big bowl of something simple, like a salad or a bowl of pasta, like in the movie the 'Lady and the Tramp,'” Clay said. "I think sharing a bowl of food is more sensual than each having your own plate.”