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 Seeing red? Of course you are! It's all around - in stores, schools, flower and candy shops, even the doctor's office.
All that red is madly promoting Valentine's Day.
But how did red become synonymous with a touchy-feely, hearts-and-flowers celebration for lovers?
Red is a powerful, emotional, dramatic and sometimes naughty color. It is also conflicted, being at once Cupid and the Devil. The expression “seeing red” indicates anger; flashing red lights signal danger. Stop! You may have a “red letter day” if you're “in the red” and “painted the town red,” providing you didn't get caught “red handed.”
The many faces of red
In some cultures, red denotes joy and celebration, while in South Africa it is a sign of mourning. Nations use red in their flags to signify courage, blood or revolution – not love. Fashion Designer Bill Blass advises, “when in doubt, wear red,” while interior designers use red to create visual interest in a room.
Although an important color in Asia for many centuries, red didn't arrive in Europe until the late 15th century. When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they found the Aztecs using the crushed carcasses of a beetle (cochineal) to make vibrant red-dyed textiles. They imported the pigment to Europe, where red soon became a symbol of power and wealth.
In 17th century France, red became the symbol of power. Louis XIV wore high-heeled boots and painted the heels red. Other notables followed, and red become chic and expensive. Louis XV's mistress Madame de Pompadour loved red and covered sofas and beds with red-colored stripes and prints.
Eating red
Soon enterprising European chefs began using red coloring to enhance the visual appearance of fruits, vegetables, meats and poultry. There were no government health regulations, and chefs didn't disclose that red food coloring came from the female Dactylopius coccus beetle (ewww!).
Cochineal and many substitute red food-coloring agents were widely used in America until the federal Food and Drug Administration withdrew them. Cochineal is still used in some fruit juices, gelatin and candies, and Red #40 food coloring has the FDA's blessing. Red food coloring was very popular in America, and I remember my mother and aunts adding it to whipped cream fruit salads, cookies and cakes.
Red Devil delight
At home in Chicago, Valentine's Day was celebrated with mom's sumptuous 3-layer Red Devil's (Red Velvet) Food Cake covered with a creamy vanilla frosting and decorated with red
cinnamon hearts. A recipe for traditional Red Devil's Food Cake (at landolakes.com/mealIdeas) can easily be adapted to cupcakes.
You can assemble a simple, budget-friendly but romantic Red Letter Day dinner. Try these combos: serve Radicchio Salad, grape tomatoes, fresh red pepper slices, red wine vinaigrette dressing, slow-cooked Beef Burgundy Stew and red wine. Or, serve tomato or beet-flavored pasta tossed with Marinara sauce, Waldorf salad with red apples and cranberries, sparkling red wine or cranberry juice and Red Devil's Food Cake or Raspberry Sorbet topped with fresh raspberries.
Other red foods for February include red grapes for snacking and for use in tomato soup and cranberry sauce. Or whip up a sweet raspberry smoothie by putting a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt in blender, adding a few tablespoons of frozen raspberries at a time, adding crushed ice, and blending until smooth. Blend in a teaspoon of sugar or artificial sweetener to taste.
For a sweet treat, spruce up a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a plain cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce. It's simple to make. Blend a cup and a half of fresh strawberries or partially thawed frozen strawberries, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a quarter cup of confectioners sugar until smooth.
Set the mood
Set the table with white linens (use a bed sheet if necessary or white paper placemats) festooned with red construction paper hearts and love notes written with candy hearts. Take the King or Queen of Hearts from an old deck of cards and presto - a loving place card. Place a bowl of rosy red apples on the table, add scentless votive candles, turn down the lights, play some mellow Sinatra or jazz, and have a “red-hot” time. H&O
Dede Ginter frequently writes about food and entertaining for Southern California Home & Outdoor Magazine.
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