Valentine's Day - Romantic Dinner for Two

Author: Alexis Everson

Valentines Day is a day to express your love, and to celebrate the spirit of love.

It's the time of year to celebrate romance again. Actually, it's always the time of year to celebrate romance, but this is the time for something special for that someone special in your life.

 Picture this.

A table set for two. The silver and wine glasses polished and gleaming. Champagne on ice. Candles waiting to shed their soft romantic glow. A rose. A small gift box wrapped in paper printed with pink and red hearts. Maybe a fireplace ready for the touch of a match to give a cozy warmth.

 But, WAIT!!!

 What delicacies are you going to serve at that perfect table?

Frozen Pizza? No, no, NO!!!

This article will give you some ideas and helpful hints to make your Valentine's Dinner the best.

Plan ahead:

• Find out what your special someone's favorite foods are.
• Find out if they have any food alergies.
• Plan your menu.
• Make sure you have all the ingredients.
• Plan enough time to get yourself ready.
  
  

The first consideration is whether he or she has any food alergies. Many people have very adverse reactions to certain foods such as peanuts, mushrooms, wheat, lactose (milk and milk products including cheese).

The first Valentine's dinner I prepared for for my sweetie I had everything perfect. Lasagna is his favorite dish, so I made a wonderful lasagna, with a healthy amount of mushrooms. His allergy to mushrooms would have put him in the hospital at best, or dead with only one bite. Needless to say, we switched to plan "B" (we threw a frozen pizza in the oven).

Avoid this kind of embarassment. Just ask! If you feel uncomfortable asking such a pointed question, you may want to take a subtler approach. Just turn the conversation to the subject of food. Then ask.

Now that you have dealt with possible alergies and found out what his or her favorite foods are you can begin to plan your special dinner.

Choose the recipes you will be preparing. Avoid "gassy" foods. You don't want that cozy time in front of the fire to turn into embarassing moments. Make a list of all the ingredients you do not have on hand. Remember to check your cupboards first. Assume nothing. You don't want to get started on something and find out you only have one of something and the recipe calls for two. This special dinner is one you don't want to have to improvise on.

Making a list will help you get everything you need. Have you ever been in line at the checkout and seen something in another person's cart and realized you need some too? This usually happens when you are next in line after waiting for ten people ahead of you and there are twenty behind you. So, make a list. (And remember to take it with you).

Okay, you've done your shopping. you have everything you need. Now it's time to prepare everything that you can ahead of time. For example, if you are planning on a frozen dessert you can keep it frozen for a few days. The same applies to anything that will not lose flavor or visual appeal by being frozen or refrigerated. This will free up your time to attend to other details on Valentine's Day itself.

You will want to leave the purchase of fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables until the day of the dinner or at the earliest, the evening before and store them properly. Wilted flowers are really not very romantic.

Set the table early. You will find things that need to added or rearranged the more you look at it.

If you are planning on a full course meal, prepare as much as you can ahead of time. Clean and cut your vegetables and put them into their respective cooking pots with cold water. A little salt in the water will keep them from turning dark. Some can even be kept in the fridge overnight.

Make a note of the various cooking times of each. Start the longer cooking things first. Turn on the others according to their cooking times. This way everything will be ready at the same time.

NOTE: If you are having chicken, make sure you clean all surfaces VERY WELL with vinegar BEFORE you start preparing anything else.

Now you have everything ready to put on the stove it's time for you. Have your shower or bath, get dressed, do your hair and makeup (not necessarily applicable to you guys) then start cooking that special dinner. You really don't want to be in the shower when the doorbell rings.

I hope this short article has given you some ideas and helpful hints to make this Valentines' Day dinner the best one ever.

Alexis Everson is a sales and marketing specialist and graphic designer who loves cooking. Visit her website The World of Color