So you’ve decided to cook a romantic meal for your date on Valentine’s day. What could possibly be better? Just the two of you alone together, good food, lots of wine, candles and romantic music playing quietly in the background. You can’t wait. But there’s a problem – you haven’t got a clue what you should cook or how to go about it. And now that the big day’s creeping ever closer and closer, you’re beginning to wonder if maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Fear not, here are a few pointers to help make your evening as magical as you dreamed it would be.
Preparation: You could learn a lesson from the boy scouts here. If you want your whole evening to go without a hitch you need to be prepared. Don’t leave everything to the last minute, take enough time to consider what will make the night special for you and your date. If you want to go all out with a romantic setting, you’ll need candles, flowers and posh dishes and wine glasses. Get everything ready and laid out before you start cooking so you don’t have to worry about it.
Food: Firstly and most importantly, know your limits and don’t stretch yourself too far. It’s better to cook one really good main course than to stretch yourself too far and end up with a three course meal that you’ll struggle to eat and enjoy. As for what to cook it’s important to know a bit about your date’s taste, even on a first date. If you serve up a big juicy steak only to find they’re a devoted vegetarian it’s going to be painfully embarrassing at best, and you probably won’t see them again any time soon! Once you know what they like – and what they don’t – you can choose a dish to impress them. You don’t have to go overboard, a simple but tasty main course served up on your best tableware followed by posh ice cream or a chocolate fondue and strawberries to share would be fine – and don’t forget chocolate is said to have aphrodisiacal qualities!
Wine: Finding the right wine to go with your chosen food can be a bit of a confusing minefield if you don’t know much about fine wines, but there are a few simple tips that should help. To find a wine that will compliment your meal, the easiest way is to match the colours – red for meat, white for fish and so on. If you’re having a light meal opt for a light wine, if it’s spicy choose sweet. Enjoying a good glass of wine with your meal is almost as much about presentation as the wine itself. If you’re serving white wine or rose make sure it’s chilled in advance, and always serve it in your best wine glasses – good quality crystal glasses make all the difference, and they make it feel special too. Remember your date probably won’t know much more than you about quality wines, they may bring a bottle with them and it’s likely they’ll have been fretting over it as much as you have!
