Last night, our son-in-law, Ron, made Valentine’s Day dinner for Ray, Rachael, Liz, Ethan, and me. Everything he served, except for the lettuce, was completely homemade. This included pita bread, tzatziki (a sauce made with cucumber, yogurt, and parsley), and seitan, a flour-based high-protein meat substitute that was so delicious that you’d never suspect it wasn’t meat. We also had turnips and onions that Ron had pickled. The food was fresh, light, and perfectly seasoned. In other words, a real taste treat.

Ron is a wonderful cook in general so we are very lucky that he routinely asks us over for dinner. However, this particular meal was truly exceptional. I’ve never had homemade pita bread except at a Mediterranean restaurant and seitan was completely new to me. If you had told me that the “meat” I was eating was actually made from wheat gluten, I would have argued loud and long that you were wrong. This ingredient not only had the taste of meat, but it also felt like meat when chewing it. Also, the coolness of tzatziki was a wonderful contrast to the spiciness of the seitan. These ingredients were served on top of a perfectly baked piece of pita bread that was moist yet firm. Needless to say, a perfect combo.

The photos below don’t really do justice to this delicious meal. Just let it be said that I had a second helping for lunch today and the saitan was good even when served cold.

Thank you, Ron, for a lovely dinner. I appreciate so much your love for good, healthy food and your attention to every detail. You made this Valentine’s Day very special for all of us and even tossed in homemade banana ice cream and whipped cream for dessert.

Below are two quick photos I snapped just before we all dug in. Unfortunately, I forgot to take one of our resident chef. Instead, I have substituted another photo of Ron just so you can see what he looks like. Again, thanks, Ron. You are definitely broadening my taste palate!