What he said was quite obvious: ”Close your eyes and take a deep breathe.” and we all did the same without looking at each other as if we were about to witness something intimate. He continued with the same relaxed tone in his voice ”Think about someone you really love and visualize him/her right before you. Now concentrate on this moment and imagine that you are telling how much you really care”. Everyone who was present in the room that day returned from his/her short mental trip feeling relieved. It was as easy as pie to see from each other’s face.

The anecdote mentioned above was from a two day long course I participated this week. However, the relief obtained through this virtual confrontation gave way to feelings of guilt when it was asked how long ago we told the same things to the person we visualized. For a few, answer was just some weeks before, for some it had been more than three months and for a quite deal of people answer was ”I had never been able to tell how much I really care.” You might be among the last group of people people but believe me there is always some point in life to turn it around.

Let’s face the fact that most of us are not very good at verbal communication when it comes to telling people how important they are in our lives. We have a strange tendency to think that the other party would know this spontaneously even we do not say a word. So here comes the remedy for all to ease our reservedness in relationships: cooking. Yes, it’s that easy and I really mean it. When it comes to show someone how much you care, cooking for him/her is one of the most effective ways. I have never known anyone who would not be impressed by something specially cooked for them. Just to make myself clear, here I am not talking about making a fancy chateaubriand for dinner and decorating your table with candles and rose petals like a honeymoon suit. What you cooked and how much sweat you poured on the kitchen floor is of small importance. Crucial thing is that you cooked for your significant other and this alone clearly conveys the message.

I personally do not like special days when all retail stores impose one common idea ”buy this gift and make your beloved ones happy as a clam!”.Valentine’s day is one of those days and it stresses out both single people and couples as well. For the former group it’s a day to re-think about the reasons why they are single and to grieve every time they come across with a stupid heart-shaped stuff all around. As for the couples, there is a meaningless pressure to come up with something special every year. Be hundred percent sure that your office mates will go through that cliche question set ”Where did you go out for dinner? What you bought for her/him? What did she/he buy for you?” Despite all these unnecessary conversations if this single day provides you with a reason to cherish your affection and to tell how much you love and care then there is no harm.

Since I want to stay away from such imposing situations do not expect from me to write down some gift suggestions for your significant other but what I can do is to share one of my delicious recipes to make your day. This might be a romantic breakfast in bed treat and you do not need to wait for a specific day to make it. Believe me, it would be even better to surprise your beloved ones when they least expect. So, just forget about the dates and sneak to your kitchen paying attention not to wake her/him up. Pesto crepe has a five star taste but won’t take more than fifteen minutes to make.

Pesto crepe goes very well with most of the oily cheeses but when I combine it with mimolette it turned out to be the best pairing among all. Mimolette is a French cow’s milk cheese with a bright orange color due to the natural dye called annatto. It has a nutty taste with a subtle fruity aroma and tastes much better when aged. For some people aging process is a bit disgusting since producers intentionally place cheese mites on mimolette rounds and every week they turn over the cheese and brush off the mites. Then they repeat the process for the other side. Cheese mites eat the surface and give the distinct flavor of mimolette cheese. Since you won’t witness any part of this process at the time of purchase you shouldn’t care that much. Similarly, we all know how bees produce honey but none of us turns it into a problem.

You may also try with different cheeses like edam or cheddar if you cannot obtain mimolette easily or cannot get the idea of mites off your head. By the way being a couple is also not a prerequisite to enjoy this scrumptious pesto crepe. We all need to love ourselves in the first place so feel free to indulge yourself with a breakfast in bed. Bright side is that you may keep all of the crepes to yourself. Have a happy valentine’s day!

Ingredients (for 4 serving)

• 1 large egg
• 200 ml (6.75 fl.oz) milk
• 75 g (2.65 oz) all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons basil pesto
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt
• 100 g (3.5 oz) grated mimolette cheese

Instructions