Celebrate Valentine’s Day while cozy at home

For some, Valentine’s Day means a night out on the town with their loved ones. But, as with other holidays lately, it’s safer to stay home this year. That doesn’t mean it can’t be special. Below are some ways to still celebrate love without leaving your cozy home. (And if you’re proudly single, consider making this holiday your own, one in which you celebrate how wonderful you are by treating yourself.) “Expressions of love for beauty, nature,cultureandlovedoneshave been present ever since the beginning of the Bowers Museum,” according to the “Expressions of Love” event’s press release. Docents guide viewers through a tour focusing on people who convey their love for one another in a variety of ways. Maybe you’ll be inspired to show love in new ways, too. Tickets are $10 ($5 for members) and available at www. bowers.org/index.php/programs/ talks/event/2735-virtual-publictour- valentine-s-day. Youcanview the tour at any time during the 24 hours after its posted at 2 p.m.

You can make your own expression of love by painting a version of the Van Gogh-inspired “Love Blossoms” under the guidance of Huntington Beach’s Pinot’s Palette. Two cherry blossom trees intertwine to form a heart against a red background in the diptych you’ll be creating. The instructions were prerecorded, so you can download, play and pause when you please. You can purchase your own supplies (a list is available when you click on the event), or for $9 more, you can pick up a kit that includes everything you need—even a disposable apron. Go to www.pinotspalette.com/ huntingtonbeach or call (657) 227-9499 for more details and to reserve your spot.

What’s Valentine’s Day without a fancy dinner? You can still enjoy a chef-prepared meal while safe at home with your loved one, thanks to Pelican Hill. “Love at First Bite” starts with a Maine lobster bisque and the “Two Hearts as One Salad,” then moves on to truffle-braised short ribs and diver scallops. It finished with the luxurious black forest cake dubbed the “Queen of Hearts.” For a more detailed menu, go to www.pelicanhill. com/images/PH_Caffe_Carryout _Menu_Valentines2021.pdf. The sumptuous meal costs $95 per person (including tax and service charge) and must be reserved by Friday, Feb. 12 via www.eventbrite. com/e/pelican-hill-valentinesday- dinner-tickets-136349820985 or by calling (949) 467-6808. The Newport Beach resort offers curbside pickup for the refrigerated meals, which come with heating and serving instructions.

Want to cook your own meal, but also want to make it kind of gourmet? Sur La Table hosts several classes that day, so you can cook along with a pro. And since the registration cost is per household, your loved one can learn along with you. “Sushi at Home” guides you through making sushi rice so you can roll it Californiaand veggie-style. Discover the rewards of cooking with wine as you prepare seared scallops with prosecco-butter sauce, chardonnay and pecorino pea risotto, and prosecco chocolate truffles. Or serve pan-roasted chicken breasts with a white wine-herb sauce, brown-buttered mashed potatoes and blistered broccolini. Each class is $29, and you get a shopping list, prep instructions and recipes beforehand. Register at www.surlatable.com/cookingclasses/ online-cooking-classes/.