Welcome to The CulinaryWoman Newsletter.
This is a busy weekend, with the Super Bowl tonight and Valentine’s Day tomorrow. But, I want to thank the paid subscribers who have joined us amid those distractions! So happy to have your support.
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It’s Time To Rethink Valentine’s Day
The restaurant world is in the midst of Valentine’s Day weekend. Since the holiday itself is Monday, which is a work and school night, some of the people who celebrate are doing so in advance.
Logically, Valentine’s Day should be a bright spot for restaurants. It offers a chance to boost business during the slowest time of the year (at least in cold weather states). It’s festive - love is supposed to be all around. It gives chefs a chance to devise menus with a romantic theme.
Instead, restaurant people tell me Valentine’s Day is a conundrum. Couples all want a memorable experience. Some demand special treatment if they are getting engaged, like hiding the ring in one of the dishes. A number of restaurants actually see business go down, because regulars assume they’ll be lost in the crush.
Add into that the changes in society, in attitudes and demographics, as well as the impact of the pandemic, and Valentine’s Day has become a holiday whose celebration could benefit from reform.
Missing faces at the table
Until 2016, I sent six Valentines to other members of my family. This year, there were only three loved ones to receive cards. I am hardly alone in crossing names off my mailing list. The pandemic has resulted in 900,000 deaths, and that doesn’t include people who died by natural causes, as my family members did, in accidents or other reasons.
It’s hard to treat your sweetheart to breakfast, ice cream or a movie date - a few of the promotions I received - when your sweetheart is no longer there. And if you are among the nearly 40 percent of Americans who do not have partners, the couples-centric promotions resonate less.
That doesn’t mean restaurants, chefs and food shops have to abandon their traditional Valentine’s promotions completely. Instead, they can make them more inclusive.
This might just be a result of my Midwest location, but it feels like the focus of Valentine’s Day is primarily on straight men and women.
Love may be love, to paraphrase Lin-Manuel Miranda, but Valentine’s Day marketers don’t seem to take into account all our different variations on love. The same enthusiasm that brands show for the LGBT community during Pride seems strangely absent in the days leading up to Feb. 14.
Likewise, you don’t often hear about promotions simply for a group of people who like each other. Marketers seem to feel that Friendsgiving each fall covers that base. Of course, in the past decade, Galentine’s Day has joined the culinary vocabulary, thanks to the episode of Parks and Recreation that coined the phrase.
This promotion takes place today (I had to look it up, so don’t feel chagrined if it isn’t on your calendar). It’s designed to be a day where women celebrate their female friends, which makes me wonder what would happen if somebody invented Palentine’s Day, so men can hang out. (Maybe that’s called “sports.”)
Ideas for inclusivity
But as we know, dividing things by traditional gender in our modern world is trickier than ever. That’s why I would like to see the food world celebrate Valentine’s Day as simply a day about love, not a day about one specific person.
This can be accomplished by making anyone feel welcome, telling groups of people feel they matter, putting less focus on menus for two in favor of those for how ever many people would like to opt in. (Pre-orders and reservations a must, of course.) Perhaps suggest Valentine’s Day lunch or an afternoon break as an alternative to evening festivities.
Finland is a good illustration of what I mean. Instead of Valentine’s Day, it celebrates Ystävänpäivä or Friendship Day. Social gatherings are held all over the country by people young and old.
Groups of friends celebrate the day at brunches and dinners. Sports activities like bowling, skating, sledding and just playing in the snow are also popular. It is the second biggest day to mail greeting cards.
Imagine if we switched to a similar holiday. Conventional couples could still celebrate, but so could everyone else. Instead of feeling forlorn, you could feel appreciated. Business opportunity aside, what is more loving than that?
What I’ve Been Writing Lately
Speaking of romance, some people find sensuality in chocolate. Others find salty to be much more appealing. To give that attitude its due, I wrote about an enticing combination for The Takeout: potato chips and caviar.
On completely different notes, my column for the Washington Post looked at a hotly controversial subject in Michigan: redistricting. A citizen’s commission has re-drawn maps for the state’s Congressional and legislative districts, and made almost no one happy.
And, I was called into action to help cover a major global news story taking place less than an hour away. In all the trips I’ve made to Canada, I never could imagine seeing the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario shut down. The standoff, which looks like it was ending on Sunday morning, had broad implications for trade and public policy.
A Look At The Tea Market
Our most recent giveaway for the Local Tea Company made me curious about the state of the tea market. I drink a lot of tea, both hot and cold, and I’m always willing to try a new variety.
It turns out the pandemic has caused production to drop in many parts of the world, even as demand in places like Turkey has skyrocketed.
As in the coffee market, it’s important to support small tea producers whenever possible. Here is a look at the tea business around the world.
Ten Days Away, And Books Are Popping Up!
On Saturday, my friend Susan Kelley of What Kate Wore phoned to say that she had just collected her copies of Satisfaction Guaranteed. Likewise, transportation expert Henry Harteveldt says he was notified that his book is coming.
So, if you placed a pre-order, you may get your book before it’s officially published on Feb. 22. Please let me know when it arrives - and if you’re so inclined, post a photo to social media.
On Twitter, tag @mickimaynard and @scribnerbooks.
On Instagram, tag @michelinemaynard and @scribnerbooks
On Facebook, tag my CulinaryWoman page.
As I hear from people who got their books, I will send out the special bonus chapter that I promised you early birds. There’s still time to pre-order, from your favorite book seller, big book store, or directly from me.
I now have a link on Bookshop.org for book sales. The orders go to independent booksellers and help keep them in business. Try that as a purchase option.
Remember to send a screenshot of your receipt to CulinaryWoman at gmail dot com. Thank you so much.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
I am posting my book activities on the CulinaryWoman Facebook page and under the Events tab at MichelineMaynard.com. Next week, I’ll give you a list of highlights - new appearances are being added regularly. (The Zingerman’s 40th anniversary event is March 15.)
Please let me know at CulinaryWoman at gmail dot com if there’s a group or a book store you think might host me for an event. And, let your friends and networks know when I’ll be appearing. (Thank you, University of Michigan Alumni Club in Seattle!)
Fingers crossed that Covid-19 cases are beginning to wane, but stay vigilant. See you next Sunday!