Is the Way to a Man’s Heart Really Through his Stomach?: A Woman’s Perspective on a Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and heads are swimming with thoughts of romance (ok, that might just be the women out there!). Lines at the florist are insanely long and the card isle at the local CVS looks like a tornado blew through it as people rush out to buy last minute flowers and cards. And cliché or not, some are even preparing to propose to their significant others.

I’m really not a fan of holidays. Any holiday. But especially Valentine’s Day. I never understood why you had to wait until February 14th to tell the people in your life that you love them. But it’s Valentine’s Day, and social convention dictates that I get caught up in the moment. The problem is, I just don’t think I’m the romantic type. I don’t get all doe-eyed over expressions of love and romance. Actually, I usually react with a loudyuckand long, dramatic eye roll. But, it’s almost February 14th and I love my boyfriend. So, I did the obligatory purchasing of a card and gift. But, even though the card I picked out was funny and meaningful, it still felt fake and forced. And I really wanted to do something nice for my boyfriend. What to do…? I racked my brain for a week. I’m good at baking, and he loves just about anything I bake. And, much to my chagrin, I’ve recently discovered that I can cook well. So, I decided the best thing I could do was to make an attempt at a homemade romantic dinner. I mean, the effort had to count for something, right?

So, a few weeks ago I told my boyfriend that I was going to make him a fancy dinner of his favorite food for Valentine’s Day. Which then sparked a debate over the differences between men and women, and what they would make each other for dinner for Valentine’s Day. So, the two of us decided to turn it into a mini-social experiment. We planned to set aside two days prior to Valentine’s Day to cook our special meals. I came up with my dinner menu in minutes. He’s still trying to figure out what to make (bet all you women out there are shocked, right?). As romantic as my boyfriend is, I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up cooking dinner on Valentine’s Day, too!

But this isn’t about his menu (or lack thereof). So, what did I pick for his romantic dinner? As someone who only recently discovered she could cook, I must have picked something easy, right? Yeah…no. I went with a multi-course meal including lobster tails and filet mignon.Yikes, said the woman who just recently learned how to use her kitchen to make more than just salad and chicken! But I researched recipes for days and felt really good about what I picked. I decided on a first course of spinach salad with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries, served with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Then an entree of two lobster tails and filet mignon, served with a twice-baked potato. Dessert was easy: lemon cake filled with layers of lemon curd and raspberry cream, frosted with lemon buttercream.

   

 

I knocked the cake out the night before. But making surf and turf was a whole ‘nother thing! The morning of my big dinner debut, I woke up super nervous. I really didn’t want to screw up dinner. So early in the afternoon, I set out all of the pots and pans, got all of the ingredients prepped, and set the table. And when the clock struck 4 p.m., I began cooking.

           

And I must admit, minus a few minor missteps (he doesn’t like spinach salad, I almost started a fire searing the filet mignon, and the filet mignon wasn’t plated at the same time as everything else because I didn’t know he liked his steak cooked medium-well instead of medium-rare), dinner came out really well! I was feeling pretty proud of myself. Stuffed silly from all the food, but proud of myself nonetheless! And the best part is, my boyfriend really did appreciate all of the effort (and the meal, of course!). Huh…Maybe I really do have a little romance in me after all.