A&E's Guide to Valentine's Day: Love Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Play Your Cards Right

With flowers, chocolates, and diamonds, paper greeting cards have become obsolete as Valentine’s Day gifts. Personally, I’d prefer a beautifully designed greeting card over gourmet chocolates and the like any day. For unique (and expensive) cards, Kate’s Paperie is where you’ll need to start. Intricate and hand-made, the children’s cards use princesses, pirates, and colorful animals as the main subject matter. Kate’s also sells all the materials needed to create your very own Valentine. If the trek is too far, Card-o-Mat’s wide selection of reasonably-priced and cleverly designed cards are bound to suffice, even if they’re not hand-made. But if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, the scratch-n-sniff Winnie-the-Pooh Valentines, which can be found at about any drug store in Manhattan, are my personal favorites.

Kate’s Paperie, 140 W. 57th St. (between Sixth and Seventh avenues), 212-246-5242. Card-o-Mat, 2884 Broadway (between 112th and 113th streets), 212-663-2085.

— Hannah Yudkin

Breaking Up Is Easy To Do

Instead of mourning lost relationships this Valentine’s Day, why not revel in the demise of a few television couples that weren’t meant to be? On NBC’s classic sitcom Friends, desperation often led Chandler (Matthew Perry) into flings with Janice (Maggie Wheeler), the woman whose laugh could turn any romance cold. Despite some hilarious moments, we were always thankful to see her go. And on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, it was Callie’s (Sara Ramirez) seemingly arbitrary decision to play for the other team and her obvious lack of chemistry with Hahn (Brooke Smith) that sunk their relationship and the ratings. The only supporters of this forced duo would have been teenage boys, but unfortunately for ABC, they aren’t Grey’s target audience. Even when relationships are carefully scripted, some loves—luckily—just do not last.

— Rachel Allen

Borrowed Words

You’ve finally lured your Valentine’s Day sweetie into your dorm room for some warm, post-dinner Passion Tea, but Plato’s assertion that “at the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet” doesn’t seem to apply to you. Your roommate is MIA and you need to quickly turn this tea session into a make-out session, but the words escape you. No worries—have a poem by one of these masters of love carefully copied into your moleskin diary, and you might need to make to pit-stop at the RA’s door:
5. W.B. Yeats: Use his undying and unrequited love for a fruitful night.
4. E.E. cummings: His love lyrics will leave your sweetheart breathless.
3. Pablo Neruda: Spark up the night with some passionate Latin loving.
2. Catullus: Go for the Lit-Hum vibe with these classic poems of love.
1. Shakespeare: You can’t go wrong with a love sonnet by ol’ Shake Master Bill.

— Kassy Lee

Play the Field

This Feb. 14th, take advantage of your options.

Spend a traditional, cozy, romantic Valentine’s Day at Sardi’s with a concert show of Love Songs by James Barbour, a recent cast member of Broadway’s A Tale of Two Cities. This cabaret style performance is a classy way to spend the evening no matter whom you choose to spend it with.

Or if serious and sensitive is not your style, spend the night poking fun at love with The National Comedy Theatre’s Valentine’s Day show House of Cards. The actors mock all of those awkward moments you love to hate. And if there are gripes you have with that special someone, you can take your lover to court with the actors serving as the judge, jury, and bailiff.

Sincere or witty, make this Feb. 14th a night of enjoyment and love.
James Barbour’s Love Songs at Sardi’s, 234 W. 44th St. (between Eighth Avenue and Broadway), 9:30 p.m., $25 plus restaurant cover. The National Comedy Theatre’s House of Cards at 347 W. 36th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), $12 student tickets available at manhattancomedy.com.

— Ruthie Fierberg

Love Bites

They say Valentine’s Day is about love, but we all know what it’s really about: chocolate. Yes, you could just buy a bag of Hershey’s kisses, but why conform to the dictates of the consumerist masses when you could throw your very own chocolate-making party and end up eating something far healthier and more delicious? Chocolate-covered strawberries anyone?
All you need is access to a stove, saucepan, metal bowl, plate, knife, whisk (or fork), and the following ingredients, all available at Creative Health (2801 Broadway, between 108th and 109th streets):
1 quart organic strawberries
1 cup finely chopped unsweetened solid dark chocolate (I like Green & Black’s brand best)
1⁄2 cup raw agave nectar
Optional spices: a pinch of sea salt, 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract or powder, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin...be creative!
Then:
1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil, then turn it down to low heat.
2. Put the chocolate in a metal bowl that is slightly larger than the saucepan. Set the metal bowl above the saucepan, making sure that the bottom of the metal bowl does not touch the boiling water. Stir or whisk constantly until the chocolate is completely melted. (This bain-marie style of melting chocolate prevents the chocolate from burning.)
3. Add agave nectar and whisk until smooth.
4. Remove from heat. Add sea salt, vanilla, and spices to taste, and stir.
5. Make sure strawberries are completely dry, because chocolate will not stick to moist fruit. Quickly dip strawberries into the melted chocolate. Set them on a cold plate to solidify, and they should be ready in less than 10 minutes.
6. If you have leftover chocolate, spoon it onto a plate in little droplets to form homemade chocolate kisses!

— Storm Garner

Music to My Heart

Valentine’s Day is as good as any for getting down to some live music. Concerts make the best dates, and if you’re by your lonesome, there’s nothing wrong with taking a tip from Billy Idol and dancing with yourself. Gossip Girl faves The Virgins will be showcasing their funky riffs and good looks at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday. If your taste in mood music runs more toward the loud and wacky, check out Japanther at the BAM Café. Downtown improv impresario John Zorn will be playing a Valentine’s benefit for his venue, The Stone. And for a good helping of soul with your Russell Stover’s, check out Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (the funk band on Amy Winehouse’s album) at the Nokia Theater.

The Virgins, Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. Sixth St. (between Kent and Wythe avenues), Brooklyn, $16 in advance, 718-486-5400. Japanther, BAM Café, 30 Lafayette St. (between Van Buren and Fillmore streets), Brooklyn, free, 718-230-4100. John Zorn, The Stone, corner of Avenue C and Second Street, $10. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Nokia Theater, 1515 Broadway (between 45th and 46th streets), $35, 212-307-7171.

— Rebecca Pattiz