Every now and again I take a long hard look at whatever it has been that's been making up our meals and think, "No. I simply cannot eat X, Y or Z again. Cannot". When this happens I actively set about introducing new dishes to my repertoire to stave off the boredom that is the bane of family cooks everywhere. About a year and a half ago, I banished risotto, swiss steak, and meatloaf from our table and substituted various kale- and chard-based dishes, bolognese sauced pastas, and vegetable curries. Past culinary love affairs included such things as quiche, stir fries, and pot pies. Once in college I was mid-bite from a plate of spaghetti con aglio e olio when I realized that I must stop eating spaghetti immediately. That was my last bite of the stuff for almost 8 years.

Now it's time to get rid of kale, bolognese and curry, at least as regulars. Part of the fun of replacing dishes in heavy-rotation is the experimentation before settling on whatever will become our new staples. At the moment I'm leaning heavily toward short ribs, pressed sandwiches and stuffed peppers. The options for all of these are virtually limitless and I confess that I am thinking of reviving a long-abandoned favorite in a new way - risotto stuffed bell peppers maybe? What about a leek and sundried tomato risotto in red peppers? Or pumpkin and feta version inside green ones? This, I think, has some possibilities.

In other news, I am somewhat relieved that Brainiac will be travelling over Valentine's Day. We've never made a big hairy deal about the day, maybe exchanging cards and favorite candies (I sometimes get an entire roll of chocolate Necco wafers, about which I feel endlessly spoiled) but then again maybe not. Despite our very casual approach to the day - which was true even in our dating and pre-kid years - I've always felt called upon to produce a special dinner for him, outside not only the realm of whatever our staple entrees might be but also whatever indulgences in which he might typically indulge.

So, as I like to do and will do with the flimsiest of excuses, I peruse all kinds of websites, magazines and books looking for the perfect Valentine's Day menu. The trouble is, so many of the "romantic" ingredients in heavy editorial rotation are things that he wouldn't touch if I paid him. Shellfish, mushrooms, asparagus, lamb, artichokes, runny cheeses, caviar, berries - all things he will not eat, full-stop, and all things that loom large in Valentine menus. So I try to punch up the things I know he likes and while very often he is thrilled (he is very much a man comforted by the familiar) I am usually nonplussed. But this year, he will be away and likely eating his dinner from the hospitality room of a conference center and I will be free to cook anything I want free of my self-imposed pressure to create some kind of chef d'oeuvre culinaire de l'amour.

I wonder what I could make myself for a solo Valentine's Day? Perhaps brie and mushroom canapes to start, followed by shrimp and scallops in a spicy cream sauce and finishing with raspberry coeur a la creme. Then again, perhaps takeout Chinese with the kids will be more my speed on the night in question.

Either way, I know I will miss Brainiac. Whatever I eat, it will be a poor substitute for a hug and a roll of chocolate Necco wafers.