Love is in the air. That is, according to every store I’ve been in lately that has those beautiful boxes of chocolates on display that have probably been sitting in a warehouse somewhere since last Feb. 14.
I won’t lie to you. I have been tempted to buy some in the past. So tempted, in fact, that I broke down and did it. Only once and only to be disappointed. And the last time I went out for a Valentine’s Day dinner, I was with every other Valentine in Chattanooga in an extremely crowded restaurant. What’s so romantic about that?
My first bit of advice is stay home. Yes, stay home and cook a romantic dinner for two, served in front of a cozy fire with a dreamy playlist of classical or jazz playing softly. Turn the lights down low and light a few candles — preferably non-scented so that they don’t offend your partner’s olfactory senses or clash with the aromas of the food you are serving.
Now that the scene is set, the menu must be discussed. There is something to be said for food that has aphrodisiac qualities: If you can find very fresh raw oysters, by all means start your dinner with a dozen accompanied by a deliciously tangy mignonette. One of my happiest memories involves raw oysters, a wonderful bubbly champagne and a tall dark-headed man at a French restaurant, La Grenouille — now closed — in New York. Many years ago, I might add.
If you do go the oyster route, be very careful opening them or your Valentine’s dinner might be more like a Valentine’s Day massacre.