Planning for Valentine

It may seem far off but time has come to plan what is, for some, the most important dinner event of the year: Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s day, especially for the young and restless, marks one day of the year to shed the practical ladder climbing of day to day business; to ignore self-conscious restraints and take some time to adopt romantic behavior. Often as not, this behavior includes a special dinner.

In most cases, reservations are made at an otherwise too-chic, too-expensive or too-little-known restaurant. But what if you cooked a romantic meal for your potential life partner instead? Consider this. Eating out has become the norm for us; a common activity; nothing unusual; completely lacking the sense of uniqueness that heightens excitement and lovers’ tension. Anyone with a pocket of plastic can buy a meal, any meal whether within or beyond their means. Only a few of us can or will choose to cook a meal of romance.

This especially applies to single guys. Face it, if you can put together a decent meal severed by candle light, you’re in like Flynn.

Start planning the meal now. That way, if there are any new recipes, you can try them out ahead of time. It also gives you ample time to acquire any special equipment you might need, like candles and candle holders.

What to serve. Go with the theme of the day. The primary icon of Valentine’s day is Cupid, or more apropos, Eros, son of Aphrodite. Aphrodite came from the sea, or we often find her related to the sea. Let the main course from the sea or lake, originate. There are many lovely ways to prepare a fish, but for Valentine’s day, go with something a little unusual, softer, mysterious: poach it.

Since the theme has twisted to the sea, add some baby potatoes with rosemary, with knowledge that rosemary too has been related to la mer, or sea. Keeping with a romantic atmosphere, and a light meal rather than a bloating, incapacitating pig out, finish the main meal simply with fresh bread. To go with fish, a nice quick-bread. A quick bread can be prepared in line with the meal rather than restraining you to the kitchen and house for six hours prior to the meal.

Finally, for a nice, exotic, erotic desert, a chocolate souffle. No connection to the sea, perhaps, but certainly plenty of connection to romance.

A simple meal to plan and prepare, yet upscale and exciting:

Poached fish
Rosemary potatoes
An Irish style soda bread
Chocolate souffle

Between now and the big night, some recipes and practice results will appear here. Stay tuned.

copyright 2006 Chromia Poetics