"RomanticDinner" news and stories

What's the perfect thing to serve for Valentine's Day? Blogger Chubby Hubby recommends against the heavy restaurant meals so popular among lovers and lusty gourmands; as he points out, "I know all I ever want to do after having eaten till bursting is lie down and take a nap. A light dinner ensures that both you and your companion have the energy for some good old-fashioned cardiovascular fun."

He suggests a menu of scallops with bacon and parmesan; confit of salmon hijiki and ikura with mushrooms; and the "utterly sexy" chocolate red wine soup with strawberries.

Other ideas of sultry food that will give you room to romp afterward: artichokes with romesco sauce; cold cucumber soup; goat cheese salad; salt cod cakes; this iceberg salad pictured here (dressing: mix one cup mayonnaise with 2 tbsp balsamic mayo and 1-2 ounces crumbled blue cheese; salt and cayenne pepper to taste); and panna cotta.

Source

Despite my infatuation with spectacularly prepared and expensive restaurant meals, I think I find more romance in the best of my home-made meals, or bits of fabulously good food eaten simply on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

4. I was very pregnant for our last wedding anniversary - I ended up going into labor the next morning, in fact. But I bought good steak, mushrooms, greens and potatoes, and made my very favorite dessert: a nearly-flourless french chocolate cake. I chopped and melted chocolate, I whisked, I baked, I sauteed and mixed balsamic vinegar for the dressing, all in my most comfortable maternity clothes. I drank a little Spanish wine for the occasion and we toasted to our growing family on our living room couch.

3. I can't remember the wine I selected for the evening but it was surely Spanish, and pink, a rioja I think. My husband stopped at our favorite gourmet market and bought blue cheese, olives, pepperoni. I had organic grape tomatoes, porcini mushrooms and baby artichokes from the farmer's market. I sauteed the mushrooms in lots of butter and prepared a gigantic platter of tapas. The boys fell asleep and we sat on the back porch, eating with our fingers and sipping pink wine under the summer moon.