Eat Gay Love: Part 1 – Dennis and Tony

We reached out to three married couples to ask them about their relationships. How did they meet? What keeps them together? And just for fun, we asked them to provide actual recipes to create a three-course meal for you to enjoy on Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re with your lover, your friends or your family, food and love are universal. This is part one in a three-course series: Eat Gay Love: Part 1 – Dennis and Tony.

Starter – Figs and Mozzarella

Our first couple, Dennis and Tony, are newlyweds who live in Amsterdam. They got married last year and the ceremony was officiated by Lady Galore. We’ll let the happy couple fill you in on the love details, but just to mention, they’ve got a fig and mozzarella starter for you at the end, to begin your ROMEO romance with food.

Related Eat Gay Love: Part 2 Kerry and Carsten

A shot of courage

Where did you meet, how did you start dating?

Dennis:  The first time we saw each other was at club Nyx in 2012 during a Pink Christmas event. I instantly thought he was cute, but figured he wouldn’t be that into me, so I left it at that. Fast forward to my birthday 3 years later, my best friend heard about a new party at the Eagle, so we went to celebrate my birthday there.

Tony: I was organising this party at the Eagle in Amsterdam. Between the gogo dancing and hosting I was very busy, but when I did a round of free shots I noticed Dennis standing in the middle of the bar. Normally, I’m pretty shy if I like a guy. I would wait for him to come to me, but this time I though F*ck it, and as I gave him a shot I grabbed his ass and said, “Hey sexy,” in his ear and left him with his friends.

Dennis: After that happened it was clear that Tony was also interested in me. And the rest is history.

Tony: We started dating and we’ve been together ever since. We got married a year ago at club Nyx, the place we saw each other for the very first time.

Love and Marriage

Who was the first person to say; I Love you? When and where was this?

Tony: I was the one to say, “I love you” first. I remember we had a romantic date. When we came home and were snuggling on the couch, I felt so happy and in love, I just had to say it.

Dennis: That is true, but I was the one who asked you to get married first.

A post shared by Tony & Dennis from 🏠Amsterdam (@tonyanddennis) on Jan 2, 2017 at 5:06am PST

Recipe for Love

What is the key ingredient that keeps you two together? How do you work on keeping the love going?

Tony: It sounds corny but the key is communication. From the moment we started dating we have been very open to each other. No secrets, just take it or leave it, and we have been doing that ever since.

Dennis: And don’t forget, great sex.

Tony: Yes, the sex is amazing. This has to do with communication as well. We often talk to each other about what we like sexually and experiment with that a lot, hahaha.

What is Love?

Tony: (sings) Baby don’t hurt me!

Dennis: Anyway, I think Love is a very powerful feeling, but for me it is also a choice. Besides what I feel, I also choose to be with Tony. Everyday I make that choice again. And everyday I fall in love again.

So, what have you chosen to be our Valentine’s Day starter?

Tony: Dennis always cooks, and he is very good at it. One of the things I like the most when we have a romantic dinner is a starter with fresh figs, parma ham and mozzarella. You can find the recipe down below.

Figs with mozzarella, Parma ham and basil.

“Trust us, this fig salad recipe will blow your socks off.”

Recipe:

6 ripe figs

6 slices quality Parma ham or Prosciutto

2 balls of buffalo mozzarella

1 bunch of fresh green basil

1 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking instructions:

This easy quick recipe is perfect as a starter for a romantic dinner.

– Slice the figs criss-cross but not quite to the bottom “insert pun”, squeeze the base of the fig to expose the inside.

– Wrap one slice of parma ham around each fig.

– Cut the mozzarella in slices and decorate each fig with a piece of mozzarella.

– Top that off with a fresh basil leaf per fig.

– Mix the lemon juice and the olive oil with a whisk for your dressing, add salt and pepper to your liking.

– Finish the dish by drizzling the dressing over the three figs and you are good to go.

Tip:

What is a Valentine’s dinner without a good bottle of wine? Our favorite pick is a bottle of Sauvignon blanc. For instance the fresh fruity Palomar Creek from New Zealand goes really well with this recipe.