Maybe it didn’t take place on February 14th, but I can think of one special occasion when Eve had Adam eating out of her hand. This year, why not continue the tradition (with hopefully somewhat less calamitous results)? While there’s something to be said for toasting each other over a sumptuous meal at a swank restaurant, nothing sets the mood as effectively as an intimate dinner for two in your own home.
That doesn’t mean you have to plan an elaborate six-course feast. You don’t want to be overwhelmed by the effort – you want to relax and enjoy it every bit as much as your partner. Facing a mountain of dirty dishes after hours of cooking is no prelude to love.
The menu While the efficacy of aphrodisiacs may lack for scientific proof, the human psyche is prone to the powers of suggestion. Who’s to say a first course of oysters on the shell, or a plate of fresh figs wrapped in proscuitto won’t stimulate more than one appetite? And, there’s no denying the sensuality of finger foods.
The main course can be anything from a hearty French stew slow-cooked in wine to lighter fare like poached fish in a delicate sauce. The key is to find dishes that can be prepared as far ahead as possible, so that the cook can spend more time with the clientele. Needless to say, the entrée of your choice should be accompanied by a bottle of your favorite wine.
Desserts are the place for sheer indulgence and rich chocolate usually pops the arrow deep into the red zone. A berry-drenched cheesecake also qualifies as a suitable culinary climax. Of course, you could always just sip a cup of Amaretto-laced coffee together and feed each other chocolates.
The table Put away the placemats. This is a white linen affair and get out your best china while you’re at it. Crown the table with the bouquet of long-stemmed roses you received from your valentine and light the candles. For an extra touch, copy your favorite love poem onto a piece of stationery or rice paper, roll it into a scroll and tie it with a ribbon. Tuck it inside your valentine’s napkin. If you’re exchanging gifts, place them on top of each of your dinner plates.
Lighting Ask any Hollywood cinematographer – lighting makes a scene come alive. First, kill the overheads. Hard shadows are verboten. If you have dimmers in your dining area use them. And you can never have enough candles. Perhaps it’s a holdover from the cave days, but candlelight arouses the flicker of passion every time.
Music As Orsino says in Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love, play on.” Spend a little time choosing a soundtrack to enhance the mood, preferably something soft and non-intrusive. I’d dip into your jazz library for something appropriate. Never underestimate the power of sax. It’s just one letter away from spelling “fun.”
Dress for dinner Now that you’ve got dinner together and feathered your love nest, it’s time to dress for the event. Don’t waste a perfect evening in your street clothes. Go for a little Hepburn -- change into your little black dress and charm your dinner companion into wearing a jacket. In this hectic life we have so few occasions to look our best for the objects of our affection that it’s easy to forget how good we can look. Turn up the volume a little and see what happens.
Post-prandial possibilities So, you’ve devoured your dinner, drained the last drops from your glasses and suddenly February 15th seems like it’s years away. It may be an inopportune time to mention it, but you did remember to light candles in the bath and bedroom and turn down the sheets? Oh, and at this point in the evening, a Valentine’s Day chocolate on the pillow is hardly necessary.
