Can food exist without love? And, inversely, can love exist without food? The answer to both is yes, of course, but the two are so intertwined that it’s hard to imagine a romantic date without dinner, or a form of care greater than cooking a loved one their favorite meal.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, we at New York Times Cooking took a spin through our reader comments and found many tales of courtship and connection, of partings and proposals. Some are sweet, most are funny, and a surprising number relate to chicken — and divorce.
In good times and bad, in sickness and in health, you turned to us over and over again, and we’re grateful for your devotion.
For Winning Them Over
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Adding this to my “meals to impress a date with” list. Carrot Risotto With Chile Crisp
My husband’s absolute fave — he grunts and roars and clenches his fists in dramatic fashion with every bite. And he normally eats like a 5-year-old — hates everything. Good thing he’s pretty. Scallion Meatballs With Soy-Ginger Glaze
My “go-to” when I want to score husband points. Arugula Salad With Peaches, Goat Cheese and Basil
Word to wise: Do not cook this for a first date. There’s no telling where the spinach shards will end up in your teeth, to remain undetected until you laugh out loud. Fastest Pasta With Spinach Sauce
Made this for a dinner party about a year ago. Walked in single, with a cake, walked out with an empty dish and a boyfriend. Intense Chocolate Mousse Cake
My partner’s reaction made my day. As he finished his meal, he said, “I feel loved.” Spaghetti Carbonara
Or to Know When It’s Over
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Personally, I loved these cookies. I thought they were the right mix of chewy and ever so crispy around the edges. My boyfriend, let’s see if I keep him, decided they didn’t taste enough like soft-baked Chips Ahoy. Because no one wants a crispy cookie. That’s the review I got after spending 1.5 hours baking these. Happy social distancing, I’ll be starting mine from him tomorrow! Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Staved off a breakup at least 2.5 weeks. True rating is 4.99/5 to account for the time it falsely raised hopes of intense seriousness and perhaps love in a casual relationship. Chocolate Lava Cake for Two
Didn’t marinate for 12 hours because my boyfriend and I don’t live together. I was cooking this at his place and wasn’t going to show up in the morning to set up. We’ve been dating for almost three years, so we have talked about moving in together, but he wants to live in Brooklyn Heights and that’s too far from work for me. Say what you want, but I also enjoy having my own space. Subbed honey with agave nectar because I’m a Millennial. Will be making again! Peruvian Roasted Chicken With Spicy Cilantro Sauce
I hate this dish. I made it for my ex-boyfriend and he left me again. He said it was too salty and he didn’t like my parents. Chard and Sweet Corn Gratin
This took me four and a half years to make. My wife left me. Delicious, though. Hainan Chicken Rice
I love this recipe, and I think you might, too. My husband and his wonderful children (not mine) enjoy this when they are over at their mother’s house. I love his children but wonder if I am meant to connect with them in this way. I recommend adding 2 tablespoons of cumin. Turkey-Zucchini Burgers
This has been my go-to brownie recipe for 30 years, even after going to baking school! I agree that using the best cocoa possible makes a difference. These days, I use Callebaut. In the ’80s, an acquaintance in Germany to whom I brought some of the brownies, and who considered herself a great cook, asked for the recipe but was never able to get it to work. She kept asking me what she was doing wrong and I was never able to solve her problem. Eventually, she moved to the U.S. and stole my husband! Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies (Editor’s Note: We had to include this one, arguably the most famous comment in Cooking’s history.)
Gorgeous! I made this the night my wife and I got divorced. One-Pan Shrimp and Pearl Couscous With Harissa
In Sickness and In Health
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
After serving this to my husband he said, “I hope I die before you do.” Roast Chicken
I accidentally poisoned my boyfriend because I didn’t know gochujang contains gluten, so we spent four hours in the E.R. after eating this, but long story short: Check for gluten-free gochujang, and this stew slaps. Gochujang Potato Stew
This was so spicy our eyes literally watered while it was in the oven. My husband almost died. But I can get a new husband. Cheesy, Spicy Black Bean Bake
In Good Times
Credit…Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Many years ago, I taught a Peace Corps friend in Russia how to make it and he tried to feed it to his wife nearly every night. Made her hate me. Cheese Puff
My husband is half Colombian and grew up eating this on dreary mornings: Memories we continue to create with our family in the wilds of Wyoming on blustery, gray thank you so much days (we call them Changua days). Changua (Colombian Bread and Egg Soup)
When I was a bride back in 1958, there was a packaged mix to make éclairs, my new husband’s dream dessert. I made them over and over, then the mix disappeared from supermarket shelves so I was force to learn to make them from scratch. Now I am alone, hubby long gone, and have not even thought of éclairs until I saw this reminder recipe. Will get to work early tomorrow (Sunday) to make them for my family, remembering the sweetest time in my life as a new bride. Classic Chocolate Éclairs
Many years ago, when we lived in Mississippi, the wife of my husband’s co-worker enchanted my husband with a slice of buttermilk chess pie. He declared it was the best thing he had ever tasted. I was standing right there. He was never the same. I had to relocate him to Texas to break that spell. I will be trying to put a spell on him and others come Saturday. Buttermilk Chess Pie
My pregnant girlfriend saw this recipe on the front page today and demanded we make it at once. Now we are lying in a food coma. Easy Chocolate Cake
How long would I cook breasts rather than thighs? My wife hates thighs, and relenting on this is cheaper than getting a divorce. Pressure Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos
And Bad
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
My wife, a pilot, had just come home from flying a trans-Atlantic flight from Zurich and visiting her dad in a stroke rehab and needed some comfort — she got it with this meal. Salt-and-Pepper Roast Chicken
My wife, currently in chemo, tolerates these very well. This recipe is a blessing. Gingerbread Cookies
This was one of the first things I made in my new apartment after moving out of my ex-husband’s house. At first I was depressed by the quantity — I wasn’t used to not having someone else around to eat leftovers. But I froze it in portions and ate it for 3 months, and will be forever grateful for the nourishment one recipe gave me during one of the hardest periods of my life. I just made it for the second time, and it tastes like self determination and new start. Taco Soup
Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
