Valentines Day! What is the best romantic meal?

[cbayer]

I want to have a nice dinner at home with my sweetie. I want it to be slow, candlelit and sexy.

Who's got some great ideas?

:toast:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. I've always had great luck with

Reddi Whip, champagne, and pearls.....................

[cbayer]

2. Ok, we got dessert!

:rofl:

[grasswire]

3. fondue is slow

You have to prepare one bite at a time. And you can feed each other, etc.

Perhaps a shrimp cocktail to start, and then a cheese fondue to linger over.

I always like a coeur a la creme for Valentine dessert, with a raspberry coulis. It's easy, do-ahead, and delicious. You could serve tiny dark chocolate wafers alongside.

[cbayer]

4. Fondue is one of my favorite dishes ever.

I usually do cheese, but now I am thinking about beef with a variety of sauces. Can't do shrimp - texture thing.

Do you have a recipe for the dessert? I am not familiar with it, but it sounds perfect.

:hi:

[sazemisery]

6. Coeur a la Creme

Here is a recipe from Ina Garten (she doesn't use a heart-shaped mold in hers).

Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce

Copyright, 2004, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 8 hr 0 min Cook Time: 4 min
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

* 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
* 2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
* Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce, recipe follows
* 2 half-pints fresh raspberries

Directions

Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce.
Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce:

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Yield: 2 cups

[cbayer]

10. That looks wonderful!

Thank you so much for the recipe. I will let you know if I try it.

[eridani]

5. Anything with raspberries, strawberries or cherries n/t

[DrDan]

7. it is a light meal - maybe grilled fish, some fresh vegetables, and a great wine

a little fruit and cheese to nibble on after dinner

[cbayer]

12. I love cheese for dessert.

Fish and veggies could be done quickly, but I am not sure they can be eaten slowly.

:hi:

[hippywife]

8. Not sure at the moment what it should be

but I would suggest that if you want a romantic evening, it should be something as make ahead as possible. And not so heavy as to prevent any subsequent *ahem* activity. ;)

[cbayer]

11. I'm think make ahead as well.

I don't want to be jumping up and down from the table or completely preoccupied between courses.

I want to get as close as I can to being in a restaurant without actually going to one.

I have never eaten anything so heavy as to prevent subsequent *blush* activity!

:rofl:

[hippywife]

15. Actually what I think is more romantic

is to have everything ready to grab, engage in said activity first, then bring the food in and have a candle lit picnic in the bedroom. Activity first tends to pique the appetite, no? ;)

[ginnyinWI]

9. crabcakes?

Of course in my case, it would be crabcakes for Christmas, New Year's, St. Patrick's Day, Arbor Day, etc etc!

[cbayer]

13. What is your favorite recipe and what to you serve it with?

[ginnyinWI]

14. Jacques Pepin's.

I copied it off of his program, Fast Food My Way:

Crab Cakes

Mix together 1 1/2 c. shredded crab ( I have used real and faux crab and they both work)
a chopped scallion
crushed garlic to taste
Tabasco-- a few dashes
3 T. Mayo
dash salt
3 sliced bread put through food processor (if you do it by hand and it isn't fine enough, add an egg to the mix so it will hold together.)
cilantro

Shape into six patties and saute in a frying pan or on a griddle with a little oil.

Sauce: Mix 2 T. mayo, 2 T. ketchup, dash or two Tabasco, 1/4 tsp. Wasabe powder (not crucial but nice if you have it), and a little lime juice together.

He also has a yummy one in his cookbook, "Jacques Pepin's Table". In that one he adds thyme and chives to the crab mixture and serves on a bed of chopped avocado and tomatoes.