Love Gone Sour: A Vinegar Valentine’s Dinner

Valentine’s Day may be for lovers, but in the Victorian era, it was also for haters. During the 1840s, those who had not been struck by Cupid’s arrow could express their curdled heart by sending a saucy and sometimes vulgar insult card anonymously by mail to a luckless recipient. These so-called ‘vinegar valentines’ are the inspiration for a 3-course vinegar dinner conceived and prepared by chef Harry Rosenblum, author of Vinegar Revival Cookbook and host of Feast Yr Ears on Heritage Radio Network.

In between courses, co-host Gastro Obscura will speak about the bitter history of vinegar valentines and chef Harry will discuss homemade  vinegar techniques, cooking with vinegar, and lead a vinegar tasting.

Tickets include a 3-course meal with sides plus a specialty vinegar cocktail and beer. Personalized signed copies of Vinegar Revival Cookbook: Artisanal Recipes for Brightening Dishes and Drinks with Homemade Vinegars will be available for purchase.

MENU:

Pork with piquant sauce and puckered greens 

Squash steamed with vinegar, as soft as a dream

Smashed potatoes, pickled fennel, carrot and beet

Chicken soup that’s sour and for something sweet

Cider vinegar pie topped with cardamom whipped cream

Doors open at 6:30 PM. Program begins at 7:00 PM

HARRY ROSENBLUM

Harry Rosenblum is a creator, thinker and founder in the food and housewares industry. He is co-founder of The Brooklyn Kitchen, a radical cooking school which opened in 2006 and included retail goods and grocery before focusing on teaching people how to cook. His weekly podcast, Feast Yr Ears, on Heritage Radio Network invites people from all walks of life and all over the world to tell their stories, through discussions about food. In 2017 his first book,Vinegar Revival was published.

GASTRO OBSCURA

Wondrous foods to explore and enjoy. Intriguing stories served fresh daily. Welcome to Gastro Obscura—Atlas Obscura’s new food section is devoted to wonder and curiosity.