Tu b’Av is the Jewish holiday of love. Considered “Jewish Valentines Day,” it’s celebrated this year from sundown on July 28 through July 29.

Some love is new, other is enduring. Like so many other things, it’s worth celebrating with food. This roundup has recipes from two matchmakers: one is perfect for a special date night, the other is the perfect representative of lasting love.

“I’ve found that many singles assume romance is all about grand gestures,” Julie Spira, the Digital Matchmaker, bestselling author and certified dating coach, told The Journal. “In reality, lasting relationships are built through small, thoughtful moments shared together.”

One of Spira’s favorite date ideas doesn’t involve an expensive restaurant or elaborate plans. “I recommend a cozy dinner at home, where couples can cook together,” she said. “Preparing a meal side by side creates opportunities to laugh, communicate and work as a team. … For Tu b’Av,” she added, “the Jewish holiday of love, I wanted to share a dessert that’s as simple as it is meaningful.”

Love Potions, stuffed strawberries with dark chocolate combine fresh strawberries, creamy mascarpone cheese and rich dark chocolate. It’s an elegant treat that’s easy to prepare together.

“Whether you’re in a new relationship, celebrating years together or gathering with loved ones, food has a unique way of bringing people closer,” Spira said. “Because when it comes to love, some of the sweetest memories are made in the kitchen.”

Love Potions Stuffed Strawberries with Dark Chocolate

Contributed to “The Seduction Cookbook: Culinary Creations For Lovers”

12 large strawberries

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 tsp super-fine granulated sugar

2 drops vanilla extract

2 Tbsp grated dark chocolate (save a little for sprinkles)

1. Rinse and dry strawberries. With a paring knife, remove the hull and inner meat of the berry, forming a cavity in the berry. Also slit the sides of the strawberry in quarters just a little to allow for stuffing.

2. Mix stuffing ingredients until incorporated. With a small teaspoon, stuff the cheese filling into the cavity of the berry. Sprinkle additional grated chocolate on top. Serve cold.

“My Bubbe and Pop Pop had a really special relationship that had its fair share of ups and downs, as any marriage involving four children would,” Jaydi Samuels Kuba, author of “Your Last First Date: Secrets from a Hollywood Matchmaker,” told The Journal. “But no matter what stage of their relationship they were in – whether that was during their honeymoon phase — when my Pop Pop scrambled to write my Bubbe a Valentine’s Day poem on the bus after work – or following the loss of one of their children – their love of food always brought them together.”

This is that Valentine’s Day poem, “which was burned in my memory, mostly out of awe, at 10 years of age,” she said.

As you eat this crunch of butter,

Think of all the times I made your heart flutter,

And I’ll think of the times you made mine,

With your ways so winning, sweet and kind.

That is why I want you for my Valentine.

As you eat this confectionary,

Think of your mate, a man extraordinary,

Who although working and going to school,

Ran his ass off like a fool,

Just to buy you this candy fine,

So you would be his Valentine.

“My Bubbe’s mushroom barley soup, which my Aunt Susan was kind enough to write down for me and include in a homemade recipe box, is [another] perfect example [of their love of food connection],” Kuba said.

Many would agree that soup is love. “For the soup, she often used whatever meat was around the house, but oxtail would honor her Jamaican heritage the most,” Kuba said. “Or should I say Jew-maican.”

Mushroom Barley Soup

By Bubbe Lu

1 1/4 cup barley

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt, plus pepper to taste

1 – 2 bones (oxtail if available, but any meat bones will do)

About 8 cups water

1. Fill a large pot with about 8 cups of water.

2. Add all ingredients. Cover and simmer, stirring often.

3. Cook for about 1½–2 hours, stirring often.

4. If the soup gets too thick, add more water.