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Like many of you, I do not much care for Valentine's Day. Although I am happily married with a loving family and friends, I find the whole holiday forced and overblown. Restaurants set overpriced prix fixe menus, and florists charge as though a worldwide flower shortage were in full bloom (pun most definitely intended). My husband and I eat in every February 14th. Not only is it more economical, it always seems to be more fun and romantic to cook together at home.
The key to making dinner for two together is to pick foods that you both like, and both want to prepare. Think of foods that taste great and are relatively quick to cook. The following are some menu ideas that will make your hearts race, but your bellies won't skip a beat!
Sushi for Two
Believe it or not, sushi for two is not only lots of fun to prepare, but perfectly safe and inexpensive. Virtually every grocery store in the country now sells sushi rice, mirin (seasoned rice wine vinegar to make sushi rice), nori (seaweed), wasabi (green horseradish), pickled ginger and bamboo sushi mats. Look for these products in the Asian section near the soy sauce. Making sushi rice is not very difficult; just follow the directions on the back of the box and season with mirin. However, to save time and energy you certainly can order sushi rice from your local sushi restaurant.
In terms of fillings, avoid using raw fish at home for health and safety reasons. Smoked salmon is an excellent alternative to raw fish, as is surimi (imitation crab or sea leg). Avocado, mango, cucumber, scallions and julienned peppers are ideal vegetables for making maki (rolls, as opposed to nigiri, which is a slice of fish on a pad of rice). Cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, seared duck breast and thinly sliced flank steak also make for inventive fillings. Tobiko (flying fish roe) and sesame seeds are flavorful and colorful accents.
Ginger and wasabi are standard fare in sushi rolls. But there is no reason to limit yourself to these two staples. Think thematically and make spicy sauce to heat things up. Mix mayonnaise with red pepper flakes, chili oil, chili paste or sriracha sauce. If you use grilled chicken or steak, take a fusion approach and add some peanut or hoisin sauce. Visit www.sushifan.com for a visual guide on how to make maki.
Italian Lover's Feast
Italian is a romance language both spoken and on the plate. There are so many sensuous foods in the Italian repertoire. For a first course, have a little fun. Buy a ball of buffalo mozzarella, cut it into four thick slices. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, make four hearts from the four slices. Mound baby spinach on two small plates and top each plate with two mozzarella hearts. Garnish with sliced grape tomatoes, toasted pignoli nuts, fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette.
For a main course, let the cooking method make sparks fly in the kitchen. Risotto is a decadent dish that can be made with any flavors you like. The technique requires constant stirring and will surely bring you and your sweetheart closer in the kitchen. Instead of using white wine, try red wine as a sexy Valentine's Day twist. Dessert can be sinful, rich in chocolate, and even heart-healthy. Try famed Italian cook Mary Ann Esposito's Umbrian Chocolate Cake made with olive oil. It is quick, easy, luscious and quintessentially Italian.
Amour, Paris Style
Paris is considered the world's most romantic city with the most passionate cuisine. Valentine's Day is the ideal holiday to enjoy a French dinner by candlelight that you prepare with your beloved. Simple preparations with luxurious results are in store.
The first course should be classic and casual: roasted beets and goat cheese with mâche (lamb's lettuce). Buy whole baby beets. Remove the greens, then peel and quarter the beets. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Toss beets in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes or until fork-tender. Toss mâche in your favorite vinaigrette. Divide among two plates. Add roasted beets and top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Voila!
Filet mignon is elegant and extravagant, yet quick and simple to prepare. Season both sides of each beef medallion with salt, pepper and olive oil. Sear in a hot non-stick skillet, one minute per side. Remove beef to an oven-safe dish and place in a preheated 375F degree oven for about 8 minutes for medium doneness. Serve with asparagus and roasted potatoes for an impressive and delicious dish.
Dessert should be equally sumptuous. Make a duet of chocolate and white chocolate mousses. In one saucepan, heat ¾ cup heavy cream. Remove from heat and add eight ounces chopped dark chocolate. Stir until most of the chocolate is melted. Cover and let stand for ten minutes before stirring again. In another saucepan, heat ¾ cup heavy cream. Remove from heat and add eight ounces chopped white chocolate. Follow procedure as for dark chocolate above. Meanwhile, beat 1 ½ cups heavy cream in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Pour chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl and gently fold in half the whipped cream. Repeat the same process with the white chocolate mixture. Serve these two mousses side by side with berries for a romantic finale to an amorous French menu.
Cooking for Couples
The clean-up may not be so exciting, but you can always save the dishes for February 15th. Cooking as a couple is a wonderful way to spend time together, create as a team and enjoy one of life's everyday pleasures as a pair. You may just find yourself having fun together in the kitchen more often after a dinner chez vous by you!
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/lauren-braun-costello/221-valentines-dinner/
Valentine's Dinner Chez Vous
Like many of you, I do not much care for Valentine's Day. Although I am happily married with a loving family and friends, I find the whole holiday forced and overblown. Restaurants set overpriced prix fixe menus, and florists charge as though a worldwide flower shortage were in full bloom (pun most definitely intended). My husband and I eat in every February 14th. Not only is it more economical, it always seems to be more fun and romantic to cook together at home.
The key to making dinner for two together is to pick foods that you both like, and both want to prepare. Think of foods that taste great and are relatively quick to cook. The following are some menu ideas that will make your hearts race, but your bellies won't skip a beat!
Sushi for Two
Believe it or not, sushi for two is not only lots of fun to prepare, but perfectly safe and inexpensive. Virtually every grocery store in the country now sells sushi rice, mirin (seasoned rice wine vinegar to make sushi rice), nori (seaweed), wasabi (green horseradish), pickled ginger and bamboo sushi mats. Look for these products in the Asian section near the soy sauce. Making sushi rice is not very difficult; just follow the directions on the back of the box and season with mirin. However, to save time and energy you certainly can order sushi rice from your local sushi restaurant.
In terms of fillings, avoid using raw fish at home for health and safety reasons. Smoked salmon is an excellent alternative to raw fish, as is surimi (imitation crab or sea leg). Avocado, mango, cucumber, scallions and julienned peppers are ideal vegetables for making maki (rolls, as opposed to nigiri, which is a slice of fish on a pad of rice). Cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, seared duck breast and thinly sliced flank steak also make for inventive fillings. Tobiko (flying fish roe) and sesame seeds are flavorful and colorful accents.
Ginger and wasabi are standard fare in sushi rolls. But there is no reason to limit yourself to these two staples. Think thematically and make spicy sauce to heat things up. Mix mayonnaise with red pepper flakes, chili oil, chili paste or sriracha sauce. If you use grilled chicken or steak, take a fusion approach and add some peanut or hoisin sauce. Visit www.sushifan.com for a visual guide on how to make maki.
Italian Lover's Feast
Italian is a romance language both spoken and on the plate. There are so many sensuous foods in the Italian repertoire. For a first course, have a little fun. Buy a ball of buffalo mozzarella, cut it into four thick slices. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, make four hearts from the four slices. Mound baby spinach on two small plates and top each plate with two mozzarella hearts. Garnish with sliced grape tomatoes, toasted pignoli nuts, fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette.
For a main course, let the cooking method make sparks fly in the kitchen. Risotto is a decadent dish that can be made with any flavors you like. The technique requires constant stirring and will surely bring you and your sweetheart closer in the kitchen. Instead of using white wine, try red wine as a sexy Valentine's Day twist. Dessert can be sinful, rich in chocolate, and even heart-healthy. Try famed Italian cook Mary Ann Esposito's Umbrian Chocolate Cake made with olive oil. It is quick, easy, luscious and quintessentially Italian.
Amour, Paris Style
Paris is considered the world's most romantic city with the most passionate cuisine. Valentine's Day is the ideal holiday to enjoy a French dinner by candlelight that you prepare with your beloved. Simple preparations with luxurious results are in store.
The first course should be classic and casual: roasted beets and goat cheese with mâche (lamb's lettuce). Buy whole baby beets. Remove the greens, then peel and quarter the beets. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Toss beets in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes or until fork-tender. Toss mâche in your favorite vinaigrette. Divide among two plates. Add roasted beets and top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Voila!
Filet mignon is elegant and extravagant, yet quick and simple to prepare. Season both sides of each beef medallion with salt, pepper and olive oil. Sear in a hot non-stick skillet, one minute per side. Remove beef to an oven-safe dish and place in a preheated 375F degree oven for about 8 minutes for medium doneness. Serve with asparagus and roasted potatoes for an impressive and delicious dish.
Dessert should be equally sumptuous. Make a duet of chocolate and white chocolate mousses. In one saucepan, heat ¾ cup heavy cream. Remove from heat and add eight ounces chopped dark chocolate. Stir until most of the chocolate is melted. Cover and let stand for ten minutes before stirring again. In another saucepan, heat ¾ cup heavy cream. Remove from heat and add eight ounces chopped white chocolate. Follow procedure as for dark chocolate above. Meanwhile, beat 1 ½ cups heavy cream in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Pour chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl and gently fold in half the whipped cream. Repeat the same process with the white chocolate mixture. Serve these two mousses side by side with berries for a romantic finale to an amorous French menu.
Cooking for Couples
The clean-up may not be so exciting, but you can always save the dishes for February 15th. Cooking as a couple is a wonderful way to spend time together, create as a team and enjoy one of life's everyday pleasures as a pair. You may just find yourself having fun together in the kitchen more often after a dinner chez vous by you!
Umbrian Chocolate Cake
Made with water, white vinegar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, olive oil
Made with water, white vinegar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, olive oil
Serves/Makes: 14
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus extra for cake pans
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 cups cold water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar, and water and beat on low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake the cakes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans on a wire rack. Once fully cool, remove the cakes from the pans and frost as desired.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Mary Ann Esposito
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/lauren-braun-costello/221-valentines-dinner/