Entertaining: Will you be my Valentine?

There's nothing more romantic than cooking a special meal for that "someone" in your life. This menu is high on impact and low on effort - it will certainly have your Valentine saying yes.

What to Drink

Champagne is a nice start to a special occasion, but many people are happy with just one glass and then moving to wine with their meal. Try buying a half bottle (375ml) - that way you can have bubbles and wine without too many headaches.

If you want to start the evening off with a cocktail instead, try a Between The Sheets.

Preparation

Here are some tips to make the dinner go smoothly:

• Buy the groceries, flowers and alcoholic beverages two days before the dinner. Then all you have to do on the day is pick up some fresh bread.
• Have the bread sliced at the grocery store - saves time, and fuss.
• Lay the table and do the centerpiece the night before. If you live with your "Valentine to be" and don't want to spoil the surprise, get everything ready to go the night before and wait to lay everything out until on the day.
• Prepare the vegetables for the warm salad the night before, put them in individual zip lock bags and store them in the refrigerator overnight.
• Make the chocolate sauce a couple of days ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in a double boiler just before serving.
• Prepare the dipping sauce for the bread first so that you can have a nibble with a pre-dinner drink while you are waiting for the rest of the meal to cook.

Tablescape

Create an intimate experience by serving dinner at a small table somewhere cozy, like in front of a fire.

Use unscented candles in various shapes and heights for that romantic glow.

Reds and pinks are the traditional theme colors for Valentine's Day, so try layering different shades together to create an opulent setting.

Flowers are expensive on Valentine's Day, so pick them up a couple of days beforehand, you won't be paying inflated prices and the flowers will be at their best.

If you buy flowers ahead of time, trim the ends of the flowers and place them in a vase or bucket of room temperature water. Store the flowers in a cool place so that they don't wilt before you need them.